ABSTRACT
The interferometer is designed to exploit, in any of a variety of ways, the interference of light and
the fringe patterns that result from optical path differences. The interferometer is also called an
optical interferometer. This general description of the interferometer reflects its wide variety of
designs and uses. Applications of interferometers can also extend to acoustic and radio waves. This
chapter explains the basic principles of the Michelson, Mach-Zehnder, and the Fabry-
Pe
´
rot interferometers.