Scientific Reports (Jun 2017)

No-scanning 3D measurement method using ultrafast dimensional conversion with a chirped optical frequency comb

  • Takashi Kato,
  • Megumi Uchida,
  • Kaoru Minoshima

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03953-w
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract A simultaneously high-precision, wide-range, and ultrafast time-resolution one-shot 3D shape measurement method is presented. Simultaneous times of flight from multiple positions to a target encoded in a chirped optical frequency comb can be obtained from spectral interferometry. We experimentally demonstrate a one-shot imaging profile measurement of a known step height of 480 µm with µm-level accuracy. We further demonstrate the extension of the dynamic range by measuring in one shot a large step height of 3 m while maintaining high accuracy using the accurate pulse-to-pulse separation of the optical frequency comb. The proposed method with its large dynamic range and measurement versatility can be applied to a broad range of applications, including microscopic structures, objects with large size or aspect ratio, and ultrafast time-resolved imaging. This study provides a powerful and versatile tool for 3D measurement, where various ranges of measurement performances can be tailored to demand.