A low-finesse Fabry–Pérot interferometer for use in displacement measurements with applications in absolute gravimetry

A low-finesse Fabry–Pérot interferometer is used to determine long and fast displacements. Two corner cube reflectors form the traveling-wave cavity and one beam splitter couples the input collimated laser beam. Given the retrodirective property of corner cube reflectors, the cavity operates at the edge of stability over an extended scanning range. The in-line scheme with a single fixed optical component makes the proposed interferometer robust and easy to align and use. These characteristics are particularly useful in applications running in noisy environments, such as in on-field absolute gravimetry. Experimental data showing the performances reached in a transportable ballistic gravimeter are also presented.