• K.P. Wootton
  Monash University, Faculty of Science, Victoria
• M.J. Boland
  ASCo, Clayton, Victoria

A new arrangement for the synchrotron radiation interferometer was proposed - as far as is known, it is unique in the world. The Young's-type interferometer is composed of two independent and optically identical paths, each with a single slit on a motorised translating stage. These two single slit patterns are interfered to produce a double slit diffraction pattern. This arrangement permits rapid scanning of the profile of fringe visibility as a function of slit separation. The interferometer was used on two beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron, the optical diagnostic and infrared beamlines. The interferometer was used to measure the coherence of the photon beam created by the electron beam source, for normal and low emittance couplings. A large change in fringe visibility was observed, proving the experimental arrangement. The interferometer was validated in the measurement of the width of a hard-edged single slit, akin to Thompson and Wolf's diffractometer. Optical simulations and measurements inform proposed modifications to the optical diagnostic beamline, so as to implement the interferometer as a regular diagnostic tool.