Frequency-modulated continuous-wave laser interferometry measurement method based on cross-correlation

Abstract Frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) laser interferometry technology holds significant potential for applications in the fields of ultraprecision manufacturing and high-precision sensing. This paper proposes a novel approach among current phase demodulation methods is based on cross-correlation to address the challenge of this technology. On the basis of nonlinear correction of a distributed feedback laser, the intercepted beat frequency signal was first preprocessed with Z-score signal normalization and a smoothing filter. Subsequently, the interference beat signal was subjected to processing using a correlation method to derive the correlation function. Finally, the phase difference between adjacent beat signals was determined by pinpointing the maximum value of the cross-correlation function, enabling accurate displacement demodulation. Experimental validation was performed by constructing an FMCW laser interferometric displacement measurement system. The results indicated that the standard deviation of the displacement error for the cross-correlation method was 2.41 nm during static measurements. Compared to conventional maximum-point method, the static measurement error of the cross-correlation method has been reduced by 1.43 times. In dynamic measurements in the 500 μm range, The measurement error of the cross-correlation method has been reduced by 6.04 times, avoiding the dynamic measurement positioning problem of conventional feature point demodulation methods and making the measurement results more accurate. This advancement holds substantial practical value in the realm of phase demodulation in laser interferometry.