Fizeau beam combination with optical interferometers: some ideas for second-generation VLTI instrumentation

All ground based interferometers are using a Michelson beam combination scheme in their current and planned interferometric instruments. This leads to a severe restriction on their interferometric field-of-view. One can overcome this restriction by using Fizeau beam combination instead. We are describing a possible scheme for Fizeau beam combination with two and more telescopes, trying to minimize the technical complexity and at the same time giving better signal-to-noise characteristics than previously favored concepts.