Regular papers

Measurement accuracy of the pulse repetition interval-based excess fraction (PRIEF) method: an analogy-based theoretical analysis

¹ Global Centers of Excellence Program for Mechanical Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
² Department of Precision Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan

^* weidong@nanolab.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Received: 6 July 2012
Revised: 12 October 2012

Abstract

We describe a novel approach for a theoretical analysis of the measurement accuracy of the pulse repetition interval-based excess fraction (PRIEF) method, which is expected to be useful for high-precision length measurement. The proposed approach is introduced by focusing on an analogy between the PRIEF method and the conventional length-measurement method. The theoretical analysis results show that the absolute accuracy achievable by the PRIEF method is nanometer-order, and the relative accuracy achievable by the PRIEF method is 10⁻⁸-order, which is affected mainly by the measuring accuracy of the refractive index of air. We conclude that our analysis is useful for further development of the PRIEF method.