Optical interferometers can measure displacement with a resolution of tens of picometers. Polarization interferometers are often used in such measurements, as they exhibit much lower sensitivity to most of the perturbations. Although properties of these interferometers designed for metrology applications are fairly well documented, little is known about the stability of such interferometers in typical laboratory settings, where they work without vibration isolation setups or controlled flow of air. In order to assess the stability of such interferometers, a representative two-beam polarization interferometer was built on an optical plate using off-the-shelf components. Based on the results of performed measurements it is possible to conclude that such interferometers can be used for measurements when a drift of the order of ten nanometers during a 30 s interval is acceptable.
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