A Fabry-Perot
resonator apparatus and method including an in-
resonator polarizing element improves detection / measurement sensitivity of an optical
system, provides both fields at a single end of the
resonator, and overcomes other structural and performance limitations of particular optical systems. A polarizing element, which may be a quarter-wave plate, a 45-degree
Faraday rotator or other polarizing element capable of converting between linear and circular polarizations and back, is placed in the
resonance path of the Fabry-Perot resonator. The polarizing element effectively doubles the cavity length and orthogonally isolates forward from reverse reflection rays within the resonator, eliminating interference between rays and providing isolated bright and dark fields at each end of the resonator. The polarizing element is introduced in a lens-incorporating Fabry-Perot resonator to eliminate cross-talk between image points and is used in a non-normal incidence Fabry-Perot resonator to emit bright and dark
resonance information at either end of the resonator.