Laser-dilatometer calibration using a single-crystal silicon sample

Marginal changes in geometrical dimensions due to temperature changes affect the performance of optical instruments. Highly dimensionally stable materials can minimize these effects since they offer low coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE). Our dilatometer, based on heterodyne interferometry, is able to determine the CTE in 10^-8 K^-1 range. Here, we present the improved interferometer performance using angular measurements via differential wavefront sensing to correct for tilt-to-length coupling. The setup was tested by measuring the CTE of a single-crystal silicon at 285 K. Results are in good agreement with the reported values and show a bias of less than 1%.