All Questions
Tagged with optics interferometry
161
questions
8
votes
2
answers
578
views
Magically reappearing fringes in Michelson interferometer for large path length differences?
I've built a simple Michelson interferometer from two mirrors and a beam splitter according to the following schematic:
Image source
My setup differs from the one in the publication in that mirror M1 ...
- 181
1
vote
1
answer
280
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Deriving the Interference Intensity of Michelson interferometer
I am trying to equate the equation i found wikipedia:
To the one given in my course notes which is:
Assuming a 50/50 beam split i have 1/2 where i should not have one:
- 187
13
votes
7
answers
5k
views
Are human eyes interferometers?
It seems like 2 eyes is enough “wetware” to do interferometry inside brain. Can you definitely see some reason why this could not be happening, or some way to test if it does happen?
- 605
1
vote
2
answers
317
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Where does energy go?
Where does energy go?
Given is the Michelson interferometer. One sends light in
in the form of a plane wave $E_0\exp[i(kx-wt)]$ into the interferometer.
The position of one of the mirrors is adjusted ...
- 63
0
votes
1
answer
170
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In a Mirau Interferometer what is the distance between the mirror and the beamsplitter?
A Mirau interferometer (shown left in the figure, next to the Michelson configuration to the right) is an important instrument for non-contact surface profilometry.
Briefly, taken from Wikipedia, &...
- 611
0
votes
1
answer
222
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Optical power between mirrors in resonant Fabry-Perot interferometer
I'm reading through the book Introduction To Laser Technology and just got to the section on Fabry-Perot interferometers. The book talks about the seemingly paradoxical behaviour of the optical power ...
- 822
1
vote
2
answers
224
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Question about Michelson Interferometer
In Michelson Interferometer, the mirror that lies in the middle (half-silvered mirror), can reflect and let through light. But the light after being reflected by the half-silvered mirror, only let ...
- 23
1
vote
1
answer
86
views
Can photons get captured in a Fabry-Perot cavity, and if so, what happens when it's detuned?
I'm imagining a three-step experiment with a Fabry-Perot cavity, and I'm not sure what would happen at each step.
First, suppose there is input light exactly resonant with the cavity. If I turn off ...
- 1,327
1
vote
2
answers
55
views
Optics - interferometers and interference
I was watching a video of Sabine Hossenfelder, in which interferometers were a topic of discussion. Excuse me if the answer is obvious because I am not a physics pro by any means, just an interested ...
- 11
4
votes
2
answers
158
views
Reason why light beam hits detector
I was thinking about the basic structure of interferometers and I watched a video about it. I came across a simple illustration that looked something like this:
A laser beam is split into two ...
- 49
0
votes
1
answer
180
views
What does quadrature mean in the context of sine waves and resonance?
I heard a professor talk about quadrature in a sine wave representing resonance in time. What is the quadrature of the wave, and what does it mean for a quadrature to shift?
To be more specific, a ...
1
vote
0
answers
34
views
Orienting birefringent crystal the right way in an interferometer
I'm working in a lab that involves transforming the polarization state of one beam of light in an interferometer via a Barium Borate (BBO) birefringent crystal. As the polarization state is altered ...
- 343
1
vote
1
answer
2k
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Calculating Coherence Length and spectral width given an interferogram
I'm currently doing a lab in which we use a Michelson-Morley interferometer to analyse different light source. One of the mirrors in the interferometer is moved by a stepper motor. One of the light ...
- 97
3
votes
1
answer
387
views
Why does constructive interference occur at zero path difference in a Michelson interferometer?
I was reading Introductory Fourier Transform Spectroscopy by Robert Bell.
In chapter 9 "Beamsplitters" he states for self-supporting dielectric beamsplitters:
"There are $\pi$ phase ...
- 131
1
vote
1
answer
67
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Michelson-Morley interferometer in free fall
We suppose that we have a Michelson-Morley interferometer in free fall, will there be no interference: the round trip time in both arms of the interferometer is the same?
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