What is Michelson interferometer experiment?

What is Michelson interferometer experiment?

The Michelson interferometer and its modifications are used in the optical industry for testing lenses and prisms, for measuring index of refraction, and for examining minute details of surfaces (microtopographies). The instrument consists of a half-silvered mirror that divides a light beam into two equal parts,…

How does Michelson interferometer work?

The Michelson interferometer produces interference fringes by splitting a beam of light so that one beam strikes a fixed mirror and the other a movable mirror. When the reflected beams are brought back together, an interference pattern results.

How does fringe pattern shift in Michelson interferometer?

A fringe pattern can be created in a number of ways but the stable fringe pattern found in the Michelson type interferometers is caused by the separation of the original source into two separate beams and then recombining them at differing angles of incidence on a viewing surface.

How a Michelson interferometer can be used for measuring distances?

The slits can be used as simple interferometer. If the distance between the slits is known, the wavelength of the light can be determined by measuring the distance of the maxima and minima. If the wavelength is known, the distance of the slits can be determined.

How much does an interferometer cost?

A Kilometric Optical Interferometer based on a classical array concept has an estimated construction cost between $1B and $3B if it would be built today (2008 dollars and technology).

What is least count of Michelson interferometer?

MICHELSON INTERFEROMETER SK025/SK002

  • Precise measurement, mirror control is extremely fine with the micrometer of least count of 0.0001mm.
  • Heavy base for high stability.
  • The mirrors and beam splitter are flat upto λ /8.

What is the purpose of interferometer?

Because of their wide application, interferometers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are used to measure everything from the smallest variations on the surface of a microscopic organism, to the structure of enormous expanses of gas and dust in the distant Universe, and now, to detect gravitational waves.

How does an optical interferometer work?

“An optical interferometer is a device in which two or more light waves are combined together to produce interference. When it is closer by half of a wavelength, a crest in one beam will correspond to a trough in the other beam, and the two light waves will exactly cancel each other, making the star disappear.

About the Author

You may also like these