| Student Manual |  Michelson Morley’s interferometer together with Einstein’s theory of relativity helped in abandoning the concept of ether in the classical experiment performed in 1887. Since then, interferometers are used for many purposes, e.g., one of the most exciting and grand goals is measuring gravitational waves. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), is a collaborative project of American universities aimed at detecting waves of gravitational origin. The goal of the current experiment is to familiarize students with the Michelson Interferometer. It introduces optical components like beam splitters, translation, and rotational stages, lenses and highlights important concepts in wave interference. Michelson interferometer is used for measuring the laser wavelength and finding the refractive index of glass. |
| Sample Results | Concentric Circular fringes in Michelson InterferometerPlot in between fringes passed versus rotation angle (degrees)Michelson Interferometry by Anoosha Fayyaz |
| Hardware Manual | T-cube DC servo motor driver |
| Experiment Code | 2.9 |
| Version | 10 October 2012 |
Further Readings and References
- Light: Principles and MeasurementsMcGraw-Hill, Monk, , 376, (1937).
- Measurement of refractive index using a Michelson interferometerPhys. Educ, J.J. Fendley, 17, 209, (1982).
- OpticsPearson Education, Eugene Hecht, chapter. 9, 407, (2002).
- The index of refraction of glassPrecision Interferometer, PASCO Scientific, , , , .
- The Michelson InterferometerUniversity of Central Oklahoma, , , , (2003).
- Investigations of Light with a Michelson InterferometerApplied & Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Jeremy Ong, , 1, (April 5, 2010).
- Using a Michelson Interferometer to Measure Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of CopperThe Physics Teacher, Ryan Scholl, and Bruce W. Liby, 47, 316, (2009).
Pictorial Procedure
