Michelson Interferometer
Michelson Interferometer - Related Videos
16:11
Implementation of a Reference Interferometer for Nanodetection
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2014
A reference interferometer technique, which is designed to remove undesirable laser jitter noise for nanodetection, is utilized for probing an ultra-high quality factor microcavity. Instructions for assembly, setup, and data acquisition are provided, alongside the measurement process for specifying the cavity quality factor.
12:14
The Generation of Higher-order Laguerre-Gauss Optical Beams for High-precision Interferometry
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Cited by 7 •
2013
Large laser-interferometers are being constructed to create a new type of astronomy based on gravitational waves. Their sensitivities, as for many other high-precision experiments, are approaching fundamental noise limits such as the atomic vibration of their components. We are pioneering technologies to overcome these limits using novel laser beam shapes.
08:19
Patterning via Optical Saturable Transitions - Fabrication and Characterization
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Cited by 1 •
2014
We report that the diffraction limit of conventional optical lithography can be overcome by exploiting the transitions of organic photochromic derivatives induced by their photoisomerization at low light intensities.1-3 This paper outlines our fabrication technique and two locking mechanisms, namely: dissolution of one photoisomer and electrochemical oxidation.
09:31
Measurement of Tension Release During Laser Induced Axon Lesion to Evaluate Axonal Adhesion to the Substrate at Piconewton and Millisecond Resolution
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Cited by 1 •
2013
We measured the tension release in an axon that was partially lesioned with a laser dissector by simultaneous force spectroscopy measurement performed on an optically-trapped probe adhered to the membrane of the axon. The developed experimental protocol evaluates the axon adhesion to the culture substrate.
12:19
Measurement of Quantum Interference in a Silicon Ring Resonator Photon Source
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Cited by 2 •
2017
Silicon photonic chips have the potential to realize complex integrated quantum systems. Presented here is a method for preparing and testing a silicon photonic chip for quantum measurements.
FAQs
The beamsplitter divides the incoming coherent light into two paths and later allows the reflected beams to recombine. Their relative phase determines the measured interference pattern, so the instrument can translate small differences in optical path length into observable intensity changes. This component therefore connects the separate mirror paths with the precision measurement made by the system.
Changing a mirror position alters the length of one optical path, while a sample can introduce a phase shift without moving the mirror. Either change modifies how the returning beams combine and therefore changes the interference pattern. Distinguishing these sources of variation helps relate the recorded signal to instrument adjustments or chemical changes in the sample.
The interferogram preserves intensity information produced as the two optical paths vary relative to one another. Computational conversion of this recorded pattern produces a spectrum, replacing direct interpretation of the raw interference signal with analysis of absorption features. In chemistry, that transformation makes molecular vibrations and functional-group signatures accessible from the interferometer measurement.
A coherent light beam is directed to the beamsplitter, separated into two arms, reflected by separate mirrors, and recombined. The instrument records the resulting interferogram, including changes caused by optical-path differences or the sample. Computational processing then converts the interferogram into a spectrum that can be examined for absorption features and chemical information.
Absorption features in the processed spectrum can reveal molecular vibrations and indicate functional groups present in a chemical sample. They can also support assessment of composition and detection of changes between samples or measurement conditions. The spectrum therefore translates the interferometer's optical response into information useful for interpreting molecular and chemical characteristics.
In physics, the instrument provides a way to examine differences in light path length and associated interference changes. In chemistry, the same measurement principle supports Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, where spectral absorption features are related to molecular vibrations, functional groups, composition, and sample changes. Its value comes from connecting precise optical measurements with chemically interpretable spectral information.