Projects in Optics
  • Ten hands-on projects cover the fundamental principles of optics from the basics to advanced applications
  • Ideal for educators, students, and technicians
  • Simple, structured, modular format covers the full range of optical phenomena progressively
  • Informative workbook is a complete and concise study guide written to assist educators and students in understanding the principles demonstrated in each project
  • All equipment provided — an easy way to equip a new optics lab
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General Description Models
Project #6: Building a Michelson Interferometer
Projects
 Projects  Name  Features
 1  Laws of Geometrical Optics  Verifies the laws of the reflection and refraction and familiarizes the student with the various components in the kits.
 2  Thin Lens Equation  Experimentally verifies the “thin lens equation” with measurements of image and object locations to calculate the focal length.
 3  Expanding Laser Beams  Demonstrates the design of two types of laser beam expanders and explores the differences between them.
 4  Diffraction of Circular Apertures  Study and measure the diffraction effects of circular apertures. Learn how the diameter of the aperture determines the resolving power of all optical instruments.
 5  Single Slit Diffraction and Double Slit Interference  Continue to explore the wave theory of light and observe diffraction using rectangular slits as well as the phenomena of interference of two nearby sources.
 6  The Michelson Interferometer  Construct an interferometer and observe the interference pattern (fringes); use the interferometer to measure aberrations in an optic, and displacements (included thermally and mechanically) on the order of a wavelength of light.
 7  Lasers and Coherence  Learn what makes a laser unique as a light source. Study the phenomenon known as coherence length and experimentally determine the spatial mode characteristics of a HeNe laser.
 8  Polarization of Light  Explore the laws of Malus and Brewster; construct a linear polarizer/analyzer to prove the law of Malus; find the angle where minimum reflection of linear polarized light occurs (Brewster's Angle).
 9  Birefringence of Materials  Observe the characteristics of birefringent materials by building a simple optical isolator similar to those used in high-power laser designs.
 10  The Abbe Theory of Light  Learn about the spatial frequency content in the formation of images and how it could be used to control the shape and quality of an image. Build a setup which examines how selectively removing some of the spatial frequencies can modify images.