Title: |
Low-cost Quadrature Optical Interferometer |
Authors: |
Melody, Tanner M., Patel, Krishna H., Nguyen, Peter K., Smallwood, Christopher L. |
Source: |
American Journal of Physics 91, 132-141 (2023) |
Publication Year: |
2022 |
Collection: |
Physics (Other) |
Subject Terms: |
Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors, Physics - Physics Education, Physics - Optics |
More Details: |
We report on the construction and characterization of a low-cost Mach-Zehnder optical interferometer in which quadrature signal detection is achieved by means of polarization control. The device incorporates a generic green laser pointer, home-built photodetectors, 3D-printed optical mounts, a circular polarizer extracted from a pair of 3D movie glasses, and a Python-enabled microcontroller for analog-to-digital data acquisition. Components fit inside of a 12"x6" space and can be assembled on a budget of less than US\$500. The device has the potential to make quadrature interferometry accessible and affordable for instructors, students, and enthusiasts alike. Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures |
Document Type: |
Working Paper |
DOI: |
10.1119/5.0110405 |
Access URL: |
http://arxiv.org/abs/2207.12856 |
Accession Number: |
edsarx.2207.12856 |
Database: |
arXiv |