MICHELSON’S INTERFEROMETER

Principle: The Michelson’s interferometer works on the principle of division of amplitude. According to this
principle, the incident beam of light falls on a beam splitter which reflects roughly half of the intensity of the
wave in one direction and transmits the other half of the intensity of the wave in another direction. These two
light beams, after traversing different optical path, are brought together to superimpose in a common region
where interference occurs and fringes are formed.

Construction:

The interferometer consists of two plane mirrors m1 and m2 highly silvered on their front surfaces to avoid
multiple internal reflections and two plane parallel glass plates P1 and P2, having same material and same
thickness. Both the plates have been mounted vertically and exactly parallel to each other on a frame and are
inclined at 450 to the interferometer arm. Plate P1 has been coated with silver such that it acts as a 50/50 beam
splitter, which reflects half of the light towards mirror M1 and transmits half of the light towards mirror M2.
While plate P2 is called compensating plate.

Mirror M1 is movable mirror and a micrometer screw is attached to it. Mirror M1 is the fixed mirror.

Working:

Light from a monochromatic source S is made nearly parallel by a collimated lens L and then it is allowed to
fall on a beam splitter plate P1 which divides the incoming light in to two parts of equal intensities by partially
reflection at its rear side. The reflected beam moves towards mirror M1 and the transmitted beam moves
towards mirror M2.
These two beams travel along two mutually perpendicular paths and are reflected back by their respective
mirrors M1 and M2 to get interfere to each other at point O and produce interference fringes, which can be seen
by telescope.

Action of compensating plate P2:

The reflected beam moving towards mirror M1 crosses the beam splitter plate P1 twice before interfering while
transmitted beam does not pass even once in the absence of plate P2 that lies totally in air. Hence due to this an
extra path 2(µ-1) t (air) is introduced in the reflected beam. This path difference is compensated by using a
compensating plate P2 in the path of the transmitted beam.

Formation of Fringes:

A virtual image of mirror M2 is formed as M2’ by the plate P1. In this way the path OM1 and OM2 can be
imagined to be on the same side. A thin film is formed in between mirror M1 and the virtual image M2’.
Interference fringes are imagined to be formed by thin air film. The interference fringes may be therefore of
different shapes like straight line, circular, parabolic and hyperbolic, depending upon the optical path difference
and the angle between M1 and M2’.

Types of fringes:
There are two types of fringes form in Michelson’s interferometer:

(1) Circular Fringes

(2) Localized Fringes
(1) Circular fringes:

When mirrors M1 and M2 are exactly perpendicular to each other and distance of M1 and M2 is same from
beam splitter plate P1. Then the mirror M1 and the virtual mirror M2’ must be exactly parallel and an
imaginary air film of equal thickness is formed between them.
 Here the source S1 and S2 are the virtual image of source due to M1 and M2. If d is the thickness of air film,
the separation between S1 and S2 will be 2d.

If the light coming from two vertical sources make an angle r with the normal.
The path difference between from S1 and S2

Since one of the ray is reflecting from denser medium mirror M1, a path change of λ/2 occurs in it
Hence the effective path difference

For normal incidence (ie. r =0)

Condition for Maxima: If this path difference is equal to an integral No. of wave length, the condition for
constructive interference is satisfied.

Condition for Minima:

Centre of circular Fringes:

In case, if mirror M1 coincide with the virtual mirorM’2 i.e d = 0

For normal incidence r=0

(∆=2x0x 1 +λ/2=λ/2),

The path difference between the interfering beams will be λ/2. Thus a minima coincidence position obtained
and hence the center of the field will be dark

If mirror M1 is moved through a distance λ/4, the path difference (∆=2x λ/4 +λ/2=λ) becomes λ and therefore a
maxima is obtained
Now again moving mirror M1 moves by λ/4 , the path difference (∆=2xλ/4+λ/2 +λ/2=3λ/2) makes to produce
minima

Further moving the mirror M1 moves by λ/4 distance, the path difference (∆=2xλ/4+λ/2 +λ/2+λ/2=2λ) and
therefore a maxima is obtained

(2) Localized Fringes: When M1 and M2 are adjusted with certain inclination to each other, the thin
layer enclosed by M1and M′2 becomes wedge shaped and ocal fringes. The fringes pattern with the
various position of M1 and M′2 as shown in the figure below.

Radius of Circular Fringes:

The condition for maxima and minima in Michelson’s interferometer is given by

………………………..for maxima…..(1)

……………………..………….for minima…….(2)
It is clear that on moving away from the center the value of inclination angle r increase and value of cosr
decreases and hence order of fringes also decreases.

At center

Thus the order of the central fringe is highest and decreases as we move away from the center

The condition for nth order dark ring at center is

Since
………………..(3)

Here n= order of central fringe. On moving m number of fringes away from the center the order of mth ring will
be (n-m) as the order of central fringe is zero
Let mth ring makes an angle rm with the axis of telescope then from equation (1)

On subtracting equation (3) from equation (4), we have

Or

If the radius of mth ring is rm then from fig.

We have

Radii of Michelson’s Fringes

 …………………………….(6)

Using equations (5) and (7), we get

[ ]
( )

{( ) }

{( ) }

Above equation gives the radius of mth ring.

Application of Michelson’s interferometer:

Determination of wavelength of monochromatic light:

For determination of wavelength of light by using Michelson’s interferometer, the following procedure is used:

(1) The interferometer is adjusted so that circular fringes are visible in the field of view using
monochromatic light of wavelength λ
(2) With any ring at the center, the reading of micrometer is noted (x1)
(3) Now mirror M1 is moved with the help of micrometer screw. The fringes appear dark and bright at the
center due to change of path difference. Let x2 be the new reading of the micrometer when N fringes
move from x1

Then
Because when mirror M1 is moved away from M2 by λ/2, then the path difference (2d for center) increases by λ.
Therefore each time M1 travels through a distance λ/2, the next fringe appears at the center. Thus

Determination of the difference in wavelength of D1 and D2 lines of sodium light:

OR

Determination of wavelength separation of two nearby wavelength:

Michelson’s interferometer is set for circular fringes. Let a source has two wavelength λ1 and λ2 and (λ1 > λ2).
Which are very close to each other. As the mirror M1 is moved slowly, the two pattern separate out slowly and
when the path difference is such that the dark fringe of λ1 falls on the bright fringe of λ2, the result is maximum
indistinctness. When the path difference is such that the bright fringe of λ1 falls on the bright fringe of λ2 or (the
dark fringe of λ1 falls on the dark fringe of λ2) the result is the maximum distinctness.

Let the mirror M1 is to be moved through a distance x between two successive positions of maximum
distinctness. In this position nth fringe of λ1 must coincide with (n+1)th fringe of λ2.

Hence

Subtracting we get

( )

As λ1=λ2

Then
Determination of refractive index or thickness of thin transparent film:

Michelson’s interferometer is set for parallel film and white light is employed. Now the thin film whose
thickness is to be determined is introduced in the one of the interfering beams. Let t is the thickness of film and
refractive index µ increases the path by 2(µ-1)t thus a shift in the fringe system occurs. Now M1is moved
backward and forward till the dark fringe coincides with cross wire. The distance x moved by mirror M 1 is
measured using micrometer screw. Hence we have

Now white light is replaced by monochromatic light and mirror M1is travelled same x distance then N fringes
move across the field of view
Thus

Determination of refractive index of liquid or gas:

An evacuated tube contained liquid or gas of length l by replacing thin transparent film of thickness of t
Then