Physical Experiment Ⅱ

Prelab Report

Measuring Laser Wavelength and Index of

Refraction of Air by Michelson
Lab Title: Interferometer

Your Chinese Name: 邱杨

UESTC ID: 2022360903034

Instructor: Fu Hao

Teaching Assistant: Wu Yanyi

Date Performed: October 11th, 2023

Score:
UESTC Student Number: 2022360903034 Email: 2022360903034@std.uestc.edu.cn
Date: 2023/10/11

Score
Answers to Questions (20 points)

2d
Q1. The path length between the M 1 and M 2 is , and the difference
cos θ
between D M 2 and EB is2 d tan θ sin θ.
Therefore, the path length difference between paths ABE and ACD is:
2d
−2 d tan θ sin θ
cos θ
¿ 2 d ∙ 1−¿ ¿ ¿
¿2d∙¿¿
¿ 2 d cos θ
Just like the picture below:

Q2
a. Twice. Since the partially reflective surface is on the backside of the
Beam splitter, the reflected beam leaves the splitter once and get reflected again
at the moveable mirror. The reflected beam then passes through the splitter
again. Thus, the reflected beam passes through the Beam splitter twice.

b. The purpose of the compensator plate is to make the transmitted

beam pass through the same thickness of glass as the reflected beam does
because the reflected beam will pass through the Beam splitter twice more.

c. The thickness of G2 is the same as that of G1.

1