Wave Optics Webinar November, 2020
Link to the recording of the webinar
Superposition of waves – simulations
- Simulation adding two waves, varying wavelength and amplitude
https://ophysics.com/w3.html - This simulation allows up to 11 waves to be added to create a new waveform.
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/cheerpj/fourier/latest/fourier.html?simulation=fourier
Path length difference
Here is the correct slide and the original that was copied incorrectly (sometimes one needs to pay attention to content not just style). The original would be correct for water (top) and vacuum (bottom). In fact, there was (maybe still is?) a commercially available gas cell for student interferometer labs that allowed the cell to be pumped to low pressure and placed in one arm of an interferometer. Counting fringes as the cell returns to ambient pressure allows the index of refraction of ambient air to be measured.
Coherence
- 13 Rouen Ducks create coherence posted by Prof. Wayne Knox of U Rochester
https://youtu.be/4o48J4streE - This video of a simulation shows the 2-slit experiment performed with spatially incoherent light, but averaged over femtoseconds, picoseconds and microseconds. Warning: Flashing/blinking light.
https://youtu.be/5cyzdsd6AOs
Interference
- 2-slit experiment: This is the recording of an Ealing film loop (ca. 1964) done in a wave tank
https://youtu.be/HxJJepW2SZg - 2-slit experiment: This version from Veritasium is much sharper (being 50 years more recent)
https://youtu.be/Iuv6hY6zsd0 - Michelson Interferometer (MIT pre-built version, how to set one up is in the video list below)
https://youtu.be/j-u3IEgcTiQ - Some sources we use for plastic gratings:
- For large quantities for outreach: rainbowsymphonystore.com
- For grating sheet: teachersource.com
Diffraction
- Single slit diffraction in a wave tank (Ealing film loop)
https://youtu.be/7pyQaifB7Fw - More information on Babinet’s Principle, which explains why complementary structures (e.g., a hair and a slit of the same size) have the same diffraction patterns.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babinet’s_principle
Polarization resources
- Polarization in nature and technology, plus other random information
https://polarization.com/index-net/ - To purchase polarizer film by the foot
https://polarization.com/polarshop/ - Polarized light art (painting with light- amazing!)
https://www.austine.com/
Dumpster optics lessons for kids (1-2 hours in length, slides available in Spanish) http://lasertechonline.org/lasertechonline/Dumpster_Optics.html
- Colors of Light (shows making a transmission grating from a CD as well as other wave-related activities)
- Polarized Light Art (also includes general wave activities)
Exploration Videos (most with simple materials you can do at home)
- Exploring diffraction https://youtu.be/7PbOz-hagOM
- Exploring Polarization https://youtu.be/_EuwylnVI1U
- The Magic (polarization) Box https://youtu.be/NyJhiZH-NjQ
- Polarized Light Art https://youtu.be/2sydPiRyuJY
- Diffraction by a Small Sphere https://youtu.be/72CMkf0R86Q
Lab videos- Laser Geeks in an optics lab (These are quite old, recorded in one take, and not the best. They were created to illustrate labs performed with the PHOTON lab kit.)
- Interference in an Air Wedge https://youtu.be/Z-vRfsEnAj4
- Brewster’s Angle https://youtu.be/ApKzyZ_zKNE
- Diffraction Grating https://youtu.be/ThxPD8hYn4w
- Malus’ Law https://youtu.be/gzMMYsllcms
- Michelson Interferometer – amazing! https://youtu.be/G6fzKc7Xv_Y
- Single Slit Diffraction https://youtu.be/hiHZLsiAv4A
- Young’s Double Slit https://youtu.be/jN0-KUaj1yw
- There are also two videos showing how to make holograms:
- Single Beam Reflection Hologram https://youtu.be/t66tJNs09es
- Two Beam Transmission Hologram https://youtu.be/8wLI9ZT_9bo
