To Find the wavelength of laser and spacing between

etalon using FABRY PEROT INTERFEROMETER

uday singh
M.Sc Physics
Roll No-16510092
uday.singh@iitgn.ac.in
6th March,2017

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

Contents
1 Theory 3

2 Apparatus 4

3 Observations 4
3.1 Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.2 Finding wavelength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.3 Spacing of Etalon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

4 References 6

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

1 Theory
The heart of the FabryProt interferometer is a pair of partially reflective glass optical flats
spaced micrometers to centimeters apart, with the reflective surfaces facing each other.As the
name suggest ,it uses phenomenon of interference in which light rays interfere constructively
or destructevily depends upon the path difference or phase difference.A light ray emmited
from any source point when enter in first plate,it will get reflected and transmitted from the
second plate whics is partially reflective.The transmitted ray again reflected act as second
source point and that ray again reflect and transmit ,so this process continues.And the
reflected ,transmitted ray interfere and give the resultant intensity on the screen.The effect
is same for each point on any circle of any particular radius thats why we will get circular
pattern.
Any no. of rays which has been imerged from same ray will get interfere with the copies of
same rays having different intensities.The no of reflection is directly proportional to sharpness
of the pattern we found. Let the monochromatic source used be of wavelength , with an
incidence angle at the surface and let n be the refractive index of the cavity inside. Then,
the optical phase difference

2ntcos
=

where =the phase difference between two beams
n=refractive index of the medium of Etalon=1(for Air medium in our setup)
d=distance between the two plates of the Etalon
=angle of incidence
=wavelength of the monochromatic light

Figure 1: Fabry-Perot Interferometer

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

For having max intensity the phase difference must be equal to integer multiple of and
also for aproxmately normal incidence cos approxmately equal to one. So the equation is
2d
N=

The formula to find the spacing between Etalon is
2
nD2
t=
n

where n 2 is the difference of square of radius of n consecutive rings. The image on screen
looks like

Figure 3: Fringe pattern

2 Apparatus
Fabry-Perot Interferometer setup,Two monochromatic laser sourses(Red and Green) etc

3 Observations
3.1 Calibration
Red()=650nm(given)
No of fringes (N)=20

Sl Initial Reading Final Reading Distance moved

No. LSR CSR Total(mm) LSR CSR Total(mm) (mm)
1 7 0 7 7 21 7.21 0.21
2 7 21 7.21 7 43 7.43 0.22
3 8 0 8 8 21 8.21 0.21

The average value of difference=0.21mm

Calibration constant()= N2d

20 650 109
=
2 0.21 103

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

= 0.031

3.2 Finding wavelength

Colour of the light used is Green.
No of fringes (N)=20

Sl Initial Reading Final Reading Difference

No. LSR CSR Total(mm) LSR CSR Total(mm) (mm)
1 4.5 0 4.50 4.5 17 4.67 0.17
2 4.5 17 4.67 4.5 33 4.83 0.16
3 4.5 33 4.83 5 1 5.01 0.18

average difference=0.17mm

N
=
2d
Wavelength of the laser light() = (2d)/N

2 0.17 103 0.031

= m = 527nm
20

3.3 Spacing of Etalon

Colour of the light used is Green.
Wavelength()=527nm

D=36.7cm
n = 3 (chosen)

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Physics Lab Report IIT GANDHINAGAR

Fringe No (n) Radius() Radius2 3 2 = 2m+n m 2 t = nD2 /3 2

(cm) (cm2 ) (cm2 ) (mm)
center 0.0 0.0
1 0.5 0.25 1.19 1.504
2 0.8 0.64 1.05 1.931
3 1.0 1.0 1.25 1.363
4 1.2 1.44 1.12 1.698
5 1.3 1.69 1.2 1.479
6 1.5 2.25 0.99 2.173
7 1.6 2.56 1.05 1.931
8 1.7 2.89 1.11 1.728
9 1.8 3.24 1.17 1.556
10 1.9 3.61
11 2.0 4.0
12 2.1 4.41

Average value of spacing of Etalon=1.707 mm

4 References
1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabry
2.Ajoy Ghatak(optics)

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