Abstract

In this work, we show a design of a laboratory exercise in which a digital camera has been coupled to a Michelson interferometer based on free-propagation arms. By using the camera, our students measure the evolution of the interference patterns as a function of the difference between the optical paths of the arms. In this way, they obtain the corresponding reduction of the contrast of the fringes. The analysis of the results allows one to calculate the coherence length, and also to relate the temporal coherence of the employed laser with its spectral line profile. The exercise has been carried out with two lasers, which present different coherence lengths.

© 2017 OSA, SPIE, ICO, IEEE