Suman Patra, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics,

Netaji Nagar Day College

Topic for
Semester – 2, Paper – PHSA CC4
Michelson Interferometer
Albert Abraham Michelson developed an instrument using the concept of
interferometry, the so-called Michelson Interferometer, to verify the ether-
hypothesis. Nowadays it is used to determine wavelength of light, refractive
index of thin material etc.

Fig 1. Schematic Diagram

Essential parts of Michelson Interferometer

Two optically plane mirrors M1 and M2 with highly silvered front surface.
M2 is fixed and M1 is movable with the help of a calibrated screw. Both mirrors
are also capable of slight rotation about their horizontal as well as vertical axis
with the help of screws.
 Two plane
parallel glass
plates A and C
having equal
thickness. Rear
side of A is
half-silvered. A
is called beam
splitter and Cis
called
compensating
plate.

An extended
source S of
monochromatic
light and a lens
L.

Fig 2. Laboratory Arrangement

How does it work?

Monochromatic light from the extended source S is made parallel by the lens L
and then is incident on the beam splitter A. Light is divided into two parts of
nearly equal amplitudes by partial reflection and transmission at the rear side of
A. (as the rear side of A is half-silvered)
The reflected wave proceeds to M1. Then it is reflected back by the mirror M1
towards the beam splitter A. Finally, a part of it transmits through A along AE.
The transmitted wave proceeds towards M2. Then it is reflected back by the
mirror M2 towards the beam splitter A. Finally, a part of it is reflected at the rear
side of A along AE.
 So, we get two coherent waves along AE. These two waves produce
interference fringes that can be observed by looking from E into the mirror M1.

M1
M2'

S
A C M2

Why the compensating plate C is needed?

It is evident from the above picture that the wave reflected from M1 crosses the
glass plate A thrice, whereas the wave reflected from M2 traverses the plate A
only once. To compensate for this extra path in glass an exactly similar glass
plate is placed on the path of the wave reflected from M2.
*If we use a monochromatic light for production of fringes, then use of this
compensating plate C is not essential. We just need to consider the additional
difference in optical path of interfering waves.
** If we use a white light for production of fringes, then use of this
compensating plate C is absolutely necessary for producing achromatic fringes.
Additional difference in optical path will vary with wavelength. So, the
additional difference in optical path must be eliminated for production of
achromatic fringes.
Is there any additional phase change due to reflection?
Both the rays proceeding towards mirror M1 and M2 suffer identical phase
change due to reflection from optically rarer to optically denser medium. Also,
the phase change suffered by the ray proceeding towards mirror M1 due to
reflection at the rear side of A and the phase change suffered by the ray coming
from mirror M2 due to reflection at the rear side of A, are same. In both cases
reflections are taking place from optically rarer to optically denser medium
(glass to silver and air to silver).
Hence, the optical path difference between the interfering waves is the
difference in path travelled in air.
Formation of fringes
On looking along EA we can see the mirror M1 together with the image M2' of
the mirror M2. This image M2' is formed by reflection from the half-silvered
surface of A.
So, we can consider that one of the interfering rays comes by reflection from M1
and other appears to come by reflection from M2'.
Depending upon the distance between M1 and M2' and the angle between them
we may get fringes of different shapes.
We will now discuss the formation of circular and straight fringes.

Formation Of Circular Fringes

Necessary adjustment for producing circular fringes ---
(i) Two mirrors M1 and M2 need to be perfectly vertical and at right angles to
each other.
(ii) Half-silvered surface of A should be at angle of 45º with the incident ray.
This adjustment makes the image M2' of the mirror M2 exactly parallel to M1
Let us now try to understand the formation of circular fringes. See the image
below.
The real extended source S has been replaced by its image S' formed by
reflection at A.
S1 and S2 are the images formed by the reflection from M2'and M1. These
images are working as virtual sources for production of fringes.

These two virtual sources are coherent and as a result each pair of
corresponding points are in exactly same phase at all instants.
Consider a point P of the source S. P1 and P2 are the two virtual images of the
point P formed by the reflection from M2'and M1 respectively. Hence P1 and P2
are the corresponding points of the virtual sources S1 and S2 respectively.
M1 M2'
S2 S1 S'

P2 ϴ P1 P

2d d

Let d is the distance between M1 and M2'. Hence, the distance between the
virtual sources S1 and S2 is 2d.
Let ϴ is the inclination of the reflected rays with the normal to surface of M1
and M2'.
Hence, the path difference between the two rays coming to the eye, from the
corresponding points P1 and P2 is 2d cosϴ.
[P2N / P1P2 = cosϴ; ∴ P2N = P1P2 cosϴ, Now, P1P2 = 2d; ∴ P2N = 2d cosϴ]
The intensity will be maximum when 2d cosϴ = m λ
and intensity will be minimum when 2d cosϴ = (2m+1) λ/2
Where, λ is the wavelength of light and
m=0,1,2,3, ………...

d and λ are constants. So, for a given order number m, ϴ will be constant.
Hence, the maxima will be in the form of a concentric circles about the foot of
the perpendicular from the eye to the mirrors.
These fringes are called fringes of equal inclination.
These fringes are situated at infinity. Hence, they are non-localized.

Formation Of Straight Fringes

When mirrors M1 and M2' are not exactly parallel, a wedge-shaped film is
formed between them. The path of two reflected rays, originating from the same
incident ray by reflection from M1 and M2' are no longer parallel.
They intersect near M1 and hence the fringes are formed near M1. The fringes
are called localized fringes and to see them the eye must be focused on the
vicinity of M1.

These fringes are curved with their convex side toward the thin edge of the
wedge as shown in the figure. The thin edge of the wedge is to the left and
therefore the fringes are convex toward the left.
As we go on decreasing the separation between M1 and M2', the fringes move
across the field of view away from the thin edge of the wedge and at the same
time gradually become straight. When M1 and M2' intersect, the lines are
perfectly straight as shown in the figure.
We have two wedges opposing each other. So, the line should appear curved on
both sides of the intersection. But for a small field of view, they appear straight.
When M1 is again moved such that the mirror M1 and the virtual image M2' of
mirror M2 get a position as shown in the figure. The fringes are again curved
but with their convex side towards the right. Localized fringes become invisible
for large path differences of the order of several millimetres.

White Light Fringes

Instead of monochromatic light if we use white light, its constituent wavelength
gives rise to its own set of fringes of different widths. For zeroth order fringe
the path difference is zero for all wavelengths. Hence, the central fringes or
zeroth order fringes corresponding to each wavelength will coincide and it will
be dark.
When the path difference between the interfering rays is considerable, then
constituent wavelengths give rise to their own set of fringes of same order at
slightly different location.
So, the central fringe is surrounded by a few coloured fringes.
After that there is so much overlapping of fringes of different wavelengths, we
get general illumination.

The importance of these white light fringes is that the position of central fringe
can be located very easily as it is dark.