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ASSIGNMENT II Answer Key

The autocollimator combines a collimator and telescope into a single instrument using a beam splitter to separate the beam paths, making it a sensitive device for precise angular adjustments. It works by projecting a collimated beam from a reticle off a mirror; if the mirror is tilted, the reflected beam will enter at an angle proportional to the tilt. A laser interferometer precisely measures distances using the definition of the meter as the distance light travels in a vacuum in a certain time. A Michelson interferometer splits a coherent laser beam along reference and measurement arms, recombining the beams; when they constructively interfere, a strong signal is detected. Moving a mirror causes the recombined beam intensity to vary sinusoid

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102 views3 pages

ASSIGNMENT II Answer Key

The autocollimator combines a collimator and telescope into a single instrument using a beam splitter to separate the beam paths, making it a sensitive device for precise angular adjustments. It works by projecting a collimated beam from a reticle off a mirror; if the mirror is tilted, the reflected beam will enter at an angle proportional to the tilt. A laser interferometer precisely measures distances using the definition of the meter as the distance light travels in a vacuum in a certain time. A Michelson interferometer splits a coherent laser beam along reference and measurement arms, recombining the beams; when they constructively interfere, a strong signal is detected. Moving a mirror causes the recombined beam intensity to vary sinusoid

Uploaded by

Varun Kumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ASSIGNMENT II ANSWER KEY

1. Principle of Autocollimator
The autocollimator combines both optical tools, the collimator and the telescope into one instrument
using a single objective lens. Both beam paths are separated by using a beam splitter. The
autocollimator is a very sensitive angle measuring device and is thus used for the precise angular
adjustment of optical or machine components. Due to the collimated beam (infinity adjustment) the
measurement results are independent from the distance to the object under test. The operating
principle is explained in the following. Like in the collimator the image of the illuminated object reticle
is projected by the objective lens to infinity. In some distance, the collimated beam is reflected back
from a mirrored surface. If the mirror surface is tilted by an angle with respect to the optical axis, the
reflected beam will enter the objective lens with an angle 2. This leads to a shift d of the image in the
image plane which can be calculated with the objective focal length f giving d = 2 x f or = d/( 2f ).
Thus, the sample angle is directly proportional to the measured shift in the image plane (small angles
assumed). The resolution of an autocollimator increases proportionally and the angular field of view
reciprocally with the focal length of the objective lens.

2. Laser Interferometer
The current definition of the metre is the distance traveled by light in a vacuum during 1299,792,458 of
a second. The definition of the metre is used to make measurements using laser interferometers.
Lasers produce light which is all in phase, this is known as coherent light and is ideal for use in a
measurement interferometer. The simplest form of interferometer is described here, known as a
Michelson interferometer after its inventor. The laser light is directed at a beam splitter which causes
approximately half of the light to be redirected along the reference arm and the remaining half to
continue along the measurement arm. Mirrors at the end of each arm return the light and the beam
splitter causes it to be recombined with approximately 50% of the recombined beam directed towards
the detector and the remaining light directed back towards the source. If the light from the reference
arm and the measurement arm is exactly in phase then there will be constructive interference and a
strong signal will be detected. If on the other hand there is a phase difference of 180 between the
reference arm and the measurement arm then there will be destructive interference and the signal at
the detector will be close to zero.
When the moving mirror is moved along the axis of the measurement arm the recombined beam
moving in and out of interference will cause a sinusoidal variation in intensity at the detector. Since the
light travels in both directions along the measurement arm the sensitivity to movement is doubled. This
means that one complete cycle, from maximum intensity, through minimum intensity, and back to
maximum, will occur when the moving mirror moves by one half of the wavelength of the light. In order
to measure one metre using the fundamental definition of the meter we must know the frequency of

the light source (f) and the speed of light for the medium though which the light will propagate (C). The
wavelength of the light source () is then found using the wave equation

To measure a length L moving mirror should be moved while counting N peak intensity fringes at the
detector where N is given by

If a resolution of less than half the wavelength is required then the intensity of the signal between the
minimum and maximum values can be used to determine the correct position of the moving mirror.

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