Experiment 9: Fabry-Perot Interferometer

Instructor: Darryl Masson

Sam Higginbotham
Austin Trout and Jake Wilson
November 17, 2014

Abstract
The Experiment measured the wavelengths of a Red Helium Neon Laser, the spectra of Sodium, and
the spectrum of Mercury. The Red Laser was used as a reference with which the other wavelengths were
calculated. Using the washout method we found a quantitative measurement for the sodium doublet.

Measurement and Technique

The idea of the reference laser is that it is known to precision accurately, and that we may use it to
measure the wavelengths of other spectra that is unknown. This can be done by measuring the change in
the slope of each spectra and making a proportion. The slope of the fringe change with respect to a change
in optical path length can be precisely measured using a piezoelectric stack that can cause minute changes
in the optical path length.
xpiezo = kV
Where k is the constant slope of the piezo in the linear region.
We know that if the physical distance changes then the optical path length changes two times that
distance. The Voltage can take the place of the displacement with the constant and the fringe shift is related
to the Voltage in the following way:
2kV = m
Where m is the fringe number and the wavelength.
Therefore the idea is that we gather enough data points that we can make a line examine the slope with
the change in fringe number versus voltage and set up the proportion with the differentials:
unk = ref

( dm
dV )unk
( dm
dV )ref

Data and Calculations

The table is the corresponding wavelengths and errors for the relevant data. The following graphs
indicate the slope with the error in our estimation of the slope where the voltage is the applied voltage to
the Piezoelectric Stack. The p1 fitting parameter is the error that we will use later in our Error Analysis
section and what is used to calculate the error in the table immediately following this paragraph. We end
the section with the Sodium Doublet Data.
Wavelength
A
6328
5861 75
5512 79

Source
Red Laser
Sodium Lamp
Mercury Lamp

Sam Higginbotham

Finge Number

Red Laser
2 / ndf
p0
p1

35

9.366 / 33
2.072 0.2006
8.489 0.07579

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0

0.5

1.5

2.5

3.5

4.5
Voltage V

Finge Number

Sodium Lamp
2 / ndf
p0
p1

40

6.819 / 36
1.503 0.1584
9.165 0.05905

35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0

0.5

1.5

2.5

3.5

4.5
Voltage V

Sam Higginbotham

Finge Number

Mercury Lamp
2 / ndf
p0
p1

45
40

21.56 / 39
2.804 0.2612
9.744 0.0958

35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0

0.5

1.5

2.5

3.5

4.5
Voltage V

Sodium Doublet Data

For this section we took the measurement of the points where the the wavelengths had zero path difference
and then separated. We took one particular instance 5 times to compute an error estimation value. Thus
the Separation of the Sodium double can be approximated by the following expression:
N a =

2N a
2d

Where d is the distance between the washouts and 2N a the average value of the doublets. So the Average
of the Wavelength
Distance Between Washouts (mm)
0.231
0.325
0.226
0.305

Washout Repeated (mm)

0.823
0.872
0.893
0.813

Thus the Average Separation and the Standard Deviation

Avg. = 0.272 mm
Std. = 0.038 mm
The Wavelength of the Separation
6 1
A

Sam Higginbotham

Error Analysis
Wavelength of the Sodium and Mercury Lamp
We will once again use the tangential error method. So we have the error in the wavelength calculated
from the slope relation as follows:
s

2

2

2
dm
dm
unk
unk
unk
(
(
unk =
ref +
)unk +
)ref
dm
dm
ref
dV
dV
( dV )unk
( dV )ref
( dm )unk
unk
= dV
ref
( dm
dV )ref
unk
ref
= dm
dm
( dV )unk
( dV )ref
( dm
unk
dV )unk
=

ref
dm
2
( dV )ref
( dm
dV )ref
Because we are using the Red Laser as a reference we will simply ignore that term. ie)... Assume
ref = 0. The other s are given by the graphs of the slope, rather the error within the slope of the linear
regression.
Sample Calculation
sodium =

((6328 0.059/8.489)2 + (6328 9.165 0.076/(8.4892 ))2 = 75

Accuracy
The accepted values of the Sodium Lamp and Mercury Lamp versus the experimental values are:
Source
Mercury
Sodium

Accepted
A
5461
5893

Experimental
A
5512
5861

Difference
A
51
32

Sodium Doublet
For the sodium doublet the error is easily approximated by the function
N a =

2N a d
2d2

Because N a is taken as constant. Thus the error is just

Error =

2N a
= 0.8 = 1
2d2

Accuracy
Accepted
A
0

Experimental
A
6

Difference
A
6

Sam Higginbotham

Conclusion
The wavelength of a Sodium Lamp and Mercury Lamp were measured, and the Sodium Doublet Separation quantified. The Fabry-Perot Interferometer is the most precise instrument that we have used so far.
It predicted the results of the wavelength of Sodium and Mercury to within 100
A and even quantified the
Separation of the Sodium Doublet to an Angstrom! Based on the Error Analysis, we are quite confident
with these results, which is just a further indication of the precision that interferometers carry. In order
to improve the experiment, we could analyze the effect of increasing the beam arm length and see if the
precision could be increased. It would have been really cool if we could analyze fine structures in atomic
elements or measure the index of refraction of air.