Related papers: Optics undergraduate experiments using smart (and …
The influence of the relativistic motion of the reference frame on the light reflection law is investigated. The method is based on applying the relativistic aberration affect for three light signals: incident, normal and reflected rays.…
We present an educational tool, a microscope with a video camera, that can be fabricated either from a standard microscope or assembled from inexpensive, commercially available components (objectives, beam splitters, LEDs, linear stages)…
Optical interference is not only a fundamental phenomenon that has enabled new theories of light to be derived but it has also been used in interferometry for the measurement of small displacements, refractive index changes and surface…
Wave optics is a prominent part of the undergraduate physics curriculum, and many undergraduate labs contain experiments on wave optics. In our 3rd-year undergraduate lab, we run numerical simulations alongside the experiments (and when…
Light is the fundamental medium through which we perceive the world around us. In the modern era, light can not only be used in its raw form but can also be used as a versatile tool. Generally, light fields carry energy and momentum (both…
We present an experimental study of a four beam optical lattice using the light scattered by the atoms in the lattice. We use both intensity correlations and observations of the transient behavior of the scattering when the lattice is…
Quantum approaches relying on entangled photons have been recently proposed to increase the efficiency of optical measurements. We demonstrate here that, surprisingly, the use of classical light with entangled degrees of freedom can also…
Numeric simulations based on the Huygens-Fresnel method allow one to develop intuition about the behavior of coherent light in diffraction and interference experiments. They give an opportunity to numerically observe and appreciate a number…
We report the experimental demonstration of the induced polarization-dependent optical vortex beams. We use the Talbot configuration as a method to probe this effect. In particular, our simple experiment shows the direct measurement of this…
Classically the interaction between light and matter is given by the Maxwell relations. These are briefly reviewed and will be used as a basis to discuss several techniques that are used in optical spectroscopy. We then discuss the quantum…
In this paper, we demonstrate a low-cost method to measure the speed of light. It uses instruments which are readily available in any undergraduate laboratory in a developing country and some components which are inexpensive. The method is…
Linear optical multiports are widely used in photonic quantum information processing. Naturally, these devices are directionally-biased since photons always propagate from the input ports toward the output ports. Recently, the concept of…
Enforcing a non-classical behavior in mesoscopic systems is important for the study of the boundaries between quantum and classical world. Recent experiments have shown that optomechanical devices are promising candidates to pursue such…
Quantum plasmonics explores how light interacts with collective charge oscillations at metal-dielectric interfaces, enabling strong confinement and enhanced quantum effects at the nanoscale. While traditional quantum optics focuses on…
As we read this text, our eyes dynamically adjust the focal length to keep the line image in focus on the retina. Similarly, in many optics applications the focal length must be dynamically tunable. In the quest for compactness and…
The recent demonstration of electron vortex beams has opened up the new possibility of studying orbital angular momentum (OAM) in the interaction between electron beams and matter. To this aim, methods to analyze the OAM of an electron beam…
We present a possibility to measure the degree of polarization of a partially polarized light beam furnished by a real (imperfect) polarizer. A generalized formula for the Malus' law is derived, which holds when a partially polarized light…
The Wilberforce pendulum is a great experience for illustrating important properties of coupled oscillatory systems, such as normal modes and beat phenomena, in physics courses. A helical spring attached to a mass comprises this simple but…
Transformation optics (TO) is a new tool for controlling electromagnetic fields. In the context of metamaterial technology, it provides a direct link between a desired electromagnetic (EM) phenomenon and the material response required for…
This article describes the reform of a physics undergraduate lab course by introducing new technologies such as Arduino microcontroller and smartphone, to help students experience a more authentic lab experience. This paper outlines the…