Lab 5 Prep Package Available

This is the work to complete before class. I may post the lab notes prior. But they are not the preparation package. Preparation packages contain exercises for you to do and record in your lab notebook. Think of them as homework.

Lab 5 Prep Package ... in which you will explore the small angle approximation, analyze your diffraction pattern data, and generate a mechanical drawing.

Lab 4 - Fringes and Interference

Working at the table with Cornell Plates to generate diffraction and interference patterns. Several captured with cell phone cameras are below:

Double slit interference pattern

Airy disk from a round aperture made with a diaphragm

The camera is now working, this is its first fringe from #2 double slit on a Cornell Plate. Below is a slice through the intensity profile that could be used for numerical work:

Lab 4 Materials Available

Note: the Lab materials are what we do in the lab. The Prep Package, which was posted earlier, needs to be done before lab and recorded in your lab notebook.
Lab 4 Plan of the Day
Lab 4 Materials
Self-assessment
On self assessment please record if you want to attend and will commit to open lab on Friday afternoon. I will begin designing a precision mount with those interested. Or play on the table with the optics.

Lab 3 - Proud

Paul, Julian, Cy and Daniel just after finishing their Lab 3 layout of a beam conditioner that reduces the laser beam divergence to less than 0.5 mrad and expands the beam 10x. Nice job guys!

Lab 4 Prep Package Available

Lab 4 Prep Package

Lab 3 - 5 October 2009

PDF's for Lab 3 are available:
Lab 3 - Plan of the Day
Lab 3 - Laser Beam Conditioning
Lab Self Assessment

Lab 3 Prep Package Available

Lab 3 Prep Package

Note that there is a video to view. It is one of the Feynmann New Zealand lectures on QED where he introduces his theory to a lay audience. The link for this 98-minute streaming video is

Feynmann video: Robb Memorial Lectures Part 1: Photons - Corpuscles of Light