Michelson interferometry with a diode laser

A typical Fabry–Pérot diode laser is used to study the relationship between the laser spectrum and the interference signal obtained from a Michelson interferometer. The interference signal is measured over a range of path length differences of a few centimeters, and the laser spectrum is obtained wi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of physics 2022-05, Vol.90 (5), p.373-379
Main Author: Aljalal, Abdulaziz M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Diodes
Interferometry
Lasers
Signal processing
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Summary:A typical Fabry–Pérot diode laser is used to study the relationship between the laser spectrum and the interference signal obtained from a Michelson interferometer. The interference signal is measured over a range of path length differences of a few centimeters, and the laser spectrum is obtained with a spectrometer of a high resolution of 0.005 nm. Contrary to the laser datasheet, the laser is found to have several longitudinal modes even at high injection currents well above the threshold current. A simple model based on treating the laser's longitudinal modes as pure sinusoidal waves is derived and successfully used in modeling the complex and repetitive interference signal. The spectral spacing and the laser cavity length can be found from the interference signal without the need to use a spectrometer, provided that the interference signal is measured over a long enough range of path length differences.
ISSN:0002-9505
1943-2909
DOI:10.1119/5.0062798