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ed2288
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Homework Statement
Explain how a pattern of straight line fringes of equal thickness can be observed in a michelson interferometer.
Homework Equations
see diagram 1/3 of the way down page at http://www.holo.com/holo//book/book6&7.html
The Attempt at a Solution
I really am stuck with this. From my understanding, light comes out of a laser and hits a beam splitter. One beam hits mirror 1, the other beam hits mirror 2 and they both bounce back to the splitter where they recombine, pass through the microscope objective and hit the screen. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but surely you will get total constructive interference if the path length difference due to the mirrors is one wavelength, and total destructive interference if its half a wavelength. I've read Hecht and looked online but I really can't seem to understand why you would even get concentric circle fringes!? Surely its got to be all dark or all light?
Thanks
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