Question

What are some advantages and disadvantages of Michelson Interferometer ?

Answer 1

Hint: In certain areas of science and engineering, interferometers are used as investigative instruments. Interferometers are so named because they operate by combining two or more sources of light to create an interference pattern that can be measured and analysed. Thus, they have the name ‘Interfere-o-meter’ or Interferometer.

Complete answer:
The Michelson Interferometer is a precision device that creates interference fringes by dividing a light beam into two sections and then recombining them after they have followed multiple optical paths.

Advantages of the Michelson Interferometer:
The Michelson Interferometer is easy to build, requiring only a beam splitter, two mirrors, a light source, and if desired a detector. All these items can be found easily in stores or online.
The results are very accurate if set up properly. Models of Michelson Interferometers have been used to record the distance between stars and the cosmic microwave background.

Disadvantages of the Michelson Interferometer:
The Michelson Interferometer's simplest and cheapest models mirror percent of light back to the source, minimising the accuracy of measurements taken. It is possible to solve this problem by using cube-corner mirrors and the four-port design, but this is more costly.Accurate readings, particularly for white light, can be difficult to achieve and necessarily involves careful monitoring of the beam paths.

Note:The Fibre Optic Michelson interferometer works by dividing a laser beam into two arms and adding the optical path gap between them. At a coupler, all waves collide.