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4.1: Pre-lab Exercises

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    47365
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    Holography: An Example of Diffraction

    The Pre-Lab Exercises must be completed BEFORE entering the Lab. In your lab notebook record data, explain phenomena you observe, and answer the questions asked. Remember to answer all questions in your lab notebook in a neat and orderly fashion. No data are to be taken on these laboratory sheets. Tables provided herein are simply examples of how to record data into your laboratory notebooks. Expect the in-lab portion of this exercise to take about 3 hours.

    PL 4.1 – Get Prepared to Start the Laboratory Exercises

    Read the entire laboratory handout, and be prepared to answer questions before, during and after the lab session. Determine all the equations and constants that may be needed in order to perform all the laboratory exercises. Write them all down in your laboratory notebook before entering the Lab. This will ensure that you take all necessary data while in the Lab in order to complete the lab write-up. This preparatory work will also count toward your Lab Exercise grade.

    PL 4.2 Preparation for Making Holograms

    In Lab Exercise 4.2, your group will be making one type of hologram. You will have the option of making: (a) a Denisyuk single-beam white-light reflection hologram (simplest), (b) a two-beam or multiple beam reflection hologram, (c) a two-beam transmission hologram (must be viewed with a laser) or (d) a rainbow hologram (pseudo-color – but it takes quite a while to setup and develop). For those with little or no experience with optics or holography, this is a great opportunity to get your feet wet (pun intended).

    For this section of the Pre-Lab it is your job to find out more about these types of holograms - everything about exposure of the holographic film, its development, and processing will be explained on lab day However, before coming to the Lab you are advised to do some outside research on how to configure the holographic recording and readout setups for each of the four types of holograms listed above.

    After you have decided which hologram you want to make, make a detailed sketch of the recording system you will use. – this includes placement of the object, lenses, laser, mirrors, beam splitters, holographic plate, and any other items you might need (e.g., slits, wave plates, irises, etc…).

    Here are some useful tips to consider before coming to the MOL to make holograms:

    1. You should bring some interesting objects from which we can make holograms. Such objects should not be dark in color, nor should they exceed a volume of 3”x3”x3”.
    2. Those students whose objects we use, will be able to take home a copy of their hologram. Otherwise, holograms made in the MOL will be archived for demonstration to future students. You will need your own laser to view the transmission holograms at home. Reflection holograms will be viewable in white light.
    3. Make sure to wear clothes that can handle stains. Also, you will not be able to leave to go to the bathroom while the plates are developing, so be sure to go beforehand.
    4. Be aware that it will be extremely dark at times in the laboratory, and that it can be fairly timeconsuming depending on the complexity of the hologram you choose to make.

    "‘By-the bye, what became of the baby?’ said the Cat. ‘I’d nearly forgotten to ask.’ ‘It turned into a pig,’ Alice answered.” – Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland


    This page titled 4.1: Pre-lab Exercises is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by David Dunmeyer (MIT OpenCourseWare) .

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