Laser Interferometer - Part 1: The Optical Design.

⚡Introduction to the design and optical layout of an open source laser interferometer for measruing lengths in the nanometer regime over large distances of up to 1 meter. The project aims to be accessible avoiding costly components and complex machined parts. (Note: There is a small error in the picture of the 'Michelson Interferometer with Offset' - the detector is drawn on the wrong side.) CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 01:20 Design goals 02:02 Light source 05:14 Interferometer topology 06:35 Corner cube reflector demo 08:13 Chosen optical layout 11:04 Blender beam path animation 12:15 Live demo & Interference signal 14:20 Laser beams & Outro RECOMMENDED RECOURCES: * Optical Interferometry Part 1: Introduction & ZYGO GPI layout (Detailed introduction to interferometers by Huygens Optics) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l32_QbcdUiw * Light & Coherence part 1: Temporal Coherence (Great explaination of coherence length by Huygens Optics) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtcq5b0R65w * Free Optics Simulation in Blender - Tutorial (Simulate your own optical systems) https://youtu.be/HbyaeVDbd4U * MIT Video Demonstrations in Lasers and Optics (Old but highly recommended) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4E7FAAD67B171EBC * SAMS Laser FAQ - Laser Instruments and Applications: (One of the most comprehensive collection of information on Lasers) https://www.repairfaq.org/sam/laserlia.htm#liarfsp * Mode Stability of Diode Lasers (Very detailed analysis of different laser diodes for holography) hololaser.kwaoo.me/laser/modeanalysis.html