Construction of a Tabletop Michelson Interferometer

Determining Angle for First Diffraction Minimum

We start off with Maxwell's Equation in the Lorentz gauge: $\square ^{2}A^{\mu }(\mathbf {x} ,t)=\square ^{2}A^{\mu }(x)=(-\mu _{1}j^{\mu }(x))$

Where: Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A^\mu = (\mathbf{A},\frac{\Phi} {c}), \square^2=\part_\mu \part^\mu = \nabla^2 - \frac{1}{c^2} \frac{\part}{\part t^2}} Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle j^\mu = (\mathbf{j},c\rho), \part_\mu= (\mathbf{\nabla}, \frac{1}{c} \frac{\part}{\part t})}

Lorentz Gauge: Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A^\mu = 0 \rArr \mathbf{\nabla} \cdot \mathbf{A}+\frac{1}{c^2} \frac{\part\Phi}{\part t}=0}

Introduce Green's function at (x=t) from some impulse source at x'=(x',t')

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \square^2_xG(x,x')=\delta^4(x-x')}

Let Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \tilde{G} (q) = \frac{1}{(2\pi)^2} \int d^4x e^{iqx} G(x,0)}

Then $G(q)={\frac {1}{(2\pi )^{2}}}\int d^{4}qe^{iqx}{\tilde {G}}(x,0)$

In free space, translational symmetry implies:

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G(x-x',0)=G(x,x') \quad }

∴Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G(x,x')=\frac{1}{(2\pi)^2}\int d^4q e^{-iq(x-x')} \tilde{G} (q)}
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \square^2_xG(x,x')=\frac{1}{(2\pi)^2}|int d^4qe^{-iq(x-x')}\tilde{G}(q)}

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \square^2_xG(x,x')=\frac{1}{(2\pi)^2}\int d^4qe^{-iq(x-x')}(-k^2+\frac{\omega^2}{c^2})} , where Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle q=(\mathbf{k},\frac{\omega}{c}) \quad}
But, $\square _{x}^{2}G(x,x')=\delta ^{4}(x-x')={\frac {1}{(2\pi )^{4}}}\int d^{4}qe^{-iq(x-x')}$
∴Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \tilde{G}(q)=\frac{(2\pi)^2}{(2\pi)^4}\frac{1}{-q^2}= \frac{-1}{(2\pi)^2q^2}}

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G(x,x')=\frac{-1}{(2\pi)^4} \int d^4qe^{-iq(x-x')} \frac{1}{(k+\frac{\omega}{c})(k-\frac{\omega}{c})}}
Chose the "retarded" solution, such that the function is zero unless t>t'
Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G(x,x')=\frac{1}{(2\pi)^4}\int d^3ke^{-i\mathbf{k}(x-x')}\int d(\frac{\omega}{c}) \frac{e^{i\omega(t-t')}}{(\frac{\omega}{c}-k)(\frac{\omega}{c}+k)}\Theta}

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle =\frac{1}{(2\pi)^4}\int d^3ke^{-i\mathbf{k}(x-x')}(2\pi i \frac{e^{ick(t-t')}-e^{-ick(t-t')}}{2k})\Theta}

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle =\frac{-2\pi}{(2\pi)^4}\int \frac{k^2dk}{k} \sin\left({ck(t-t')}\right) 2\pi\int_{-i}^i dze^{-ik|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x'}|z}\Theta}

$={\frac {-1}{(2\pi )^{2}}}\left({\frac {1}{2i|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x'|} }}\right)2\int dksin(ck(t-t'))sin(k|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x'} |)\Theta$

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle =\frac{1}{(2\pi)^2}\frac{2}{|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'|}\frac{2\pi}{4} \left[2\delta(|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'|+c(t-t'))-2\delta(|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'|-c(t-t'))\right]\Theta}

But the term Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle 2\delta(|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'|+c(t-t'))\rightarrow 0 \quad\forall\quad t>t'}

∴Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G(x,x')=\frac{-1}{4\pi}\quad \frac{\delta(|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'|-c(t-t'))}{|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'|}}

Now to get the Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G_1(x,x')\quad } in the half-space with z>0 with the boundary condition Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G_1\quad } at$x_{3}=z=0\quad$ we take the difference:

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G_1(x,x')=\frac{-1}{4\pi}\left(\frac{\delta(|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'|-c(t-t'))}{|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'|}-\frac{\delta(|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'-2z\hat{e_3}|-c(t-t'))}{|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'-2z\hat{e_3}|}\right)}

Now use Green's theorem:

Let Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \mathbf{F}=A(x)\mathbf{\nabla}G_1(x,x')-G_1(x,x')\mathbf{\nabla}A(x)}

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \int \mathbf{\nabla} \cdot \mathbf{F}d^4x= \int cdt \int d^3x[\mathbf{\nabla}A \cdot \mathbf{\nabla}G+A\nabla^2G_1-\mathbf{\nabla}G \cdot \mathbf{\nabla}A -G_1\nabla^2A]}

But Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \nabla^2G_1(x,x')=\delta^4(x-x')+\frac{1}{c^2}\frac{\part^2}{\part t^2}G_1(x,x')}

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \nabla^2A(x)=\mu j(x)+\frac{1}{c^2}\frac{\part^2}{\part t^2}A(x)} , let $j(x)=0\quad$

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \int \nabla \cdot \mathbf{F} d^4x=A(x')+\frac{1}{c^2}\int d^4x\left[A\frac{\part^2}{\part t^2}G_1 - G_1\frac{\part^2}{\part t^2}A\right]}

The last term vanishes if Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G_1(x,x')and A(x)\quad } fall off sufficiently fast at Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle t\rightarrow\infin} . They do. So:

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \int \nabla \cdot \mathbf{F} d^4x=A(x')}

Now invoke the divergence theorem on the half space Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle z>0 \quad} :

$A(x')=-\int d^{2}x\int cdt\left[A(x){\frac {\partial }{\partial t}}G_{1}(x,x')-G_{1}(x,x'){\frac {\partial }{\partial z}}A(x)\right]$, where the last term is zero by the constriction ofFailed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G_1(z=0) \quad}

Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle A(x')=-c\int dt\int d^2xA(x)\frac{\part}{\part z}G_1(x,x')}

To do the t integral, I need to bring out the z derivative. To do this, I first turn it into a z' derivative, using the relation:


Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle G_1(x,x')=\frac{-1}{4\pi}\left(\frac{\delta(|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'|-c(t-t'))}{|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}'|}-\frac{\delta(|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}''|-c(t-t'))}{|\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{x}''|}\right)} , where Failed to parse (MathML with SVG or PNG fallback (recommended for modern browsers and accessibility tools): Invalid response ("Math extension cannot connect to Restbase.") from server "https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/":): {\displaystyle \mathbf{x}''=\mathbf{x}'-2z'\hat{e_3}}

${\frac {\partial }{\partial z}}G_{1}(x,x')={\frac {1}{4\pi }}\left({\frac {\partial }{\partial z}}\left({\frac {\delta (|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|-c(t-t'))}{|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|}}-{\frac {\delta (|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} ''|-c(t-t'))}{|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} ''|}}\right)\right)$

∴ $A(x')={\frac {-1}{4\pi }}{\frac {\partial }{\partial z'}}\int _{z=0}d^{2}x\left(2{\frac {A(\mathbf {x} ,t'-{\frac {\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '}{c}}}{\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '}}\right)$

At $z=0\quad$, $|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|={\sqrt {r^{2}+z'^{2}}}=S,dS={\frac {rdr}{\sqrt {r^{2}+z'^{2}}}}$

If$A(\mathbf {x} ,t)\quad$ is independent of $\mathbf {x} \quad$, then:

$A(x')={\frac {-\partial }{\partial z'}}\int _{z'=0}^{\infty }dSA\left(\mathbf {0} ,t-{\frac {S}{c}}\right)=A\left(\mathbf {\emptyset } ,t'-{\frac {z'}{c}}\right)$

This gives us uniform translation of waves at velocity c. More generally:

$A(x')={\frac {-1}{2\pi }}\int _{z=0}d^{2}x{\frac {\partial }{\partial z'}}\left({\frac {A\left(\mathbf {x} ,t'-{\frac {|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|}{c}}\right)}{|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|}}\right)$

$={\frac {-1}{2\pi }}\int _{z=0}d^{2}x\left({\frac {A\left(\mathbf {x} ,t'-{\frac {|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|}{c}}\right)}{|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|^{3}}}(-z')+{\frac {{\dot {A}}\left(\mathbf {x} ,t'-{\frac {|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|}{c}}\right)}{|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|c}}{\frac {-z'}{|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|}}\right)$

$A(x')={\frac {-1}{2\pi }}\int _{z=0}d^{2}x\left({\frac {A\left(\mathbf {x} ,t'-{\frac {|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|}{c}}\right)}{|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|^{3}}}(-z')+{\frac {1}{c}}{\frac {{\dot {A}}\left(\mathbf {x} ,t'-{\frac {|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|}{c}}\right)}{|\mathbf {x} -\mathbf {x} '|^{2}}}(z')\right)$