THE AMERICAN COLLEGE, MADURAI

POST-GRADUATE PHYSICS DEPARTMENT

TITLE: OPTICAL SPATIAL FILTERING (Laser beam cleaning)
INTRODUCTION: This is the first experiment in coherent optics. A laser beam
From HeNe laser) is used in this experiment. We need to remember all precautions
while working with laser. If laser light is diverged with a magnifying lens and is
incident on a screen, one can see the patch of light non-uniform with pits and
valleys. See Fig.1. This needs to be cleaned for uniform illumination for optical
data processing/shear interferometer etc. This cleaning up process is also called
spatial filtering of laser light.
Two important functions of a converging lens: A converging lens performs two
important functions: 1. imaging and 2. Fourier transform of the object transparency.
The first one is more obvious than the second. When a laser light (parallel beam) is
incident on a microscope objective, very close to the lens the laser light converges to
a small area at the focal plane which is about 4~5 mm for 40x objective. The
illumination on the small area is the Fourier transform of laser beam. See Fig. 2. The
pits and valleys are mapped as sidebands of higher spatial frequencies which are
unwanted and have to be filtered out.
THE PHYSICAL SITUATION: An optic bench of a meter and a half with six uprights for mounting optical elements, He-Ne laser (2~4 mW), a microscope objective
of 40x, pin-hole (diameter approx 15 micron) mounted at the center of a plate. The
microscope and pin-hole mount are in one unit and fixed on to an up-right of ann
optic bench. A camera is needed to take the patterns.
PROCEDURE: Beam alignment. Align the laser beam along the axis of the optic
bench from one end to the other. Make judgment on the positions of various optical
elements you will mount. Consider another pin-hole (of size 1~2 mm) at the center of
a cardboard mounted on one up-right and move it along the optic bench from one end
to other while the laser light always passes through it. All other up-rights are
removed in this case. Adjust the base screws and universal adjustments of the laser
platform to achieve this. This alignment is very important. This is the prelude to
make a 4f system with two lenses of same focal length.
The spatial filter assembly is mounted on another up-right so that laser beam passes
through the microscope objective and on the pinhole (15 micron). By carefully
adjusting the distance the Airy pattern (circular rings) can be seen on a screen kept
close to the pin-hole. What is important is the central maximum which is almost of
uniform illumination. When the pin-hole is exactly at the correct position, The central
maximum covers the field and uniform illumination results. See Fig. 3. Now the
higher spatial frequencies are cut-off.

The size of the pin-hole for filtering is given by

d=1.22

f
0

With
=632.8 nm , 0=2 mmf =4 mm , d isdetermined as about 15 20 micron .
SOME REFERENCES:
1. J Goodman, Introduction to Fourier optics, ch.7.
2. Lipson and Lipson, Optical physics, pp 137-234, pp 270-276, pp 470-473,
problem 7.
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SOME QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT (IN ADVANCE OF THE
LABORATORY) : What is the tolerance you give while aligning the laser light
along the bed of the optic bench?
Usually Fraunhofer diffraction (Fourier transform-FT) is formed at large distance (as
against Fresnel diffraction)from the object (mesh). But here it is claimed that the FT
is available at a finite distance (back focal length of the first lens). How?
Does lens render inverse Fourier inverse transform? If so, how?
IN THE LABORATORY: Just carry out your plan. Maintain a log of events and
work while during the experiment. It will help a lot later.
IN THE WRITE-UP: Briefly explain the theory behind the experiment. Draw
diagrams and mention all approximations and limitations.
Objective of a lab: An experiment is done by two students in two days. Each lab
session is for three hours. Normally lab sessions are conducted in the afternoons only
(2 pm to 5 pm) and so the lab can be extended for one more hour. At the end of two
lab sessions, the two students have to submit the reports individually.
The instructional sheet provided above is a simple. For each experiment, an
instructional sheet is provided and given to the students at the beginning of the
session. In one semester six to eight experiments are done.
The instructional sheet is by no means a complete one, it is a guidance for the
students and so also the references cited.
If a student shows originality and shows it while doing the experiment, extra credit is
awarded. There are two instructors in-charge of the lab. Any faculty member is

encouraged to add some experiment. He/she first demonstrates the experiment in a

seminar and then it is added in the lab session suitably.
Over the years the instruction sheet gets modified and some experiments are removed
and new experiments are added.
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Fig. 1. Unfiltered laser light from a magnifying lens. Pits and valleys (non-uniform
illumination) can be seen. This is due to the presence of dust particles on the mirrors of the
HeNe laser.

Fig. 2. The Fourier transform of non-uniform laser light is at the back focal plane of
microscope objective. The pin-hole of size 25 micron cuts off the side-band (higher spatial
frequencies) and allows the central region of almost uniform illumination. The microscope
objective and the pin-hole are in one block. X-Y- Z motion control is needed for the pinhole mount.

Fig. 3. The same laser light after removing the pits and valleys. Comparing with
the Fig. 1, we can be satisfied with the filtering action of the pin-hole. This beam
is now ready for other further activities on the optic bench.

Fig. 4. The filtered beam emerges as a diverging light from P and the lens L has its
focal plane at P, so the beam is rendered parallel. On another mount a shear plate is
mounted and the varieties of shear interferograms are observed See Fig. 5. When the
point P is exactly exact adjustment is the focal plane, either a broad dark or a broad
bright fringe is seen as shear interferogram. Fig. 3 is such a pattern. When the shear
plate is removed and the beam is intercepted on a screen, it diameter remains the
same for a considerable length of propagation, so exact collimation is achieved.

Some varieties of shear interferograms with aberrations of a test lens.