Easy and cheap optics experiences are described to teach undergraduate students the fundamental properties of Fourier transform on an experimental basis. By exploiting the eye as the Fourier transforming device, a common magnifying lens and quasi-coherent light from a small white LED, quantitative results can be easily obtained about the fundamental theorems in Fourier analysis. The concept of coherence is also introduced in an elementary way. This approach has been successfully adopted to teach third year students in Physics, who operated in a complete autonomous way during the COVID-19 lockdown without accessing any laboratory. This proves the effectiveness of the method. Thanks to its experimental simplicity it can be easily extended to teach and show the fundamental effects to a larger audience, including high school students.

An extremely simplified optics laboratory for teaching the fundamentals of Fourier analysis / M.A.C. Potenza. - In: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. - ISSN 0143-0807. - 42:3(2021 Mar 08). [10.1088/1361-6404/abd4c9]

An extremely simplified optics laboratory for teaching the fundamentals of Fourier analysis

M.A.C. Potenza
Primo
2021

Abstract

Easy and cheap optics experiences are described to teach undergraduate students the fundamental properties of Fourier transform on an experimental basis. By exploiting the eye as the Fourier transforming device, a common magnifying lens and quasi-coherent light from a small white LED, quantitative results can be easily obtained about the fundamental theorems in Fourier analysis. The concept of coherence is also introduced in an elementary way. This approach has been successfully adopted to teach third year students in Physics, who operated in a complete autonomous way during the COVID-19 lockdown without accessing any laboratory. This proves the effectiveness of the method. Thanks to its experimental simplicity it can be easily extended to teach and show the fundamental effects to a larger audience, including high school students.
Fourier Optics, Diffraction, Optics Laboratory
Settore FIS/03 - Fisica della Materia
8-mar-2021
17-dic-2020
Article (author)
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/809937
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