Michelson Interferometer, circle fringes

AI Thread Summary
In a Michelson interferometer, the circular fringe pattern occurs due to the interference of light waves from two coherent sources reflecting off mirrors. The circular fringes result from the varying path lengths of the beams, which create constructive and destructive interference at different angles. If the laser beam is not well-collimated, the resulting fringes can appear distorted, resembling the patterns shown in the referenced video. Proper collimation is essential for achieving clear circular fringes. Understanding these principles is crucial for analyzing interference patterns in optical experiments.
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Hello guys!

Lets say we have a laser beam and we send it to a michelson interferometer.
Why the beam pattern at the screen gives circles and not lines or something else?

Thanks

P.S.
see for instance
http://techtv.mit.edu/collections/physicsdemos/videos/9823-michelson-interferometer
 
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If the beam is not well-collimated, you will get fringes similar to what is displayed.
 

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