4.2 Dual Beam Experiment
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4.2
Dual Beam Experiment
In a single beam experiment, fluctuations in the light source output can
appear as changes in the experimental signal. To eliminate source fluc‑
tuations, a dual beam experiment can be used.
The use of two modulated optical beams, derived from the same source,
enables a ratiometric measurement that can be used to control for fluctu‑
ations in the light source output. The SR542 dual‑frequency blades are
made for just this purpose. One of the beams passes through the exper‑
iment, while the other beam, a reference beam, passes through a control
arm. The beams are recombined and sent to the same detector.
Two lock‑ins are used to detect the two signals which are at different
frequencies. In the setup shown in Figure 4.2, the signal at
𝑓
INNER
cor‑
responds to the control arm; the signal at
𝑓
OUTER
is the response from
the experimental arm. If the detected signal in the experimental arm is
ratioed to the detected signal from the control arm, then effects due to
changing source intensity and detector efficiency are removed. To ra‑
tio the experimental signal to the control signal, the demodulated signal
from the control arm is output from lock‑in #1. This DC signal is sent to
an Aux Input of lock‑in #2.
Also note that each beam passes through one beam splitter, reflects off
one beam splitter, and reflects off one mirror, so that effects due to these
components are canceled to first order in the ratioed measurement.
Lock-in Amplifier #1
SR542 Controller
Outer Slots Ref Out
Ref In
Source
Experiment
Detector
Control Arm
Inner Slots Ref Out
Ref In
Lock-in Amplifier #2
Out #1
(to Aux In)
f
OUTER
f
INNER
Signals at
f
INNER
and
f
OUTER
Figure 4.2:
Dual Beam Experiment
SR542 Precision Optical Chopper