Faraday Effect

Aim: To study the Faraday Effect using He-Ne Laser.
Apparatus Required: Helium- Neon Laser, axial electromagnet with power supply,
polariser and analysers with angle measuring scale, special Faraday Effect glass, and
laser detector with digital meter.
Theory of Faraday Effect:

When a transparent medium is permeated by an external magnetic field, the plane of
polarization of a plane polarized light beam passing through the medium is rotated if
the direction of incident light is parallel to the lines of force of the magnetic field.
This is called the Faraday Effect.
The amount of rotation  observed for any given substance is found by experiment
to be proportional to the field strength and to the length of the medium. Then the
rotation is given by:
 = VH l
Where H is the strength of magnetic field in gauss

L is the length of the sample (medium) in cm.
V is the verdet’s constant.
The Verdet constant V also depends on the wave length of light used. In order to
demonstrate the Faraday Effect experimentally, plane polarized light is passed
through a Flint glass SF6 cylinder, supported between the drilled pole pieces of an
electromagnet. An analyser arranged beyond the glass cylinder has its polarization
plane crossed with respect to that of the polarizer so that the field of view of the face
of glass cylinder projected on the translucent screen appears dark. When a current
flows through the coils of the electromagnet, a magnetic field is produced,
permeating the glass cylinder in the direction of irradiation. The rotation now
occurring in the plane of oscillation of the light is indicated by resulting the analyser
to maximum extinction of the translucent screen image.
Description of the Set-up (not to be written in lab note books)
The experiment consists of the following units.
1. Helium Neon Laser
2. Stand for laser
3. Electromagnet:
This electromagnet is specially designed for Faraday Effect. It is constructed from a

laminated U shaped iron core with drilled pole pieces. The pole pieces are made from
dead annealed soft iron blocks of best quality available. They are well shaped,
machined & finished.
The coils are wound on non-magnetic former with uniform layer of DDC copper
wire. The new and modern design of the coils provides good thermal conductivity
characteristics and eliminates trouble some hot spots even at high magnetic fields.
Constant current Power Supply Model CS-07 (For electromagnet):
It is an inexpensive and high performance constant current source suitable for small
and medium sized electromagnet. Also the equipment was designed for this
electromagnet; it can be used satisfactorily with any other electromagnet provided the
coil resistance does not exceed 10 Ohm.
The current regulation circuit is IC controlled and hence results in the highest quality
of performance. Matched power transistors are used to share the load current. The
supply is protected against transient caused by the inductive load of the magnet.
Observation table-
Length of material=(L)
Voltage(v) Current(I) Field (H)(from Angle of V=θ/HL
table) analyzer(θ)
Procedure:
1. Switch on the laser power supply, the
Electromagnet power supply keeping
electromagnetic current to a zero level,
Switch on the laser power meter.
2. Make sure everything is in optical
alignment. The laser, the Faraday Effect
crystal places in the electromagnet, the
analyzers and the laser power meter are
in straight line. The setup will be Laser->electromagnet with sample->Analyzers-
>Laser detector with power meter. The laser beam after going through the Faraday
Effect glass inside the magnet should pass through the optical analyzer and fall onto
the window of the laser detector. The laser power meter should show some value of
laser power.
3. Rotate the analyzer to get the highest value of laser power in the power meter. Note
down the angular reading of the analyzer
4. Now increase the current of the electromagnet to the value given in the calibration
chart (you can note down the reading of the magnetic field from the calibration table).
The laser power meter reading should change.
5. Rotate the analyzer to again get the maximum value of laser power. Note down this
circular reading of the analyzer. Every time the electromagnetic current is changed
and magnetic field is increased/decreased the Faraday Effect glass changes the
orientation of the polarization of the light, which can be measured by the analyzer.
6. Repeat this process of increasing the magnetic field and measuring the angle of
maximum intensity by the analyzer for as many current reading as given in the
magnetic field calibration table.
7. Repeat the same procedure when decreasing the magnetic field.
8. The magnetic field and the rotation of polarization will have a relationship.
9. Calculate the value of the Verdet's Constant
The relation between the angle of rotation of the polarization and the magnetic
field in a transparent material is:
Polarization rotation due to the Faraday Effect

β=v B d
Where
β is the angle of rotation (in radians)
B is the magnetic flux density in the direction of propagation (in teslas)
d is the length of the path (in meters) where the light and magnetic field interact
v is the Verdet constant for the material. This empirical proportionality constant
(in units of radians per tesla per meter) varies with wavelength and temperature
and is tabulated for various materials.

Faraday Effect

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Faraday Effect

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Aim: To study the Faraday Effect using He-Ne Laser.

Theory of Faraday Effect:

Where H is the strength of magnetic field in gauss

This electromagnet is specially designed for Faraday Effect. It is constructed from a

Constant current Power Supply Model CS-07 (For electromagnet):

Polarization rotation due to the Faraday Effect

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