Connecting optical intensities and electric fields using a triple interferometer

TL;DR

This paper presents an experimental validation of the classical relationship between optical intensity and electric fields using a triple Michelson interferometer, demonstrating that intensity measurements alone can confirm classical electromagnetism predictions.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel interference-based method to validate the intensity-field relationship without detailed field information, using a triple interferometer setup.

Findings

Experimental results support the classical intensity-field relationship.

Method confirms classical electromagnetism predictions using only intensity data.

Triple interferometer effectively validates theoretical relationships.

Abstract

We consider the issue of validating the relationship between electric fields and optical intensity as proposed by the classical theory of electromagnetism. We describe an interference scenario in which this can be checked using only intensity measurements and without any other information regarding the details of the arrangement of the associated fields. We implement this experimentally using a triple Michelson interferometer and the results strongly suggest that the method validates the classical relationship between optical intensity and the associated classical field.