Demonstration of Standing Light Wave with a Laser Pointer

Abstract

Wiener’s historic experiment on a standing light wave in 1890 introduced a representative example of the electromagnetic field superposition of light in modern textbooks on optics. In this research, we simply reproduce the experiment of Wiener for classroom demonstration. By using an inexpensive laser pointer as a light source and a weak diuse reflection from slightly surface-scratched glass instead of photographic plates or fluorescent films, we demonstrate a standing light wave in real time. Furthermore, the coherence of the laser pointer can also be investigated in a simple experimental setup.