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Shaping the Amplitude and Phase of Laser Beams by Using a Phase-only Spatial Light Modulator

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Published on: January 28, 2019

Lava lamp optics.

Thomas Alan Clark¹

¹Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. taclark@ucalgary.ca

|October 22, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A lava lamp

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Area of Science:

Physics
Fluid Dynamics
Optical Physics

Background:

Convection effects are often demonstrated using lava lamps.
The interface between immiscible liquids in a lava lamp can exhibit unique optical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate an unusual optical focusing effect observed in a model lava lamp during its initial heating phase.
To analyze the shape of the liquid interface and its optical behavior.

Main Methods:

Constructed a simple lava lamp model to demonstrate convection.
Photographed the optical focusing effect of the liquid interface.
Analyzed the liquid interface's cross-section, correcting for the bottle's lens effect.
Fitted the corrected cross-section to an elliptical shape.

Main Results:

Observed an optical focusing effect where the liquid interface acted as a mirror.
The interface formed a surface of rotation with a conic cross-section.
The corrected interface shape was found to be an ellipse.
The effect produced a clear image of the bulb's filament.

Conclusions:

The elliptical liquid interface in the lava lamp model acts as a parabolic mirror.
This phenomenon is analogous to a stretched membrane under differential pressure.
The study highlights an unexpected optical application of fluid dynamics in a common device.