Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has become an important optical biosensing technology in the areas of biochemistry, biology, and medical sciences because of its real-time, label-free, and noninvasive nature. The high cost of commercial devices and consumables has prevented SPR from being introduced in the undergraduate laboratory. Here, we present…

The Michelson interferometer is one of the best established tools for quantitative interferometric measurements. It has been, and is still successfully used, not only for scientific purposes, but it is also introduced in undergraduate courses for qualitative demonstrations as well as for quantitative determination of several properties such as…

Comparisons between three amplification systems of signals from photoelectric detectors are made. (RR)

Presents a summary of the state of the field in instrumentation as it existed in 1940-1941 as described in articles written at that time by R. H. Muller. (SLH)

Discusses the theory and experimental procedures for using Young's eriometer to determine the diameters of blood corpuscles, lycopodium powder, and wool fibers. (CC)

Describes a semi-automatic viscometer which incorporates a microprocessor system and uses optoelectronics to detect flow of liquid through the capillary, flow time being displayed on a timer with accuracy of 0.01 second. The system could be made fully automatic with an additional microprocessor circuit and inclusion of a pump. (Author/JN)

Describes use of a Fresnel biprism to demonstrate double-slit interference with polarized light. Discusses polarization and phase properties of a randomly polarized gas. (JM)

Discusses the production and structure of a sequence of optical crystals which can serve as one-, two-, and three-dimensional diffraction plates to illustrate diffraction patterns by using light rather than x-rays or particles. Applications to qualitative presentations of Laue theory at the secondary and college levels are recommended. (CC)