Cavity ring-down animation
The laser beam is directed along the axis of the cavity...
...and only 0.1% or less is transmitted through the first mirror...
...but once inside, the laser pulse can be trapped in the cavity, and
reflected back and forth for thousands of round trips...
...a photon detector measures the tiny amount of light transmitted through
the second mirror...
...and an oscilloscope displays the exponential decay of light in the cavity:
Maintained by Stu Newman, stu.newman@bristol.ac.uk . Updated 21 Feb 1999.