Intensity Plots of Transverse Modes Scanned by a Detector:

As a detector was scanned across a projection of a transverse mode, the intensity of the laser beam was recorded and the following graphs of intensity versus posistion were generated.

The TEM₀₀ mode produced the graph shown below. It shows good agreement with what is predicted by the spacial mode distribution for the TEM₀₀ mode where there are no nodal lines present.



The TEM₂₀ mode gave the graph shown below. It shows good agreement with what is predicted by the spacial mode distribution for the TEM₂₀ mode where there are two nodal lines present as you scan the x axis. The graph shows this as you go along the x axis where the intensity is diminished. (The data points are joined by a dotted line to clarify the graph.)

The TEM₄₀ mode gave the graph shown below. It shows good agreement with what is predicted by the spacial mode distribution for the TEM₄₀ mode where there are four nodal lines present as you scan the x axis. The graph shows this as you go along the x axis where the intensity is diminished. (The data points are joined by a dotted line to clarify the graph.)

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