Experimental verification of the electromagnetic spectral interference law using a modified version of the Young's interferometer

We present a method to verify the electromagnetic spectral interference law experimentally, which connects the combined two-beam usual Stokes parameters with the corresponding single beam usual Stokes parameters. Using polarizers and phase retarders in a modified version of the Young's interferometer, the usual Stokes parameters and the generalized Stokes parameters are determined for a laser beam. The experimentally determined single point (usual) Stokes parameters at an axial point in the observation plane for the combined beam are compared with their theoretically expected values obtained by putting the experimental data in the electromagnetic spectral interference law. A fairly good agreement is found between the two values. Not only does the proposed method provides a comparison between the two kinds of Stokes parameters but also validates the role of the generalized Stokes parameters as modulation parameters for the usual Stokes parameters.