MichelsonM

MichelsonM is an open-source software framework for modeling, simulating, and analyzing wave-interference experiments, with particular emphasis on interferometry inspired by the Michelson interferometer. The project provides a modular set of components for defining optical paths, light sources, detectors, and environmental noise, along with a small domain-specific language for configuring experiments. The design emphasizes reproducibility, extensibility, and clear documentation to support education, research, and methodological validation.

Origin and development: MichelsonM originated from a collaboration between researchers at NovaLab University and the Center for Wave Physics in 2023. The initial release, version 0.1, appeared in 2024 with a Python-based API and a basic interferometer example. Subsequent releases added advanced beam propagation models, calibration utilities, and a test-suite focused on numerical stability.

Key features include configurable optical components (beam splitters, mirrors, phase shifters), a ray- and wave-based propagation engine, support for Gaussian beam and plane-wave approximations, wavelength-dependent effects, and noise models for detector readout. It also supports Monte Carlo simulations, batch experiments, and integration with Jupyter notebooks for interactive exploration. Documentation emphasizes unit tests and example notebooks.

Applications span classroom demonstrations of interference, experimental design optimization, and method development for metrology. Researchers can prototype interferometer geometries, quantify sensitivity to path-length changes, and compare measurement strategies under different noise regimes.

MichelsonM has seen modest adoption in educational settings and research groups focused on metrology pedagogy. It is cited for its transparent configuration, reproducible results, and the ease of sharing experimental setups.

See also: Michelson interferometer, interferometry, wave optics, open-source scientific software.