Tossup

Chains of these devices are used as multiplexers and demultiplexers in WDM systems. In one type of these devices, the quantity “pi times the square root of R all over one minus R” defines the finesse. Gyroscopes such as RLGs and FOGs are examples (10[1])of these devices that operate using the Sagnac (“sahn-YAHK”) effect. A (10[1])type of these (10[1])devices called an etalon consisting of a cavity (10[1])that filters out waves not in resonance is named for Fabry and Pérot. One of these optical devices (10[1])consisting of a stone slab in a pool of (10[1])mercury failed to detect a 0.04 fringe shift induced by the Earth’s motion. For 10 points, name these devices that split a beam of light and later recombine them to form patterns, which include one used to disprove the luminiferous aether in the Michelson–Morley experiment. ■END■

ANSWER: interferometers [accept interferometry; accept Michelson interferometers or Fabry–Pérot interferometers]
<Brandeis A, Physics>
= Average correct buzz position

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