Small Angle Light Scattering from Stretched HDPE: An Experiment for the Advanced Lab

Soft matter physics is an emerging research area. We have developed a desk top experiment, suitable for upper level undergraduates, in which the scattering pattern of HeNe laser light sent through a film of high density polyethylene (HDPE) is investigated. As a film of HDPE is deformed, the changing pattern of the scattered light can be correlated with structural changes of the HDPE.