Application of Light in Forensic

Science

Light Theory

Milutin Stoilovic
University of Canberra

Nature of Light
Light as a form of energy that travels
in either wave or particle form.

Wave Form

Transverse electromagnetic
wave with frequency and
wavelength .

A wave is spread out in space

Particle Form

Photon with energy

which travels with
velocity c.

A Particle is confined in space

Electromagnetic Wave Spectrum

An electromagnetic wave spectrum is very broad and comprises of 4 main parts:

Micro and Radio waves

Light
X-Rays
Cosmic and Rays 400nm

700nm

Visible
light
Cosmic &

X-Rays

-rays
1pm

0.1nm

UV

Micro &
radio waves

IR

10nm

1000nm

10mm

1m

()

Light

Light comprises of three regions: Ultra Violet, Visible and Infra Red.
Visible light is a part of light from 400 to 700 nm, that causes sensation of vision.
Light has very small wavelength and commonly used unit for wavelength is
nanometer [nm].

1nm =1 x 10-9 m .

Interaction of Light with Mater

=

When light interacts with macroscopic

objects, the wave properties are used.

When light interacts with microscopic

objects (electron, atom etc.) the particle
properties are used.

= h x

Interaction with microscopic objects can be elastic (photon preserves its

energy) or inelastic (photon looses its energy, partially or total).

Reflection and Absorption of Light

The basic law of reflection states:
1. The angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence .
2. The reflected ray lies in the plain of incidence, that includes the
incident ray and the normal to the surface.

Perpendicular line (Normal)

to the surface

Iinc

Irefl

Medium A
Medium B

Iabs

Specular
reflection

Diffused
reflection

Spectrum of Visible Light

(Wave Theory)
Visible light consists of millions of wavelengths (colours) in the region from
400 nm to 700 nm.

Red

Orange

Yellow

Blue

Green

40

Violet

Intensity

60

20
400

450

500

550

600

650

W a v e l e n g t h
Only basic colours are shown in this diagram.

700 nm

Spectrum of Visible Light

(Particle Theory)

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

40

Blue

Violet

Photon energy

60

20
0.5

0.44

0.40

0.36

0.33

0.31

W a v e l e n g t h
Photon energy decreases from violet to red light.

0.28 x 10-14 J

Polychromatic Coloured Light

When two or more monochromatic bands are present, they combine
in our brain resulting in perception of coloured light.

400

450

500

550

600

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Violet

Intensity

WVhi iotlee t l ilgi h

gh
t t

650

700 nm

W a v e l e n g t h

Brain cannot recognise if this is monochromatic or polychromatic

coloured light!

White Light
When all colours from 400 nm to 700 nm are present it is perceived as
white light.

450

500

550

600

Red

Orange

Yellow

Blue

Violet
400

light

Green

White

Intensity

650

W a v e l e n g t h

Each colour must be present at the same intensity.

700 nm

Coloured Light
When some wavelengths in the region from 400 nm to 700 nm are
missing left over wavelengths are perceived as coloured light.

400

450

500

550

600

W a v e l e n g t h

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Violet

Intensity

V
Wi h
o il teet ll ii gg h
ht

650

700nm

Coloured Light
When some colours in the region from 400 nm to 700 nm are missing the
resulting mixture of wavelengths is perceived as coloured light.

400

450

500

550

600

W a v e l e n g t h

Red

Orange

Yellow

Green

Blue

Violet

Intensity

V
Wi h
o il teet ll ii gg h
ht

650

700 nm

Coloured Light

Coloured Light

Monochromatic

Polychromatic

(Single colour)

(Two or more colours)

Monochromatic Light
When only one colour is present we have a monochromatic light.
When a group of colours close together is present we have a
"monochromatic band of light.

Band Width
(BW)

Intensity

Band of
light

400

450
500
Single line

550
600
Central Wavelength (CW)

W a v e le n g t h

650

700 nm

Basic Properties of Wave Motion

Wave motion is a repetitive motion of a basic unit known as a wave unit.

The basic quantity of a wave is wavelength - , the repetition length of the wave
unit.

Wave is spread out in space.

Wave caries energy

Wave Unit

Direction of
propagation

Particle Theory
The particle theory propose that a light source represents a constant source of
pure energy particles called photons.

Light
source

Photons

Light beam

Photons travel at the speed of light and they exist only as they move!

Polarized - Unpolarized Light

Unpolarized light beam has many waves that oscillate in all directions
perpendicularly to direction of propagation.

Light beam can be polarized by screening all directions but one.

Waves of polarized light oscillate in one direction only.

Polarization of Light
Humans do not sense polarized light
To create and examine polarized light we use devices called polarizers.
Non-polarizing sheet
sheet
Non-polarizing

Light
Light
source
source

AA
Unpolarized
Unpolarized
light
light

l ar ri zi ze er rs s
PPool a

BB
P o l a r ilight
zed light
Polarized

Application of Polarized Light

Polarized light can be useful to remove glare on shiny surfaces and
enhancing the contrast.

Polarizer
Forensic
Polilight
light

Depolarized
light

source

Polarized
light

Polarizer

Substrate

Polarised light is not useful on dull surfaces.

Human Eye
Human eye is an optical instrument equipped with a lens that produce an
image of an object on the light sensitive surface called retina.

Lens

Image of

Image
of
the object
the object

Object

Retina

Human Eye & Vision

There are two different types of light sensors in retina :
Cones, and
rods.

There are three different types of cones, each one being sensitive to
one part of visible spectrum: red, green and blue (RGB).

There is only one type of rods.

Cones

Rods

Retina
Blue

Green

Red

Messages to brain

Colour Vision
When a red photon strikes a blue cone no signal is produced. Blue cones are
blind to red light.
When a red photon strikes a green cone signal may or may not be produced. Green
cones detect some percentage of of red light.
When a red photon strikes a red cone signal is always produced. Red cones
detect all red light

Cones
Retina

Messages to brain

Sensitivity of Cones

Faint Light
In case of faint light rods are activated.
A certain time (from 5 to15 minutes) is needed for rods to activate.
This is known as accommodation to faint light.

Rods are colour blind

Cones
Retina

Messages to brain

Sensitivity of a Human Eye

Sensitivity

Human eye is the most sensitive in green region and the least sensitive in
violet and red regions of the visible spectrum.

Green
Yellow

Violet

Blue

400 420 440 460

Orange
Red

480 500 520 540 560 580 600

W a v e l e n g t h

620 640 660 680 700 nm

Optical Filters

Optical Filters
Optical filters are devices designed to select certain colours (wavelengths) out
of many available colours (wavelengths).

There are three types of filters classified according

to transmission characteristics

Short pass
filters

Long pass
filters

Band pass
filters

Short Pass Filter

A short pass filter is designed to transmit short wavelengths and reject long
wavelengths .

100

Maximum transmission

Transmitted

Transmission %

80
60
40
20

200

300

400

R e j e c t e d
50% of maximum
transmission

500
600
700
EW (Edge Wavelength)

W a v e l e n g t h

2,000 nm

Long Pass Filter

A long pass filter transmits longer wavelengths and rejects shorter
wavelengths.

100

Maximum transmission

Transmission %

80
60

R e j e c t e d

40

Transmitted

50% of maximum
transmission

20
200

300

400

500

W a v e l e n g t h

600
700
2,000 nm
EW (EdgeWavelength)

Band Pass Filter

A band pass filter transmits band of light and rejects shorter
and longer wavelengths.

Transmission %

100

Half Band Width

HBW

80
60

Rejected

Maximum
transmission

Rejected
50% of maximum
transmission

40

5%

20

200

300

CW (Central Wavelength)
400

500

Pass-band

W a v e l e n g t h

600

700

2,000 nm

Long pass - Band pass Filters

Long pass filter transmits a lot more light, but band pass filter is more specific.

100

Transmission %

80

Long pass filter

(KV 550)

60

40

Band
pass filter
(590/40)

20

200

300

400

500

W a v e l e n g t h

600

700

2,000 nm

Optical Filters
There are two types of filters classified
according to the process of wavelength
rejection

Absorbing
filters
(Energy absorbing
or transmitting)

Interference
filters
(Energy reflecting
or transmitting)

Absorbing Filters
An absorbing filter is made of coloured material in the form of a suspension of
coloured matter in glass, gelatine, plastic or any other suitable transparent
medium.

White incident light

Coloured matter

Transmitted coloured light

Absorbed light energy is transferred into heat. In case of a high energy light
beam, the temperature of filter's substrate rises, resulting in destruction of
filter.

Interference Filters
An interference filter is made in the form of thin alternate layers of materials
with high and low refractive indices.
Both materials are transparent which results in very low light energy absorption.
Reflected light
Zinc sulphide, n = 2.35

Cryolite, n = 1.35

Transmitted light

Beams with different light paths through the filter interfere with each other,
causing only certain wavelengths (colours) to appear in the transmitted light.
The remaining colours have been reflected.

Tilting an Interference Filter

When an interference filter is tilted with respect to the incident beam, the light
path through the layers becomes longer.
This causes the transmission band to shift towards shorter wavelengths.

Normal to the surface

Incident
beam

Transmitted
beam

Down-Tuning
Tilting of an interference filter results in shifting (down-tuning) of the
central wavelength towards shorter wavelengths.

Relative intensity

100
80
60

CW of
tilted filter

CW of
un-tilted filter

40
20

400

500

W a v e l e n g t

600

700nm

In visible region a maximum shift of up to 30nm can be achieved.

The End

Polarization of Light
The facts:

Being a transverse electromagnetic wave, light can be polarized with

devices called polarizers.

Polarized light looks somewhat dimmed since the human eye cannot
distinguish polarized from unpolarized light.

Two polarizer are usually needed, one in front of a

another in front of camera.

Ordinary light sources produce unpolarized light.

forensic light and