Lecture 13:

Fraunhofer diffraction by a periodic

array of slits

Lecture aims to explain:

1. Calculation of the diffraction pattern for light diffracted

by many slits

2. Properties of diffraction pattern for light diffracted by

many slits: comparison between single, double and
many slits

3. “Spectroscopy” using many slits: Rayleigh

criterion for spectral resolution and resolving power
Calculation of the diffraction pattern
for light diffracted by a periodic
array of slits
Electric field for many slits (width b, period a)
b/ 2 a+b / 2 2 a +b / 2 ( N −1 ) a + b / 2

E =C ∫
−b / 2
F ( z )dz + C ∫ F ( z )dz + C ∫ F ( z )dz + ... + C
a−b / 2 2 a−b / 2
∫ F ( z )dz
( N −1 ) a − b / 2

where: F ( z ) = sin[ ωt − k ( R − z sin θ )]

2π
phase difference: ( R − z sin θ ) ≡ k ( R − z sin θ )
λ
Using result for a single slit (see Lecture 10),
contribution from the j-th slit is:
 sin β 
E j = bC   sin(ωt − kR + 2α j )
 β 
α j = ja α ≡ (ka / 2) sin θ
β ≡ ( kb / 2 ) sinθ
Electric field for many slits (width b, period a)

N −1
 sin β 
E = ∑ bC   sin(ωt − kR + 2α j )
j =0  β 
iϕ
or using the complex representation: e = cos ϕ + i sin ϕ

  sin β  i ( ωt −kR ) N −1 i 2α j 
E = ImbC  e ∑ (e ) 
  β  j =0 
eventually:

 sin β  sin Nα 
E = bC    sin[ ωt − kR + ( N − 1 )α ]
 β  sin α 
Intensity distribution due to diffraction by an
array of N slits

2
 sin β   sin Nα 
2

I ( θ ) = I 0    
 β   sin α 
α ≡ (ka / 2) sin θ β ≡ ( kb / 2 ) sinθ

Maxima in the far-field diffraction pattern for the multiple slit system
are defined by
a sin θ m = mλ
where a – distance between the slits, θm angle of observation of the
m-th maximum, m=0, ±1, ±2 …, λ wavelength of light
Properties of the diffraction pattern
for light diffracted by a periodic
array of slits
Comparison of diffraction by 1, 2 and many slits
2
 sin β   sin Nα 
Very narrow principal maxima peaks in 2

the case of large number of slits I ( θ ) = I 0    

 β   sin α 
a=2b single
Normalised intensity of diffracted light

0.8
b=5λ double
10 slits

0.4

0.0
-0.2 -0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2
sin(θ)
Comparison of diffraction by 1, 2 and many slits
Weaker subsidiary maxima are also visible for:

sin Nα = 1 2
 sin β   sin Nα 
2

π 3π 5π I ( θ ) = I 0    
α =± ,± ,± ...  β   sin α 
2N 2N 2N

0.05

0.00
-0.2 -0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2
“Spectroscopy” using slits
Aims of spectroscopy
Analyse the spectral content of light, in other words
measure all wavelength present and corresponding intensities
of light for those wavelength

Use of spectroscopy: physics, chemistry, medicine, biology,

geology, oil/gas industry

Detection approach: use array

of sensitive pixels, construct the
optical system so that different
positions along one direction on
the detector array correspond to
different wavelengths

As a result we will obtain a “line

spectrum” as in the example
opposite
 Diffraction of light with different wavelengths by
10 and 2 slits 1.0
10 slits λ
Central maximum does not carry

Normalised intensity
a=2b 0.8λ
spectral information
b=10λ
Peaks are well resolved in the case 0.5

of a large number of slits

Resolution is better in the higher
order maxima
0.0

1.0
Position on detector
2 slits λ
Normalised intensity

a=2b 0.8λ 1.0

2 slits λ
b=10λ

Normalised intensity
a=2b 0.8λ
0.5
b=10λ
0.5

0.0

Position on detector
0.0

Position on detector
Spectral resolution
In the example below, the spectrum measured by the detector is
obtained from summation of the two individual patterns from the
two “colors”
In the case of the double slit individual properties of each “colour”
are lost for m=1 (individual lines are not resolved)

a=2b 10 slits
b=10λ 2 slits
Combined intensity

Position on detector
Rayleigh criterion (applied to spectral resolution)

λ λ+dλ
Rayleigh criterion:

Two wavelengths in a line spectrum are

resolved if the maximum in the
diffraction pattern from light with one
wavelength coincides with the minimum
in the diffraction pattern from light with
the other wavelength

π/N
Example 13.1: resolving power (RP) of a
periodic array of slits
Light containing spectral components with wavelengths of 1000 and
1001 nm is incident on a system of 100 slits with a slit width 2µm
and a separation between the slit centres 15 µm.
(i) Can this system of slits be used to resolve the two spectral
components?
(ii) Can two spectral components separated by 1 nm and centred at
500 nm be resolved?

The resolving power of a multiple-slit system

λ
= mN
dλ
m is the diffraction (interference) order where the spectral
lines centred at λ are measured, N – number of slits and dλ
is the smallest difference in wavelength possible to detect
 SUMMARY
The Fraunhofer diffraction pattern formed by a periodic array of N slits is
given by: 2 α ≡ (πa / λ ) sin θ β ≡ (πb / λ ) sin θ
 sin β   sin Nα 
2

I ( θ ) = I 0     b- slit width, a- slit separation

 β   sin α 
Intensity maxima occur: Sharp maxima occur due to constructive
α = ±π ,±2π ,±3π ... interference of light emerging from the two
slits: the larger N the narrower the maxima
a sin θ = mλ Normalised intensity of diffracted light
a=2b
single
0.8
b=5λ double
10 slits
The resolving power of a
multiple-slit system, as follows
from the Rayleigh criterion is 0.4
given by:
λ
= mN
dλ 0.0
-0.2 -0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2
sin(θ)