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11.1 Interference
Physical (wave) optics treats light as a wave in the study of the some light
phenomena, such as interference, diffraction and polarization.
Two waves (of the same wavelength) are said to be in phase if the crests (and
troughs) of one wave coincide with the crests (and troughs) of the other.
In this case the resultant wave would have twice the amplitude of the individual
waves - one says that constructive interference has occurred.
If the crest of one wave coincides with the trough of the second wave, they are
said to be completely out of phase.
In this case the two waves would cancel each other out - one says that
destructive interference has occurred.
Conditions for interference between two sources of light:
1. The sources must be coherent, that is they must maintain a constant
phase with respect to each other.
2. The sources must have identical wavelengths, amplitudes and
frequencies.
3. The superposition principle must apply.
To produce coherent light sources, use a single wavelength source to illuminate a
screen containing two small slits.
The light emerging from the two slits is coherent because a single source
produces the original light beam and the slits serve only to separate the original
beam into two parts.
2
11.2 Young's Double Slit Experiment
Youngs double slit experiment provides evidence of the wave nature of light and
a way to measure a wavelength of light ( ~10
-7
m).
This is a classic example of interference effects in light waves.
Two light rays pass through two slits, separated by a distance d and strike a
screen a distance, L , from the slits, as in Fig.
Figure 11.1 A schematic diagram of Youngs double-slit experiment.
The points of constructive interference will appear as bright bands on the
screen and the points of destructive interference will appear as dark bands.
Interference pattern consist of equally spaced bright fringes separated by
equally spaced dark fringes.
The condition for interference is determined by the path length difference (
L A ) of the two waves or the difference of the distance travel.
If d < < L then the difference in path length r
1
- r
2
travelled by the two rays is
approximately:
L A = r
1
- r
2
= d sin Path difference (11.1)
where is approximately equal to the angle that the rays make relative to a
perpendicular line joining the slits to the screen.
The condition for constructive interference at the screen is:
d sin = m , m = 0, +1, +2,... (11.2)
3
The condition for destructive interference at the screen is:
d sin = (m +1/2) , m = 0, +1, +2,... (11.3)
Figure 11.2 Constructive and destructive interference.
m = 0 The zeroth order fringe or central maximum.
m = 1 The first order fringe is the first bright/dark fringe on either
side of the central maximum (there are two first order fringes), and
so on.
Figure 11.3 A geometric construction to describe Young double-slit experiment.
4
- In the case that y , the distance from the interference fringe to the point of
the screen opposite the center of the slits is much less than L ( y < < L ), one can
use the approximate formula.
For small angle
u
,
sinu ~
tan
u
~
L
y
(11.4)
where :
y is the distance from the central maximum on the screen
L is the distance from the slits to the screen.
The distance of the m
th
bright fringe (y
m
) from the central maximum on either
side is
d
mL
y
bright m
= ) (
For bright fringes (11.5)
The wavelength of the light
mL
d y
m
~
for m = 1,2,3
The separation between adjacent bright fringes
d
L
y y y
m m
= = A
+1
(11.6)
For dark fringes :
d
L m
y
dark m
) 2 / 1 (
) (
+
=
For dark fringes (11.7)
If d < < L then the spacing between the interference can be large even when the
wavelength of the light is very small (as in the case of visible light). This give a
method for (indirectly) measuring the wavelength of light.
The above formulas assume that the slit width is very small compared to the
wavelength of light, so that the slits behave essentially like point sources of
light.
5
Example 1:
Light of wavelength 632.8 nm falls on a double slit and the third order bright
fringe is seen at an angle of 6.5
0
. Find the separation between the double slits.
Solution:
Given
=632.8nm=632.8 x 10
-9
m, n=3,
3
u
=6.5
0
Find d?
From equation : u n d = sin ,
we have
u
sin
n
d =
3
sin
3
u
= d
5 . 6 sin
) 10 8 . 632 ( 3
9
=
x
m m x 17 10 7 . 1
5
= =
Example 2:
In a youngs double slit experiment, if the separation between two slits is 0.10mm
and the distance from the slits to a screen is 2.5 m, find the spacing between the
first order and the second order bright fringes for light with the wavelength of
550 nm.
Solution:
Given =550nm=550 x 10
-9
m, L=2.5, d= 0.1mm=0.10x10
-3
m, Find y
2
- y
1
From
d
nL
y
=
y
2
- y
1
=
d
L ) 2 (
-
d
L ) 1 (
=
d
L
=
cm
x
x
4 . 1
10 10 . 0
) 10 550 )( 5 . 2 (
3
9
=
Example
Light of wavelength 460nm falls on two slits spaced 0.300 mm apart. What is the
required distance from the slits to a screen if the spacing between the first and
second dark fringes is to be 4.00mm?
Solution:
L = (y) d / = (4.00 x 10
-3
m)(3.00 x 10
-4
m) / (460 x 10
-9
m) = 2.61 m
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11.3 Change of phase due to reflection
- Another simple arrangement for producing an interference pattern with a single
light source is known as Llyods mirror as shown in figure 8.4.
Figure 11.4: Llyods mirror
An interference pattern is produced on a screen at P as a result of the
combination of the direct ray (SP) and the reflected ray. The reflected ray
undergoes a phase change of 180
0
.
A ray reflecting from a medium of higher refractive index undergoes a 180
0
phase change.
A ray reflecting from a medium of lower refractive index undergoes no phase
change.
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Fig. 11.5
11.4 Interference in thin films
Interference observed in light reflected from a thin film is due to a
combination of rays reflected from the upper and lower surfaces. Refer figure
below.
Interference effects are commonly observed in thin films.
Eg: soap bubbles, thin layers of oil in water.
Figure 11.6 Interference observed in light reflected from a thin film is due to a combination of
rays reflected from the upper and lower surfaces.
8
Consider a film of thickness t and index of refraction n as in the Figure 9.5.
To determine whether the reflected rays interfere constructively or
destructively, note these following facts:
1. An electromagnetic wave traveling from a medium of index of refraction n
1
toward a medium of index of refraction n
2
undergoes a 180
0
phase of change
on reflection when n
2
> n
1
. There is no phase change in the reflected wave if
n
2
< n
1
.
n
1
> n
2
0 phase shift
n
1
< n
2
180
0
phase shift
2. The wavelength of light
n
in a medium with index of refraction n is given by
n
n
=
(11.13)
where L the distance from the single slit to the screen.
11
The width of the m side maximum is the distance between the m
th
dark and the
(m+1)
th
dark or Y
m+1
y
m
.
It is evident from this equation that
For a given slit width (
w
), the greater the wavelength (
=632.8 nm=632.8 x 10
-9
m,
w
=0.200 mm=0.200 x 10
-3
m, L=2.50m
Find: 2y
1
and y
3
The central maximum is the region between the first order dark fringes on either
side of this maximum, so its width is simply 2y
1
.
From
w
mL
y
m
=
,
3
9
1
10 200 . 0
) 10 8 . 632 )( 5 . 2 )( 1 ( 1
= =
x
x
w
L
y
= 7.91x10
-3
m.
So the width of the central maximum is
2y
1
=2(7.91mm) = 15.8 mm.
3
9
3
10 200 . 0
) 10 8 . 632 )( 5 . 2 )( 3 ( 3
= =
x
x
w
L
y
= 23.7 mm.
Example
Light of wavelength 550nm is incident on a single slit 0.75mm wide. At what
distance from the slit should a screen be placed if the second dark fringe in the
diffraction pattern is to be 1.7 mm from the center of the screen?
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Solution :
From
w
mL
y
m
=
We have
m
x
x x
m
w y
L
m
2 . 1
) 10 550 )( 2 (
) 10 75 . 0 )( 10 7 . 1 (
9
3 3
= = =
Example
Light of wavelength 587.5 nm illuminates a single 0.75 mm wide slit.
a) At what distance from the slit should a screen be placed if the first
minimum in the diffraction pattern is to be 0.85 mm from the central
maximum?
b) Calculate the width of the central maximum.
Solution :
a) At the first dark band: sin = /a = 5.875 x 10
-7
m / 7.5 x 10
-4
m = 7.83 x 10
-4
But also, sin = y/ L , so L = y / sin , Thus L = 8.5 x 10
-4
/ 7.83 x 10
-4
= 1.09m
b) The width of central maximum = 2y = 2(0.85mm) 1.70 mm
Example
A screen is placed 50.0 cm from a single slit which is illuminated with light of
wavelength 680 nm. If the distance between the first and the third minima in the
diffraction pattern is 3.00mm, what is the width of the slit?
Solution:
The angles at which a dark fringe can occur are given by
sin = m/a ,
The screen positions of these dark fringes are:
y
m
= L tan .
Making approximation sin = tan , gives y
m
= m L (/ a) as the location of the m
th
order dark fringe.
The distance from the first to the third dark fringes is then
y = y
3
y
1
= 2L (/a).
With L = 50.0 cm, = 680 nm and y = 3.00mm, this gives:
3.00 x 10
-3
= 2(5.00 x 10
-1
m) (6.80 x 10
-7
m / a ) or a = 0.227 mm.