1

Fraunhofer Diffraction:
Circular aperture

Wed. Nov. 27, 2002
2
Fraunhofer diffraction from a circular aperture
x
y
q

P
u
Lens plane
r
dxdy e C E
ikr
P
}
=
3
Fraunhofer diffraction from a circular aperture
2 2
y R
2 2
y R +
Do x first looking down
Path length is the same
for all rays = r
o

dy y R e C E
ikr
P
2 2
2 =
}

Why?
4
Fraunhofer diffraction from a circular aperture
Do integration along y looking from the side
-R
+R
y=0
r
o

u
r = r
o
- ysinu
P
u
q
u
5
Fraunhofer diffraction from a circular aperture
}
+

=
R
R
iky ikr
P
dy y R e Ce E
o
2 2 sin
2
u
u v sin kR
R
y

( ) ) 1 ( sin v

v u =
|
.
|

\
|
=
kR
R k ky
) 2 ( 1
2 2 2 2 2 2
v v = = R R R y R
) 3 ( dy Rd = v
Let
Then
6
Fraunhofer diffraction from a circular aperture
}
+

=
1
1
2 2
1 2 v v
v
d e R Ce E
i ikr
P
o
The integral
( )

t
v v
v
1
1
1
2
1
J
d e
i
=
}
+

where J
1
() is the first order Bessell function of the first kind.
7
Fraunhofer diffraction from a circular aperture
These Bessell functions can be represented as
polynomials:



and in particular (for p = 1),
( )
( )
( )

=
+
+
|
.
|

\
|

=
0
2
! !
2
1
k
p k
k
P
p k k
J

( )
+
|
.
|

\
|

|
.
|

\
|
+
|
.
|

\
|
=
! 4 ! 3
2
! 3 ! 2
2
! 2
2
1
2
6 4 2
1

J
8
Fraunhofer diffraction from a circular aperture
Thus,





where = kRsinu and I
o
is the intensity when =0
( )
2
1
2
(

J
I I
o
9
Fraunhofer diffraction from a circular aperture
Now the zeros of J
1
() occur at,
= 0, 3.832, 7.016, 10.173,
= 0, 1.22t, 2.23t, 3.24t,
=kR sinu = (2t/) sinu
Thus zero at
sin u = 1.22/D, 2.23 /D, 3.24 /D,
10
-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10
0.5
1.0

-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10
0.5
1.0

Fraunhofer diffraction from a circular aperture
( )

1
2J
( )
2
1
2
(

J
The central Airy disc contains 85% of the light
11
Fraunhofer diffraction from a circular aperture
D
u
sinu = 1.22/D
12
Diffraction limited focussing
sinu = 1.22/D
The width of the Airy disc
W = 2fsinu ~ 2f u = 2f(1.22/D) = 2.4 f/D
W = 2.4(f#) > f# > 1
Cannot focus any wave to spot with dimensions <
D
f
-
1
0
-
8
-
6
-
4
-
2
0
2
4
6
8
1
0
0
.
5
1
.
0

u
u
13
-
1
0
-
8
-
6
-
4
-
2
0
2
4
6
8
1
0
0
.
5
1
.
0

Fraunhofer diffraction and spatial resolution
Suppose two point sources or objects are far away (e.g.
two stars)
Imaged with some optical system
Two Airy patterns
If S
1
, S
2
are too close together the Airy patterns will overlap and
become indistinguishable
-
1
0
-
8
-
6
-
4
-
2
0
2
4
6
8
1
0
0
.
5
1
.
0

S
1

S
2


14
Fraunhofer diffraction and spatial resolution
Assume S
1
, S
2
can just be resolved when
maximum of one pattern just falls on minimum
(first) of the other
Then the angular separation at lens,


e.g. telescope D = 10 cm = 500 X 10
-7
cm


e.g. eye D ~ 1mm |
min
= 5 X 10
-4
rad

D

|
22 . 1
min
=
rad X
X
6
5
min
10 5
10
10 5

= ~ |
15
Polarization
16
Matrix treatment of polarization
Consider a light ray with an instantaneous E-
vector as shown
( ) ( ) ( ) t k E j t k E i t k E
y x
,

, + =

x
y
E
x

E
y

( )
( )
y
x
t kz i
oy y
t kz i
ox x
e E E
e E E
e
e
+
+
=
=
17
Matrix treatment of polarization
Combining the components






The terms in brackets represents the complex
amplitude of the plane wave
( )
( )
| |
( )
( ) t kz i
o
t kz i
i
oy
i
ox
t kz i
oy
t kz i
ox
e E E
e e E j e E i E
e E j e E i E
y
x
y
x
e
e

e
e

+
+
=
+ =
+ =
~

18
Jones Vectors
The state of polarization of light is determined by
the relative amplitudes (E
ox
, E
oy
) and,
the relative phases (o =
y
-
x
)
of these components
The complex amplitude is written as a two-
element matrix, the Jones vector
(

=
(
(

=
(
(

=
o

i
oy
ox
i
y i
oy
i
ox
oy
ox
o
e E
E
e
e E
e E
E
E
E
x
x
~
~
~
19
Jones vector: Horizontally polarized light
The electric field oscillations
are only along the x-axis
The Jones vector is then
written,




where we have set the phase

x
= 0, for convenience
(

=
(

=
(

=
(
(

=
0
1
0
0
~
~
~
A
A
e E
E
E
E
x
i
ox
oy
ox
o

x
y
The arrows indicate
the sense of movement
as the beam
approaches you
The normalized form
is
(

0
1
20
x
y
Jones vector: Vertically polarized light
The electric field
oscillations are only along
the y-axis
The Jones vector is then
written,



Where we have set the
phase
y
= 0, for
convenience

(

=
(

=
(

=
(
(

=
1
0 0
0
~
~
~
A
A
e E
E
E
E
y
i
oy
oy
ox
o

The normalized form
is
(

1
0
21
Jones vector: Linearly polarized light at
an arbitrary angle
If the phases are such that o = mt for
m = 0, 1, 2, 3,
Then we must have,



and the Jones vector is simply a line
inclined at an angle o = tan
-1
(E
oy
/E
ox
)
since we can write

( )
oy
ox
m
y
x
E
E
E
E
1 =
( )
(

=
(
(

=
o
o
sin
cos
1
~
~
~
m
oy
ox
o
A
E
E
E
x
y
o
The normalized form is
22
Jones vector and polarization
In general, the Jones vector for the arbitrary
case

is an ellipse
(

=
o i
oy
ox
o
e E
E
E
~
a
b
E
ox

E
oy

x
y
2 2
cos 2
2 tan
oy ox
E E
E E
oy ox

=
o
o
o