PHYSICAL OPTICS

Problem Set - I
Deadline : March 11, 2013
1. A beam of light is incident on the interface between air and some dielectric of refractive
index n. Show that, for near-normal incidence the Fresnel equation
r

=
sin(
i

t
)
sin(
i
+
t
)
can be written as
r

i
0
=
(n 1)
(n + 1)
(where
i
and
t
are the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction respectively).
2. Two electromagnetic plane waves, one travelling along z-axis and another propageting in
the yz plane making a small angle with the z-axis, have the same amplitude, E. Show
that the resulting interference pattern on the xy plane will be given by
I(y) = 4E
2
cos
2
(

y)
3. What will be the shape of the interference pattern when you have
(a) two beams originating from two point sources?
(b) one slit and one pin hole at the broad-on position w.r.t the slit?
(c) two long slits perpendicular to each other?
4. A glass microscope lens (n = 1.5) is coated with magnesium uoride (called anti-reection
coating) (n = 1.38) lm to increase the transmission of normally incident yellow light
( = 580nm). What minimum lm thickness should be deposited on the lens?
1