Lecture #9

Content to be covered
❑ Double slit diffraction
❖ Expression for resultant intensity
❖ Position of maxima (Central and Secondary)
❖ Position of minima
❖ Intensity at secondary maxima
❖ Spread of central diffraction maximum

Resources to be consulted
❑ OPTICS by Ajay Ghatak

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 Fraunhofer Double Slit Diffraction

Again, like single slit case, let us

assume that slits consist of a large
number of equally spaced point
sources and each of these points act
as a source of secondary wavelets

slit width = 2A1A2 = 2B1B2 = b

slit separation A1B1 = A2B2 = d

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 Fraunhofer Double Slit Diffraction

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 Fraunhofer Double Slit Diffraction
The intensity distribution will be of the form

Represents Represents interference

diffraction pattern produced by
Pattern produced by two point sources
single slit of width b. separated by distance d.

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Similarity with YDSE
If y1 and y2 are the displacements produced by
sources S1 and S2.
where

Then resultant displacement at point P on the screen

would be y = y1 + y2

Amplitude of the
resultant wave
Same as the second
Thus, intensity of the resultant wave would be
term appearing in the
expression of resultant
intensity for double
slit diffraction
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 Position for Minima and Maxima
The expression of resultant intensity for double slit diffraction is given by

Minimum Intensity can be achieved when I = 0 i.e.

or

Now corresponding angular locations of these various diffraction minima's would be given by

where n = 1, 2, 3, ……..
and
where m = 0, 1, 2, 3, ….

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 Position for Minima and Maxima
Secondary diffraction maxima will Similarly interference maxima will
occur when occur when

where m = 0, 1, 2, 3, ….
where n = 1, 2, 3, ……..

Now again consider interference maxima, we have

From above expression, we can find out angular position of interference

maxima ( values). Alternatively,

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 The intensity pattern is in effect
a combination of both the
single-slit diffraction pattern
and the double slit interference
β pattern.

The amplitude of the diffraction

pattern modulates the
interference pattern.
φ →

In other words, the diffraction pattern acts like

an envelope containing the interference pattern.
In other words, the diffraction pattern acts like
an envelope containing the interference pattern.

The image above is taken from the central

maximum area of a display.
 Intensity pattern
Due to single slit diffraction Due to double slit interference

Double slit of width d each

slit width = b

Due to double slit diffraction

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FRAUNHOFER DOUBLE SLIT DIFFRACTION

θ
1
b= slit width
d = a+b
a= separation b/w slits

1
 Missing Orders In Double Slit Diffraction
Interference maxima positions are given by

where m = 0, 1, 2, 3, ….
The positions of diffraction minima due to each slit are given by

where n = 1, 2, 3, ….

Suppose, for a given values of θ, b and d, both equations (1) and (2) are
simultaneously satisfied, then we have

Since n =1, 2, 3, …, Therefore, m = 2, 4, 6, 8, .… Thus,

the even order interference maxima will coincide
with 1st, 2nd, 3rd, order diffraction minima due to
single slit. Therefore three interference maxima will
fall within central maxima.

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 Missing Orders In Double Slit Diffraction

As the slit separation d increases the number of interference maxima appearing in the
region of central diffraction maxima increases.

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