Lecture #7

Content to be covered
 Diffraction
 Classification of diffraction
 Superposition of N vibrations

Resources to be consulted
 OPTICS by Ajay Ghatak

15B11PH111 Physics-1 1
 Diffraction
Diffraction of the light occurs when a light wave passes very close to the
edge of an object or through a tiny opening, such as a slit or aperture.

According to
geometrical optics
region AB of screen to A
be illuminated and b
B
remaining portion will
be dark.
Screen

If observation are made carefully and width of the slit is not very large with
respect to wavelength then the light intensity in the region AB is not uniform and
there is also some
intensity inside the geometrical shadow. This spreading out of a wave when it
passes through a narrow opening is known as diffraction pattern.

15B11PH111 Physics-1 2
 Diffraction

Wide-gap: slight diffraction Narrow-gap: enormous diffraction

Particle theory does not explain this
phenomena.
On the basis of Huygen’s principle, which state
that all the points along a wave-front acts as
they were a point source. So light coming out
through the narrow opening will not act as rays
rather than as a point source. Hence, they
emerges out in all directions instead of just
passing through slit as rays.
15B11PH111 Physics-1 3
 Diffraction of Particles and Waves

15B11PH111 Physics-1 4
 Definition of Diffraction
Bending of light round the corner of an obstacle or spreading out into the region of
geometrical shadow when it passes through a narrow opening is known as the
phenomenon of diffraction and the resulting distribution of light intensity on the
screen is called diffraction pattern.

The spreading out of a

wave when it passes
through a narrow opening
is known as diffraction
pattern.

without diffraction with diffraction

15B11PH111 Physics-1 5
 Types of Diffraction

Fresnel diffraction
The source of light and the
screen are at finite distance
from the diffracting
aperture.

Wavelength of light must be comparable to the size of an obstacle.

15B11PH111 Physics-1 6
 Types of Diffraction
Aperture Screen
Fraunhofer diffraction
The source and the screen are at infinite
distance from the aperture (Using convex
lens)
Source

The source is kept on the focal plane of

Ist convex lens and the screen is also kept on
the focal plane of other convex lens.

Incident & diffracted rays are parallel.

Both incident and diffracted waves may be

considered to be plane wave.

Wavelength of light must be comparable to the size of an obstacle

15B11PH111 Physics-1 7
Resultant of Simple Harmonic Waves of Equal
Amplitude, Periods and Increasing Phases
Phases increasing in arithmetic progressions
Let a be the amplitude of each vibration and φ the common
phase difference between successive vibrations.
To find the amplitude and initial phase of the resultant
vibration, we construct the polygon of amplitude OA, AB,
BC……..P, each equal to a. The closing side OP represent the
resultant vibration.
Resolving the amplitude parallel and perpendicular to OA

R cos   a  a cos   a cos 2  a cos 3  ....

 a cos(n  1) ........  1
R sin   a sin   a sin 2  a sin 3  ....
 a sin( n  1) ........  2 

15B11PH111 Physics-1 8
   2   
2 R cos  sin  2 a sin  a cos  sin  2a cos 2 sin  2a cos 3 sin  ....
2 2 2 2 2

 2a cos( n  1) sin
2
Now using relation 2 cos A sin B  sin  A  B   sin  A  B 

𝜑𝜑𝜑𝜑 𝜑 𝜑 𝜑 𝜑 𝜑 𝜑 𝜑 𝜑
[ ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )]
2𝑅cos𝛿 in =𝑎2sin +sin 𝜑+ −sin 𝜑− +¿    sin 2𝜑+ −sin 2𝜑− +¿    sin 3𝜑+ −sin 3𝜑− +¿…  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .+¿sin (𝑛−2)𝜑+ −sin (𝑛−2)𝜑− +¿sin (𝑛−1)𝜑+ −sin (𝑛−1)𝜑−
2222 2 2 2 2
  1
2 R cos  sin  a sin  a sin( n  ) =2a sin
n
cos
 n  1 
2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2

15B11PH111 Physics-1 9
  n 
 sin   n  1 
R cos   a  2  3 The quantity na is finite =A
  cos
 sin  2
 2  sin 
RA
Similarly, we get 
 n 
 sin   n  1 
R sin   a  2 sin  4  Now, dividing eq. (4) by eq. (3), we get
 
2
 sin
 2

 tan   tan
 n  1 
2
Now squaring and adding eqns (3) & (4)
n  n  1 
sin  
Ra 2 2
 n
sin or   
2 2
sin 
Let n = 2 Ra
sin   n 
Now suppose n is very large
sin 
R  na

15B11PH111 Physics-1 10
 If we have large number of vibration as cos(ωt), cos(ωt-φ), cos(ωt-2φ),…………
cos[ωt-(n-1)φ]; then resultant vibration will be

n
a sin
2  (n  1) 
R cos   cos t  
  2 
sin
2

Resultant intensity at P which is proportional to the square of the resultant amplitude R

is given by:
sin  sin 
2 2
IR A 2
 I0
2

 2
2
Resultant wave will be given by
E  a cos t  cos(t   )  ......  cos(t  (n  1) )
 (n  1) 
E  R cos t 
 2 
15B11PH111 Physics-1 11
Lecture #8
Content to be covered
 Single 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

15B11PH111 Physics-1 1
 Single Slit Diffraction

A1
A2

A3

An

Imagine AB divided into n (very Path difference, Δ, between waves from A and B
large) number of equal parts, reaching at P = BN. From ABN BN =  = b sinθ.
where, each part is source of Thus phase difference
2
secondary wavelets.   b sin 

15B11PH111 Physics-1 2
 Single Slit Diffraction
The phase difference between any two
successive parts of slit AB would be   1  2 b sin   A

n   A21

Thus if disturbance at point P due to point A1 is a cos ωt A3
then from point A2: a cos (ωt - φ); from point A3: a cos (ωt
- 2φ); from point AN: a cos (ωt – (N-1)φ) An
Thus, resultant disturbance at point P would be

E  a cos t  a cos(t   )  ......  a cos(t  (n  1) )

 (n  1) 
E  R cos t 
 2 
n  b sin  
a sin a sin     b sin 
where 2    Let 
R R
  b sin   a sin 
sin sin   R
2  n  sin (  n)

15B11PH111 Physics-1 3
 Single Slit Diffraction
 
But for large values of n: sin 
n n
a sin 
R
Therefore  n
A sin 
R where A = na


Thus resultant intensity at P

sin 2
 sin 2

IR A
2 2
 I0
 2
2

15B11PH111 Physics-1 4
 Position Of Maxima And Minima In Single
Slit Diffraction
Principal/Central Maxima
A sin 
The resultant amplitude is given by R

Thus R will be maximum when β = 0 → R = A = na
I max  A2  I 0
b sin 
and    0   0


This is the location of central maxima.

15B11PH111 Physics-1 5
 Position Of Maxima And Minima In Single
Slit Diffraction
Minima
A sin 
Re-consider the equation R 

The resultant amplitude R will be minimum when sin β = 0 but β ≠ 0
i.e. β = ±π ,±2π ,±3π ,±4π ..., ±nπ
    n where n  1,2,3....
b sin 
Hence     n
 where n = 1,2,3…. gives the condition of 1st, 2nd,
3rd, minima. Here n ≠ 0, because for n = 0, θ = 0
 b sin    n which corresponds central maxima.

This is the condition for minima.

15B11PH111 Physics-1 6
 Position Of Maxima And Minima In Single
Slit Diffraction
 n 
Let us consider the condition for minima b sin    n     sin 
1

 b 
1   
Position of first minima would be    sin  
b
 2 
Position of second minima would be    sin 1  
 b 
n
Further sin   
b
since sin   1
b By this we can find out
n maximum order to be
 observed.

15B11PH111 Physics-1 7
 Position Of Maxima And Minima In Single
Slit Diffraction
Secondary Maxima Apply the method of
finding maxima and
sin 2  minima
IR A 2 2

2
Differentiating above equation with respect to β

But here sinβ=0 or β=

m gives the position
of primary mth minima,
except when β=0.

15B11PH111 Physics-1 8
 Position Of Maxima And Minima In Single
Slit Diffraction
Thus, the position of secondary maxima is given by the equation:
β= tan β (secondary maxima)
Here, β=0 corresponds to the central maximum.
Note: The other roots can be obtained by determining the points of intersections of the
curves, y= β and y=tan β by graphical method.
From the graph, other roots which satisfy the
equation are

  (2n  1) where n  1,2,3....
2

The more exact values are 1.430, 2.46 , 3.47 ,

4.471 ….

15B11PH111 Physics-1 9
 Position Of Maxima And Minima In Single
Slit Diffraction
Intensity Calculations
Thus, directions of secondary maxima are Intensity of diffraction pattern is given as,
approximately:
 sin 2 
  (2n  1) IR A 2 2

2 2
Intensity of Principal maximum: β = 0
πb sin θ 
  (2n  1) I max  A2  I 0
 2
The intensity of secondary maxima
 (2n  1)  3
 θ   sin 1   Substituting   
(first secondary
 b 2 maxima i.e. for n = 1)

3
sin 2
So, secondary maxima lie at 2 4 A2 I0
I1  A 2
  I   0.046 I 0
b sinθ = 3/2, 5  /2, 7  /2 etc as  3 
2
9 2 1
22
first, second, third etc....  
 2 
Thus Intensity of first secondary maxima (I1) is
4.6% of principal maxima (I0).
15B11PH111 Physics-1 10
 Intensity Of Maxima And Minima In Single
Slit Diffraction
Similarly, for intensity of second secondary maxima, let us substitute,
5
 
2
5
sin 2 2
2  4 A I0
I2  A 2
 I   0.016 I 0
 5 
2
25 2
2
62
 
 2 
Thus Intensity of second secondary maxima (I2) is 1.6% of principal maxima (I0).
I3 is 0.83% of I0.

One can similarly calculate I3, I4, I5,…. From the above values of intensities, it is obvious that
intensity of secondary maxima decreases as the order increases.
Ratio of Principal maximum to secondary maxima:
I0:I1 :I2 :I3 …….= 1: 4/9π2 : 4/25π2: 4/49π2…

15B11PH111 Physics-1 11
 Spread of central diffraction maximum
Direction of first minima is given by

If the lens is very near to the slit,
b sin    , or sin = 
then L ≈ f. b
tan  ~ sin   y
L
where, y is the linear half
width of the central maxima
and f is the focal length of
the lens.
y 

f b
Hence, the spread i.e.,
linear width of central
Maxima is given by

2 f
2y 
b
15B11PH111 Physics-1 12
 Diffraction pattern from a single slit:
Angular positions of maxima and minima

15B11PH111 Physics-1 13
 Single Slit Fraunhofer diffraction:
Effect of slit width
Principle maxima, β = 0, I = I0 = A2

Minima, sin β = 0, β = n
n
sin   
b

First minima at sin  = /b and

sin  ~ y
D

mD
ymin. 
b

15B11PH111 Physics-1 14
 Single Slit Diffraction

The longer wavelength is diffracted

more that the shorter one.

Narrower slits diffract more than wider ones

Slits farther : Maxima closer

Slits closer : Maxima farther

15B11PH111 Physics-1 15
Single Slit Diffraction vs Double slit Interference

15B11PH111 Physics-1 16