Convolution

. lo

. ............ -------&- . y

(al

(bJ

Figure 11.17 Here (a) is convollved first with (b) to p,roduce (c)
and then with (d) to produce (e). The resultiing pattern is the sum of
all the spread-out contributions as indlilcated by the dashed curve in
(e).

(d)

y
(e)
 LooxJ(x)h( X - x) dx
- - -

g(X) = Suppose h(x) looks like the asymmetrical function in Fig.

2
(11.S) 11.21a. Then h(-x) appear in Fig. 11.21b, and its shifted
form h( X - x) i ,hown in (c). The convolution of j(x)
h(x) [depicted in (d)] and h(x) is g( X) as given by Eq. (11.52).
This is often written more concisely as j(x) © h(x). The
integral simply say that the area under the product functionf
(x)h(X - x) for all xi g(X). Evidently, the product is
nonzero only over
(aJ the ranged wherein h(X - x) is nonzero, that is where the two
curves ov,erlap (Fig. 11.2le .
h(-x)
l(x)

(bl X

(di

h(X - x)
h(X - x)

f(x)

X
X X

(C)

d-1
(e)
convolution ot two identical · quare puls es 1

li(X - x) ® /(xi

.JI L
If the function being convolved are, i.mple enough, g(X) ,i1

can be determined roughly without any calculations at all. The

X1
onvolution of two identical square pul es is illu trated from
both of the viewpoints discus ed above, in Figs. 11.23 and
L
11.24. In Fig. 11.23 each impul econ titutingj(x)' l pread
out into a quare pu,l e and ummed. In Fig. 11.24 the overlap
ping area a h arie, , i plotted against X. In both in tance x..
-x

the result i. a triangular pu]se. Incidentally observe that

(f ® h) = (h ® f )., a can be een by a change of variable
(x' = X-x) in Eq. (11.52), being careful with the limit ( ee
_j L
Problem 11.15).
2.d

g(X)

_,....,. ,,, x
x, x1 xl x x xb x,
ure 11.24 Convolutiol'I of two squar,e pulses.
8.16., The convolution theorem states that where g(X) - /(x) 0 h(x),.
J'{g} == 'f'{/ h} 0 = 1'{/}
·1'{h}
i.e. the transform of the convolution of two functions is the product of the trans,forms
of the individual functions. Prove that this is indeed the case.

The convolution g is a function of X and so its transform is

J'{g} = s_:.,g(X) ltXdX

[f
f [J.
-ct)
+oo
, -ao
+QQ
/i(ro) h(X - x)
J
,dx
I
eikX dX

f
_
+oo

00
.·''_
+rio
00. lt(X - x) eikX J
dX /(x) dx

Letting X - a; equal W', we have dw == dX,. eikX = eikw eik:%, and so

 Young's Experiment: The Double Slit
In our fir t tr,eatment of Young' Experiment (Section 9.3), we
took the slits to be infinitesimally wide. The aperture function
, as then two ymmetrical o-pul e and the corre ponding
idealized field amp,litude iln the diffraction patt,em wa the
Fouri,er transform, namely, a cosine function. Squared, this
yields the familiar cosine- quared irradiance distribution of
Fig. 9.9 .. More reali tically, ea h aperture actually has ome
finite shape, and the real diffraction pattern will never be quite
o simple. Figure 11.31 show the ca e in which the hole are
actual slit . The a, ertur,e function g(x),. i obtained by con
vol ing the S-function spikes. h(x), that locate each lit with
the rectangular pul e•.f(x), that corre pond to the particular
opening. From the convolution theorem, the product of th
transforn1ts is the modulated cosine amplitude function repre
senting the diffracted field as it appears on the image plane.
Squaring that would produce the anticipated double-slit irradi
ance distribution hown in Fig. 10.14. The one-dim,ensional
transform curve are plotted again t k but that's equivalent to
plotting again t image- pace variable by mean , of Eq.
(I l.64). (The ame reasoning applied to circular apertures
yield the fringe pattern of Fig. 12.2.)
F1 ure An Hlustrr·· on o · Young's Experiment: The Double Slit
..3 the.ore In our fir t treatment of Young' Experiment (Section 9.3), we
· took the slits to be infinitesimally wide. The aperture function
was then two symmetrical o-pul e , and the corresponding
the convo h(x) = s(x) idealized field amplitude in the diffraction pattern was the
utio /(x.) Fourier transform, namely, a cosine function. Squared,
I this yields the familiar cosine-squared irradiance
'i
distribution of Fig. 9.9. More realistically, each aperture
actually has some
- a-....,,0..----a---x ..... .,_.....,. ,_._. x finite shape, and the real diffraction pattern will never be quite
bOb +- +- a O ... a o simple. Figure H .31 shows the ca e in which the holes are
2 2 2 2 2 2

'I y{f}
actual slits. The aperture function, g(x), is obtained by con
volving the <5-function spikes, h(x), that locate each slit
with the rectangular pulse, f( x), that corresponds to the
particular opening. From the convolution theorem, the
product of the transforms is the modulated cosine amplitude
H(k) G (k)
function repre senting the diffracted field as it appears on the
cos ka/2 image plane. Squaring that would produce the anticipated
double-slit irradi ance distribution shown in Fig. 10.14. The
one-dimensional transform curves are plotted against k, but
Ir. that's equivalent to
1T 'IT k plotting against image- pace variables by means of Eq.
Q .Q
(11.64). (The ame reasoning applied to circular apertures
yields the fringe pattern of Fig. 12.2.)
9.3..1 Young's Experiment

V,s lh· )lj ,h 0 ,u l.U LI y

-- --
j

l versus distance curve.

o:I 211 .a 2il- a 2.. Q

Figure 9.9 (a) Idealized irr,adiance

1

(b) 1(8) (c)

/(x) ® h(x) g(x)

+
a0
X X X
a a
-i - +-a
+
2 2 2

\(FU} \;F{h) \(F{g)

F(k) H(k)
G(k)

cos ka/2

_ _..,,,:.,_,;W!, ""6.1:.:!M;:tJ!BJU!iWUlil"""" ...._.........._ ,;n 0

l ,o.3_ A
b a a b

a a Figure 10.13 1al Double-slit geometry. Point Pon u is essentially inf

nitely far away. 101 A double-slit pattern la 3bl.