Young’s Double

Slit Experiment
( Division of Wavefront)

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Young’s Double Slit Experiment

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Young’s double slit

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 D

Path difference:
SP − S ′P

= D + (x + d 2) − D + (x − d 2)
2 2 2 2

D >> x, d 4
 Path difference calculation
12 12
 ( x + d 2) 2
  ( x − d 2) 2

= D 1 + 2  − D 1 + 2 
 D   D 
For 1 >> x
(1 + x ) ≈ 1 + nx
n

( x + d 2) − ( x − d 2)
2 2

=
2D
( 2 x ) d  2 D xd D
= =
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 xd
Path difference: SP − S ′P =
D
For a bright fringe, SP − S ′P =
mλ
m: any integer
For a dark fringe, SP − S ′P = ( 2m + 1) λ 2

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Constructive Interference

=
Path difference λ ( m 1, 2,3, 4,....)
m=
2π
= mλ ×
Phase difference
λ 7
Destructive interference

λ
Path difference ( 2m + 1)
= (m =
0,1, 2,3, 4,....)
2
λ 2π
Phase difference = ( 2m + 1) ×
2 λ
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Transverse section –Straight fringes
P

S′ x

θ
θ
d O

N
S

Path difference d sin θ

SP − S ' P ≈ SN =
For mth bright fringe
d sin θ m = mλ
the path difference
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 Path difference

SP − S ' P ≈ SN ≈ d sin θ m =
mλ
The distance of mth bright fringe from central maxima

mλ
xm ≈ D sin θ m =
D
d
Fringe separation/ Fringe width ∆ x = xm − xm −1

Dλ
∆x =
d 10
Interference Animation If the separation between
the slits decreases, then

1. Angular spacing of the

fringes increases

2. Fringe width increases

The angular spacing of the fringes, θ, is given by:

λ
θ≈ (where d is the separation
d between slits)

Dλ
∆x = (Fringe width) 11
d
 Total irradiance I = I1 + I 2 + 2 I1 I 2 cosδ
For two beams of equal irradiance (I0)
δ
I =2 I 0 (1 + cos δ ) =4 I 0 cos 2

2
(δ = phase difference )
2π
Path difference = d sin θ =δ d sin θ ×
Phase difference λ

x π xd
sin θ = I = 4 I 0 cos 2
D λD 12
Visibility of the fringes (V )

I max − I min
V≡
I max + I min
Maximum and adjacent minimum of the fringe system

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Photograph of real fringe pattern for Young’s double slit

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