Interference by division of amplitude

When light beam incident on a thin film, a part of it

is reflected and major part is transmitted. There is
further reflection and transmission in the bottom
part of film.

Interference due to multiple reflections from the

surface of transparent thin film was observed by
Newton.

Interference from thin films is due to

Reflected light
Transmitted light
 Change in Phase
(Phase reversal on reflection)
Consider a light wave of amplitude E incident on
surface XY of two media of refractive indices n1
and n2 respectively.
Let the coefficient of reflection into upper medium
be r1.

Then amplitude of reflected ray = r1E.

Let coefficient of transmission in lower medium be

t 1.

Then amplitude of transmitted wave = t1E.

Now, let reflected and refracted (transmitted) rays

be reversed.

Then amplitude of refracted ray = t1r1E.

Also reversed ray BA should be partially reflected
along AB’ and partially refracted along AO.

If coefficient of reflection into the lower medium

be r2.

Then amplitude of reflected ray along AB’ should

be r2t1E.

Total amplitude of ray of light along AB’ is

According to principle of reversibility, amplitude of
reversed ray along AO should be same as that of
incident ray, OA.

This is only possible if amplitude of ray along

AB’ = 0.

i.e.

But
Therefore

Or

This is known as Stoke’s Law.

Now if a wave

is reflected into upper medium its amplitude will

be

If same wave is reflected into the lower medium,

its amplitude will be
Thus,

and

i.e. on reflection an additional phase difference of

π is introduced.
This additional phase difference is equal to a path
difference of .
 Interference of Light in Thin Films
(Reflected Light)
Consider a transparent film of thickness t and of
refractive index μ. When a ray falls on the upper
surface of the film, it is partially reflected and
partially transmitted. The transmitted beam again
partially reflect and partially transmit from the lower
surface of the film (see Figure). The interference
takes place between the reflected rays going along
BR1 and DR2. The path difference between the rays
can be calculated. DN and BM are the normals
drown on BR1 and CD. If i is the angle of incidence
and r is the angle of refraction, the line CD meets
back at point P to line BE
By geometry

and

The optical path difference

But according to Snell’ law

Therefore
So path difference

Now since

therefore

so

In ∆ BPM,
hence path difference

Since, in this case light is reflected from surface of a

denser medium a path change of λ/2 occurs.
The effective path difference is then

But path difference for points of maximum intensity

is equal to mλ.
So for maximum (bright fringe)
This is the condition for maxima.
Similarly for minima (dark fringe):
The phase relationship does not change if one full
wave is added or subtracted from any of the
interfering waves. Therefore (m+1)λ can be
replaced by mλ in the above equation. Thus,

Here the interference pattern observed is not a

perfect pattern because the intensities of
interfering rays are not the same and the
amplitude depends on the amount of reflected and
transmitted rays.
 Interference of Light in thin films
(Transmitted light)
•Consider a thin transparent film of thickness ‘t’
and of refractive index ‘μ’.
•A ray AB after refraction goes along BC.
•At the lower surface of the film, it will be partially
reflected along CD and partially transmitted along
CT1.
•The ray CD will again be partially reflected and
go along DE and partially transmitted along ET2.
•The interference occurs between the transmitted
ray CT1 and ET2.
•CN and EM are normal drawn on DE and CT1
respectively.
• The optical path difference between the
transmitted CT1 and ET2 ray is given by
• Path difference Δ = μ (CD +DE) – CM
• But CM
sin i CE
μ 
sin r EN
CE
CM  μ EN
Δ  μ (CD  DE)  μ EN
 μ (PD  DE)  μ EN (CD  PD)
 μ (PE  EN)
 μ PN
By geometry PN  2t cosr
 Therefore, the path difference  2 μ t cos r
The path difference for maxima = nλ
Hence for maxima, 2 μ t cos r  n λ

and for minima, λ

2 μ t cos r  (2n  1)
2

Therefore, a phase difference of π or a path

difference λ/2 of occurs only because reflection,
not because of refraction (transmission ).

Hence, this phase difference or path difference can

not be taken into account for transmitted pattern.