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When Two Waves of Different Frequency Interfere, They Produce Beats

When waves of different frequencies interfere, they produce beats characterized by a rapidly varying component and a slowly varying amplitude envelope. The group velocity describes the velocity of the amplitude envelope and is equal to the phase velocity only when the refractive index of the medium does not change with frequency. Otherwise, the group velocity is less than the phase velocity.

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jackychen101
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39 views8 pages

When Two Waves of Different Frequency Interfere, They Produce Beats

When waves of different frequencies interfere, they produce beats characterized by a rapidly varying component and a slowly varying amplitude envelope. The group velocity describes the velocity of the amplitude envelope and is equal to the phase velocity only when the refractive index of the medium does not change with frequency. Otherwise, the group velocity is less than the phase velocity.

Uploaded by

jackychen101
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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When two waves of different frequency

interfere, they produce beats.


0 1
1
0 0
2
0
2
2 1
0
( ) Re{ }

2 2
( ) Re{ exp ( ) exp ( )}
Re{ exp( )[exp(
exp
) exp( )]}

exp( ( )

)

ave
ave
ave
tot
tot ave
E i E t
E t E i t t E i t t
E i t i t i t
i t t E
e
e
e
e
e e e
e
e
e e e
e
e
e
= +
+
= A =
= + A + A
= A + A
Let and
So:
0
0
Re{2 exp( ) cos( )}
2 cos( ) cos( )
ave
ave
ave
E i t t
E t t
e
e
e
e
e
= A
= A
Summing waves of two different frequencies yields the product
of a rapidly varying cosine ( ) and a slowly varying cosine ( ). e A
Take E
0
to be real.
2
1 ave
ave
e
e e e
e e
= + A
= A
When two waves of different frequency
interfere, they produce "beats."
Indiv-
idual
waves
Sum
Envel-
ope
Irrad-
iance:
When two light waves of different frequency
interfere, they also produce beats.
0 2 2
2
0 1 1
1 2
2 2 1 1
0
1
0
( , ) Re{ }

2 2

2 2

( , ) Re{ exp ( ) ex
exp ( )
p
ex ( )
(
p
tot
t
ave
ave
av ot e ave ave
E i k x t
k k
E x t
k
E x
E i k x t
k
k
k k t E i x kx t t E i x kx
k
e
e
e
e e
e
e
e
e e
= +
+
= A =
+
= A =
= + A A

+ A
Let and
Similiarly, and
So:
| |
0
0
0
)}
Re{ exp ( ) exp[ ( )] }
Re{2 cos( )}

exp ( )
exp ( )
cos( ) 2 cos( )
ave
ave ave
ave ave
ave ave
i k x t
i k x
t t
E i kx t i kx t
E kx t
E kx t
t
k x t
e e
e e
e
e
e
e
e
+ A
= A A + A A
= A A
= A A

Take E
0
to be real.
For a nice demo of beats, check
out:
http://www.olympusmicro.com/pri
mer/java/interference/
Group velocity
v
g
de /dk
Light-wave beats (continued):
E
tot
(x,t) = 2E
0
cos(k
ave
xe
ave
t) cos(AkxAet)
This is a rapidly oscillating wave: [cos(k
ave
xe
ave
t)]
with a slowly varying amplitude: [2E
0
cos(AkxAet)]
The phase velocity comes from the rapidly varying part: v = e
ave
/ k
ave
What about the other velocitythe velocity of the amplitude?
Define the group velocity: v
g
Ae /Ak
In general, we define the group velocity as:
carrier wave
amplitude
Group velocity is not equal to phase velocity
if the medium is dispersive (i.e., n varies).
0 1 0 2
1 1 2 2
1 2
0 0 1 2
1 2
1 2
v


, v

g
g
k
c k c k
n k n k
k k
c c k k
n n n
n k k n
e A

= = = = =

For our example,


where and are the k - vector magnitudes in vacuum.
If phase velocity
1 2

, v
g
n n c = = If
The group velocity is the velocity of
the envelope or irradiance: the math.
0
( ) ( v ) exp[ ( v )]
g
E t E z t ik z t
|
=
( ) ( v ) exp[ ( v )]
g
E t I z t ik z t
|

And the envelope propagates at the group velocity:
Or, equivalently, the irradiance propagates at the group velocity:
The carrier wave propagates at the phase velocity.
v
g
de /dk
Now, e is the same in or out of the medium, but k = k
0
n, where k
0
is
the k-vector in vacuum, and n is what depends on the medium.
So it's easier to think of e as the independent variable:
Using k = e n(e) / c
0
, calculate: dk /de = ( n + e dn/de ) / c
0
v
g
= c
0
/ ( n + e dn/de) = (c
0
/n) / (1 + e /n dn/de )
Finally:
So the group velocity equals the phase velocity when dn/de = 0,
such as in vacuum. Otherwise, since n increases with e, dn/de > 0,
and:
v
g
< v
|
Calculating the group velocity
| |
1
v /
g
dk de

v v / 1
g
dn
n d
|
e
e
| |
= +
|
\ .
0
0
2
0 0 0 0
0 0
2 2
0 0 0
0
0
0

2 2
2 /
(2 / ) 2
v / 1
2
v / 1
g
g
d dn dn
d d d
d c c
c
d c c
c dn
n n d
c
c
n

e e
t t
t e
e e t t
e
e
t
=

= = = =
| | (
= +
|
(
\ .
| |
= +
|
\ .
Use the chain rule:
Now, , so:
Recalling that :
we have:
2
0
0 0 0
2
dn
n d c

(

| |

(
|
`
|
(

\ .
)

or :
Calculating group velocity vs. wavelength
We more often think of the refractive index in terms of wavelength, so
let's write the group velocity in terms of the vacuum wavelength
0
.
0 0
0 0
0 0
v / 1 /
g
c dn dn
c n
n n d d



| | | |
| |
= =
| |
|
\ .
\ . \ .

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