12.1 FRAUNHOFER DIFFRAC TION IN A SINGLE SLIT: tic light of wavelength % t AB of monochormal ; n a pT slit SS, be incident san i“ Accom e ii pagal Fresnel principle each point of the wave ront in the plane of Pe inaas = of secondary spherical wavelets the slit may be regarded as the source The secondary wavelets travelling normal to the slit are brought to focus Fig. 12.1-1 by a convex lens L on the screen at C. The wavelets travelling at an angle @ with the normal are brought to focus at Q. (et us calculate the intensity of light at Q! Let the complex light disturbance at any instant due to secondary waves from the origin O (the mid point of the slit) be represented by Ae‘*‘ where A is the amplitude and @ is the circular frequency of the wave. The tphase difference between the waves at Q coming from O and from a point P at a distance x from O is given by a . on ENS 2 x sind Ly = gia 2 sino a .(12.1-D) 7N.B. If light is incident on the slit in a direction making an angle i wi the normal to the slit surface then 6=25(x sini + x sind)=/x where 1 =X(sini = sin®) adnce the disturb: , He a ta oe ance at Q due to secondary waves from P will be proportional to e' . The disturbance at Q due to the diffractin, blement dx can be written as ° dy = CAdx.e ot-lx) where we assume the amplitude to be proportional to the width dx; C is a proportionality constant, If a is the width of the slit then the resultant complex disturbance at Q due to the waves coming from all the diffracting elements will be given by is 2 Joaetords q 2 5 g sd «5 ey ae sin =a E sind = ‘The resultant intensity I at Q is obtained by multiplying y by its complex conjugate y*. Thus 3 as (121-2) =y.yt=l, T= sega where [,=(CAa)® and a= ‘a 4 fa sind (12.18) of diffraction and thus Eq. (12.1-2) gives the le & depends on the angle ¢ gives intensity for different values of 6, intensity distribution ie., (a) To find maxima and minima: The maxima or minima are given by Bliss ee 2 sinacosa _2sin"a _ 4 a a? < sin a(a cos a—sin a) = 0 gsina = 0 +(12.1.4) Hence either weit 215) or, The value of oi is found to be positive for sin =0 and negative ia , soe for a=tana, Hence the condition (12.1-4) will give minima ang condition (12.1-5) will give maxima. Thus for minima, sina 0 a = mn, m=t1,4+2,43. or, aA or, asind = ma (12.1.6) sina Here m = 0 is excluded because for this « = 0 and since iim: z it actually gives a maximum. The positions of maxima can be obtained by solving Eq. (12.1-5). It is transcendental equation and can be solved graphically by plotting the curves y = a and y = tana. and finding the point of intersections as any Fig. 12.1-2 shown in Fig. 121-2, An inijpaction duke. i919 gious mat a value is oc = 0 and other Vala OPGE wise wall gic cae gn than but gradually approaching towards 2%, 4.5% 64. 4-0 gives the position of principal maximum and the othe i peice er values give secondaryThe intensity of principal maximum is fan acu T= a0 9g? ‘The intensity of first secondary maximum is 0 2 3m on" 12) @ The intensity of second secondary maximum is 4 on? aint Thalp see 4 a (§ 2 abn? ° 2 Thus the secondary maxima are very feeble compared with the principal maximum and their intensities diminish very rapidly with the increase in order number. ‘The intensity distribution in the diffraction pattern due to a single slit is shown in Fig. 12.1-3. ak stk ishrion © x 2x 3m ao Fig. 12.1-3 The angle of diffraction @, for the first minima on either side of eéutzal ‘ranximtim is giver! by Ed. (12:1-6)"as asin®, = % 0, =sino, =~ ‘Therefore, the angular width of principal maximum (26,) is inversely proportional to the width (a) of the slit. (b) White light effect : ‘The condition for minima of rays incident normally on the slit is, asin 6 = mi; or, 0=Na [for first order dark band]. As eee 20. If white light be employed, the central maximum becomes white, while other aaima will be coloured, and red maxima being farther apart than blue.