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Csit Notes

1. The document describes Fraunhofer diffraction patterns produced by light passing through two parallel slits. It explains the interference and diffraction phenomena that produce bright and dark bands on the detection screen. 2. Maxima occur when the path difference between waves is an integer multiple of the wavelength, and minima occur when the path difference is an odd integer multiple of half the wavelength. 3. Diffraction maxima and minima are produced by the superposition of waves from each individual slit. The conditions for maxima and minima are given in terms of the path difference and wavelength.

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9 views

Csit Notes

1. The document describes Fraunhofer diffraction patterns produced by light passing through two parallel slits. It explains the interference and diffraction phenomena that produce bright and dark bands on the detection screen. 2. Maxima occur when the path difference between waves is an integer multiple of the wavelength, and minima occur when the path difference is an odd integer multiple of half the wavelength. 3. Diffraction maxima and minima are produced by the superposition of waves from each individual slit. The conditions for maxima and minima are given in terms of the path difference and wavelength.

Uploaded by

Amrutha Tarigopula
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2.

8 Fraunhofer diffraction at a double slit

Two rectangular slits parallel to one another and perpendicular to the plane of the paper, width of
each slit is say �� and width of the opaque portion is ��, figure 2.3. Light rays are collected by the
converging lens L and interference
patterns are seen in the screen FT. Let a
plane wave front be incident on the
surface XY. All the secondary waves
travelling in the direction parallel to OP
come to focus at P. Hence P is the
position for central bright maximum.

The diffraction patterns in double


slits are of two types one is due to
interference phenomena and another is
due to the diffraction phenomena
which are discussed separately as
follows:

(i) Interference maxima and


minima
Consider secondary waves
travelling in a direction
inclined at an angle ��
Figure2.3
with

the initial direction. Interference patterns are produced due to the superposition of waves
emanating from the corresponding points of the two slits (like A and C in the figure 2.3). In the ∆
������, sin �� =����
����
����=
��+��

⇨ ���� = (�� + ��) sin ��


If this path difference is equal to the integer multiples of λ, it corresponds to the maximum intensity

(�� + ��) sin ���� = ���� ….. (2.81)

where �� = 1, 2, 3 etc and ���� = ��1, ��2, ��2, … are the directions of maxima.

Similarly, if the path difference is equal to the odd multiples of ��2, minima are produced.
Thus (�� + ��) sin��′�� = (2�� + 1)��2 …… (2.82)
where �� = 1,2,3, .. and ��′�� = ��1′, ��2′, ��3′, … gives the direction of minima produced.
From equation (2.81) and (2.82) we can see that the angular separations between any two consecutive
maxima (or minima) is equal to ��
��+��.

Diffraction maxima and Minima


Diffraction maxima and minima are produced due to the superposition of secondary waves from the two
slits individually. Let us consider the secondary waves travelling in a direction inclined at an angle ��
with the initial direction of the incident light.

If the path difference BM of the two waves emanating from the extremities of a slit(i.e., points A and B)
is equal to λ (wavelength of light used), then �� will give the direction of the minimum. Considering
the wave front AB to be made up of the two halves, the path difference between the corresponding
points of the upper and lower halves like the points A and mid point of AB is equal to ��2. Hence the
two secondary waves from these points are interfere destructively giving minimum at the point ��′. In
general, the condition for minima is

�� sin���� = ���� , where �� = 1,2,3, .. ��1, ��2,��3, etc, corresponding to the


directions of diffraction minima.

Similarly, the condition for diffraction maxima is

�� sin���� =(2��+1)��
2

2.9 Plane diffraction grating

A diffraction grating is an extremely useful device which consists of a very large number of narrow slits
side by side. The slits are separated by opaque spaces. When a wave front is incident on a grating
surface, light is transmitted through the slits and obstructed by the opaque portions. Such a grating is
called a transmission grating. The secondary waves from the positions of the slits interfere with one
another giving interference patterns as well as diffraction patterns.

Theory of plane transmission grating


Consider XY is the grating surface and RS be the screen, figure 2.4, both perpendicular to the plane of
the paper. The slits are all parallel to one another and perpendicular to the plane of the paper. Here AB
is a slit and BC is an opaque portion. The width of each slit is �� and the opaque spacing between any
two consecutive slits is ��. Let a plane wave front incident on the grating surface, all the secondary
waves
travelling in the
same direction
as that of the
incident light
will come to
focus at the
point P on the
screen which
corresponds
to the
position of
central
maximum.

Consider the
secondary
waves
travelling in a
direction

inclined at an
angle �� with
the direction
of the
incident light,
such that the
lens �� is also
suitably
rotated such
that the axis
of the lens is
parallel to the Figure 2.4

direction of the secondary

waves and all these secondary waves come to focus at point ��1.
The path difference between the secondary waves starting from A and C is equal to ����

sin��. But ���� = �� + ��

⇨path difference = (�� + ��) sin��

The point ��1 corresponds to the point of maximum intensity if

(�� + ��) sin���� = ���� , where �� = 1,2,3 … etc, the angles ��1 , ��2, …. ����
corresponds to the directions of the principal maxima. For �� = 1 , gives the direction of the first
order image, �� = 2 gives the direction of second order image and so on.

The angle of diffraction ���� corresponding to the direction of the ����ℎ principal maximum is
given by the equation
(�� + ��) sin ���� = ����
In this equation (�� + ��) is
called the grating constant. For
a grating having ��number of
lines per inch, then the grating
element is

(�� + ��) =1��inch

=2.54

Ncm.

The intensity distribution on


Figure 2.5
the screen is shown in figure
2.5. The point P corresponds to
the position of the central maxima and 1,2, etc, on the two sides of P represents the 1st, 2nd, etc
principal maxima, a,b, etc are secondary maxima and d,e, etc are the secondary minima. The intensity as
well as angular spacing of the secondary maxima and minima is so small in comparison to the principal
maxima that they can not be observed. It results in uniform darkness between any two principal
maxima.

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