DIFFRACTION

DIFFRACTION
• Phenomenon of bending of
light around the edges of an
obstacle or the encroachment
of light within the geometrical
shadow is known as
diffraction.
• The essential condition for
diffraction of light is given by,
The wavelength of the light
should always be comparable
to the size of the object.
Encroachment of light within the
geometrical shadow
• Uneven distribution of light
intensity caused by the
superposition of light
emanating from various
points of the wavefront.
INTERFERENCE AND DIFFRACTION
Interference Diffraction
• Superposition of two waves. • Bending of light around the
edges.
• Equally spaced fringes. • Unequally spaced fringes.
• Regions of dark fringes are • Regions of dark fringes are
perfectly dark. So good not perfectly dark. So poor
contrast between bright and contrast between bright and
dark bands. dark bands.
• Large number of fringes. • Less number of fringes.
MODELS OF DIFFRACTION
Diffraction

Fresnal model of diffraction Fraunhofer’s model of diffraction

Source of the light and the Source of the light and screen are
screen are at finite distance at infinite distance from the
from the diffracting object. diffracting object.
DIFFRACTION GRATING
• The phenomenon of Fraunhofer diffraction at several slits
placed side by side is of great importance. This is
demonstrated by diffraction grating.
• Diffraction grating consist of a very large number of extremely
narrow parallel slides separated by equal opaque spaces.
• Two types of diffraction gratings - Reflection grating and
transmission grating.
• A plane transmission grating is one made by ruling fine
lines at equal distances on an optically plane glass plate with
a diamond point.
• Tansmission gratings consist of around 6000 lines per cm.
• In laboratory we use replicas of original ruled grating.
• A thin layer of gelatin solution is poured over the surface
of a ruled grating and is allowed to harden. When stripped
from the grating, the gelatin film retains an impression of
the ruling of the original grating. You get an alternative
transparent space and opaque space.
• A reflection grating is made by fixing the film against a
silvered surface. You get an alternative opaque space and
reflecting space.
DIFFRACTION GRATING
• Consider the case of plane
transmission grating XY. AB
represents a slit and BC
represents an opaque portion.
Let a be the width of each slit
and b the width of each
opaque portion.
• The distance (a+b) is called
the grating element.
• Points separated by an integral
multiple of (a+b) are called
corresponding points.
• Let a plane wavefront be incident normally on the grating.
Diffraction happens at the slits and most wavelets
preceeding the slit continue to travel in the direction of
incident light.
• When focussed by a convex lens L, they will give a line of
maximum intensity on a screen. This is central maximum
(P).
• Consider the wavelets originating from two consecutive
corresponding points like A and C and proceeding along
AM and CN at an angle θ with the normal.
• CK is drawn ┴ to AM. Hence no path difference beyond
CK.
• Path difference between the wavelets
originating from A and C is
AK = (a+b) sin θ
• Now condition for maximum is
(a+b) sin θ = nλ
• Condition for minimum is
𝜆
(a+b) sin θ = (2n+1)
2
where n = 0,1,2..
so diffracted rays from any pair of
corresponding points of the slits will produce
constructive or destructive interference at a
point P accordingly as path difference is even
𝜆
or odd multiple of .
2
Maximas:
• For n=0, (a+b) sin θ=0, θ=0,
which corresponds to central
maximum at O.
• For n=1, (a+b) sin θ=λ
This corresponds to the first order
principal maxima on either side of
principal maximum.
• For n=2, (a+b) sin θ=2λ
This corresponds to the second order
principal maxima on either side of
principal maximum.
Minimas:
𝜆
• For n=0, (a+b) sin θ = ,
2
This corresponds to the first
order minima on either side
of principal maximum.
3𝜆
• For n=1, (a+b) sin θ =
2
This corresponds to the
second order minima on
either side of principal
maximum.
GRATING EQUATION
• Let N be the number of lines in one metre of the grating,
N(a+b) = 1
1
Grating element or grating constant (a+b) =
𝑁
1
sin θ = nλ
𝑁
sin θ = Nnλ
This is known as grating equation.
(θ - angle of diffraction, n - order of the spectrum, N - no: of
lines per unit length, λ - wavelength of the light used.)
Dispersive power of grating
• Dispersive power of grating is the change in angle of
diffraction for unit change in wavelength of light.
𝑑𝜃
• Dispersive power of grating =
𝑑𝜆
we have grating equation, sin θ = nNλ
differentiating, cos θ 𝑑𝜃 = nN dλ
𝑑𝜃 𝑛𝑁
=
𝑑𝜆 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃
Methods to improve dispersive power

• Dispersive power increases with increase in N

1
N=
(𝑎+𝑏)
• N can be increased by decreasing a and b. That is by
decreasing the dimensions of opaque regions and
transparent regions of grating.
• In other words, by decreasing the dimensions of the
obstacle or by increasing the number of slits per unit
length of the grating plate.
Dispersion via refraction and dispersion via
diffraction
PRISM SPECTRA GRATING SPECTRA
• Occurs due to refraction • Occurs due to difraction
• Prism spectra are • Grating spectra can be
continuous either line spectra or
continuous spectra
• Prism dispersion is • Gratings can achieve
generally less efficient much higher resolution
than grating dispersion, than prisms
meaning the separation
between different
wavelengths is smaller
Crystal as diffracting element for X-rays

• Atoms in the crystal, cause

diffraction if suitable light with
comparable wavelength is used
as source of light.
• Atoms usually has dimensions
similar to the wavelength of
Xrays.
• Xrays can be used to find out the
interplanar distance in the
crystal.
• X-rays are directed at the sample, and the diffracted rays
are collected. A key component of all diffraction is the angle
between the incident and diffracted rays.
• Crystal lattice would be acting as a grating, where multiple
diffraction happens.
• Using proper equation, we can calculate the the interplanar
distance.
• We use Bragg’s law for Xray diffraction.
• For a plane diffraction grating with 5000 lines/cm used at
normal incidence , answer the following:
(i)What is the largest wavelength of light for which a
spectrum can be observed? (ii) For a wavelength of 6000Å,
what is the highest order of the spectrum that can be
observed?

N=5000 lines/cm
𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃
(i)sin θ = Nnλ, λ =
𝑛𝑁
For largest wavelength θ=90°and n=1, λ = 2x10−6 m
1
(ii)For highest order, θ=90°, n= = 3.3, n=3
𝑁𝜆
• A plane transmission grating having 6000 lines/cm is used to
obtain a spectrum of light from a sodium vapour lamp in the
second order. Calculate the angular seperation between the
two sodium lines whoes wavelengths are 5890Å and 5896Å.

N=6000 lines/cm, n=2, λ1= 5890Å, λ2 = 5896Å

we have (a+b) sin θ = nλ
let θ1 and θ2 be angles corresponding to λ1 and λ2
sin θ1 = Nnλ1, sin θ1 = 0.7068, θ1= 44°58’
sin θ2 = Nnλ2, sin θ2 = 0.7074, θ2= 45°1’
Angular separation = θ2 - θ1 = 3’
• A diffraction grating used at normal incidence gives a green
line λ=5400Å of a certain order superimposed on a violet line
λ=4050Å of the next order. If the angle of diffraction is 30°.
Find the number of lines/cm of the grating.

If two lines are superimposing eachother means, both are

diffracted at same angle.

sinθ=nNλg=(n+1)Nλv ⇒ n=3
Then, sinθ=nNλg ⇒ N=3086lines/cm
• When a diffraction grating is used at normal incidence it is
found that the image at 20°consist of an yellow line of
wavelength λ=5750Å of the nth order spectrum
superimposed on ablue line (4600Å) of spectrum of order
(n+1). What is the width of the grating element?

we may write, sinθ=nNλ as d sinθ=nλ

then, nλ1=(n+1)λ2 ⇒ n=4
then substituting ‘n’ in d sinθ=nλ
d=6.27μm