PH331 Wave Optics

Nicholas Devaney
Room PHY242
[email protected]
OPTICS by
Eugene Hecht

Fifth edition
 How are we going to do this ?
• Lectures in person
– Attendance using Qwickly on Canvas
• Some recorded/interactive materials
• Tuesdays 10-11, Larmor theatre
• Thursdays 11-12, Larmor theatre
 Philosophy
• Lectures will be put on Canvas in advance
– Please preview
• There will also be online Interactive content
• Short set of online problems each week
• Active Learning
– MCQ, Worked problems etc. in lectures
• Take charge of your learning !
• Respect and Integrity
 PH331 Assessment
• Examination
– Written exam
– Q.1 Obligatory
• 4 short problems
– Answer two out of three other questions
• Theory (Explain.., derive..) plus problems
– Paper has a formula sheet
• Not all formulae in the sheett
• Marks 80% for final examination, 20% for CA: 10%
Problems on Canvas, 10% mid-term test (probably
online)
 Vevox
• We will try to use Vevox for in class questions,
polling etc.
• Let’s try it out …
• You should connect to vevox.app or download
the Vevox app
 Module Learning Outcomes
• LO 1: Demonstrate understanding of the EM wave model of light including Energy
transport and Radiation Pressure, Reflection and refraction and Polarisation

• LO2: Demonstrate understanding of the Interference of Light waves and how it

depends Coherence, as exemplified in Young's Slits, the Michelson Interferometer
and the Fabry-Perot Interferometer

• LO3: Demonstrate understanding of Diffraction both far from the diffracting

aperture ('Fraunhofer Diffraction') and close to the aperture ('Fresnel diffraction')

• LO: Demonstrate understanding of the basic concepts of Fourier Optics and spatial
filtering
PH331 Course Structure
PH331 Course Structure
PH331 Course Structure
PH331 Course Structure
PH331 Course Structure
PH331 Course Structure
PH331 Course Structure
 Learning Outcomes this lecture
• LO1: Define a wave
• LO2: Distinguish longitudinal and transverse waves
• LO3: From the equation of a travelling wave determine the direction of
propagation
• LO4: Understand the terms in the Differential wave equation
• LO5: Define harmonic waves
• LO6: Derive the relation between propagation number and wavelength
• LO7: Define the phase of a harmonic wave
• LO8: Define phase velocity
• LO9: State the superposition principle
• LO10:Identify terms in complex harmonic wave representation
• LO11: Determine the equation for a plane wave given the propagation
direction
LO1 Wave motion

• What is a wave ?
– A classical travelling
wave is a self-
sustaining disturbance
of a medium, which
moves through space
transporting energy
and momentum
LO2 Waves in one dimension
• Longitudinal waves
– The medium is displaced in the direction of motion of the
wave e.g. acoustic waves in a gas
• Transverse
– The medium is displaced perpendicular to the motion of the
wave e.g. waves on a string
• Note: the disturbance advances, NOT the material
medium
• Let y ( x, t ) represent a disturbance moving 1-d
travelling wave. We get its profile (or instantaneous
shape) by holding t constant e.g. t=0
y ( x, t ) t =0
= f ( x,0) = f ( x )
 Travelling Wave

f(x)
S t=1

S t=5
x
0 t=10
x
0
Stationary frame Frame travelling with the wave

f(x) f(x’)
S S’

x
0 0’
vt

x
x’

x" = x − vt
ψ (x,t) = f (x − vt)

So, to get a travelling wave, replace x in the stationary profile by x±vt

€
LO3 If the sign of x and t is the same, then the wave travels in the –x direction
If the sign of x and t are opposite, then the wave travels in the +x direction
LO5 Harmonic waves
y ( x, t ) t =0
= A sin( kx )

Note: Cos(kx) is the same as sin(kx) with just a phase shift between them…

k is the propagation number (needed to make argument of sin dimensionless)

A is the amplitude
To get a moving wave, replace x by x-vt
ψ (x,t) = A sin(k(x − vt))
Exercise: Show that Asin(k(x-vt)) is a solution of the wave equation

€
 Harmonic waves
Periodic both in space and time
The spatial period is the wavelength l

y ( x, t ) = y ( x ± l , t )
For a harmonic wave, this is the same as changing the argument
of the sine function by ±2p, so

sin k(x − vt) = sin k[(x ± λ ) − vt] = sin[k(x − vt) ± 2 π ]

⇒ kλ = 2 π
2π LO6
⇒k=
λ
• The time for one complete wave to pass a point is the
temporal period, t
y ( x, t ) = y ( x, t ± t )
• Using same approach as previous slide, show that
λ
τ=
v
The inverse of the temporal period is the temporal frequency
(waves per unit time), f

v = λf
•
€
Angular temporal frequency w º 2p / t = 2pf

€
 LO7 phase
y ( x, t ) = A sin(kx - wt )

Argument = phase j j = ( kx - wt )

More generally: j = ( kx - wt + e )
Initial phase, e
LO8
The speed at which the profile moves is the phase velocity = v

lw w
v = lf = =
2p k
 The Differential Wave equation

2 2
∂ψ 1 ∂ψ
LO4 2
= 2 2
∂x v ∂t Jean d’Alembert
1717-1783

The defining expression for physical waves in a lossless medium

V is the wave speed
€
Linear ; no cross terms or quadratic terms etc.
linear combinations of solutions are also solutions ->
principle of superposition
i.e. y1, y2 solutions then so is c1y1+c2y2
In the 3-D case: y = y ( x, y , z, t )
The differential equation becomes:
2 2 2 2
∂ψ ∂ψ ∂ψ 1 ∂ψ
2
+ 2 + 2 = 2 2
∂x ∂y ∂z v ∂t
2
2 1 ∂ ψ
∇ψ= 2 2
or v ∂t
2 2 2
∂ ∂ ∂
where ∇2 = 2 + 2 + 2 Is the ‘Laplacian’ operator
∂x ∂y ∂z

€
 Complex representation

• Recall phasors….
• Euler formula:
e = cosq + i sin q
iq

Show that e =1 i 2p

y ( x, t ) = Re[ Ae i ( wt - kx +e )
] Euler 1707-1783

Usually write:

LO10 y ( x, t ) = Ae i ( wt - kx +e )
= Ae ij
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxYOEwM6Wbk&t=338s
 Plane waves

• Wavefronts=surfaces of constant phase.

! ! Where a is a
• A plane in space is defined by k ×r =a constant

!
This is a plane perpendicular to the vector k

We now define y using harmonic functions e.g.

! ! !
y ( r ) = A sin(k × r )
This function has constant phase on planes. To get this
moving:
! !
!
y ( r ) = A sin(k × r - wt + e )
Plane waves

z ! ! ! !
k =k i +k j +k k
x y z

! ! ! ! !
k r = xi + yj + zk
! !
i j y

x
!
k Is now the propagation vector, pointing along the direction of motion
!
of the wave and
k =k = k +k +k 2

x
2

y
2

!
r Is the point in space at which we are evaluating y
! !
Each plane is defined by
k ×r = a constant
Plane waves
!
As for 1-d waves, the wave velocity (along the k direction) is given by

dr w
= ± = ±v
k

dt k
Where +v refers to motion away from the origin

Complex exponential form:

  
ψ (r, t) = Aei( k . r −ωt+ε )
LO11
i(k x x+k y y+kz z−ω t+ε )
ψ (x, y, z, t) = Ae
Plane waves

  
i( k . r −ω t+ε )
ψ (r, t) = Ae
i(k x x+k y y+kz z−ω t+ε )
ψ (x, y, z, t) = Ae

Surfaces of equal phase are called Wavefronts

Spherical waves

Spherical wavefronts: surround an isotropic point source i.e. one that

emits uniformly in all directions

# A&
ψ (r,t) = % ( sin k(r ± vt)
$r'
# A & ik( r ± vt )
ψ (r,t) = % (e
$r'
Spherical waves
Problem: Light from a helium-neon laser has a wavelength of 633 nm and a
wave speed of 3.00×108m/s. Find the frequency, period, angular frequency,
and wave number for this light.