UNIT 4

OPTICS-I
(Prerequisites : Wave front and Huygens
principle, reflection and refraction ,
Interference by division of wave front, Young’s
double slit experiment)
Principle of Superposition and Interference
If two waves occupy the same space, their amplitudes add at each
point. They may interfere either constructively or destructively.
 Superposition and Interference

Interference is only noticeable if the light sources are

monochromatic (so all the light has the same
wavelength) and coherent (different sources maintain
the same phase relationship over space and time).
If this is true, interference will be constructive where
the two waves are in phase, and destructive where they
are out of phase.
 Transverse Wave

Crest

Wavelength

Amplitude

Baseline

Trough
Conditions for sustained interference
1.Two sources must be coherent.

2.Sources must be closed to each other.

(fringe width α 1
distance between two sources

3. Screen should be at a large distance from the sources.

4.Two sources should be narrow.
5.Two sources should be monochromatic .(fringe width α
wavelength)
6.Amplitude of the interfering waves should be equal or almost
same.
7.State of polarization should be same.
Theory of interference
YOUNG’S DOUBLE SLIT EXPERIMENT
STOKES LAW
According to stokes law when a light wave coming from rarer
medium is reflected from a surface of denser medium, an
additional phase difference of π (which is equivalent to a path
difference of λ/2)is introduced in reflected ray.
INTERFERENCE IN THIN FILMS
Optical path difference between two reflected light rays BF & DR

Δ =path (BC + CD ) in Film - Path (BF) in air

Δ =μ (BC + CD ) -BF

Δ =μ (BC + CE + ED ) -ED
Δ =μ (BC + CE)
Δ =μ (PC + CE) (Since BC = PC)
Or Δ =μ (PE)
Optical Path difference between two transmitted light rays CT &
ET1

A
Interference in Wedge Shaped Film (Reflected Rays)
Interference in Wedge Shaped Film (Reflected Rays)
Interference in Wedge Shaped Film (Reflected Rays)

The wedge shaped film has a thin film of varying thickness,

having thickness zero at one end and increases at the other.
The angle of wedge is θ .
Interference in Wedge Shaped Film
For nth maxima,we have

For normal incidence & air film,r=0 & μ =1

Let this band be obtained at a distance xn from

from the thin edges as shown in fig.
From the fig t = xn tanα ………(2)
From (1) & (2)

If the (n+ 1)th maximum is obtained at a distance x n+1 from the thin edge,then
Subtracting (4) from (3)

Where α is small & measured in radians.

For a film of R.I μ ,then

Spacing between two consecutive bright bands

Nature of Interference Pattern:

1.If the light illuminating the film is parallel then ‘i’ is constant & so ‘r’ is also
constant.

2.If monochromatic light is used , the path change will occur only due to ‘t’.

In this case the fringes will characteristic of equal optical thickness. Since in
this wedge shaped film t is constant , only in direction parallel to thin edge of
the wedge ,hence the straight fringes parallel to the edge of wedge are obtained.
Thus bright or dark fringes are obtained here as the condition for the thickness
‘t’ is Satisfied according to eqn (3) & (4) respectively.
Thickness of the Wedge:
Wedge shaped film used to measure the diameter of thin wire or thickness of very thin
wire foil.
Now the condition for dark band is

Since i & r very very small & α →0

Now if l is the length of the wedge, ’n’the no of dark fringes occurred in length ‘l’ & ‘β’ the
fringe width.
Then nβ= l

Putting in eqn (1)

NOTE:
Therefore As t increases ,β decreases
t>>> then interference fringes will disappear.
NEWTON’S RINGS:
2Rt = r2 or t = r2 / 2R
Thus for a bright ring

OR

Replacing r by D/2 we get the diameter of nth bright ring as

OR

OR

Thus the diameter of the bright rings are proportional to the

square roots of odd natural no.s as (2n -1) is an odd no.
Similarly for a dark ring

Thus the diameter of the dark rings are proportional to the

square roots of natural no’s.
Newton’s rings by Transmitted light:

For bright rings &

For dark rings &

Thus in case of Transmitted light , the central ring is bright. The rings are just
opposite to the rings in reflected light.
2
 2

or
2Determination of Refractive index of a liquid:
First of all the experiment is performed when there is an air film between the
glass plate & Plano convex lens. The system is placed in a metal container.
The diameters of nth & (n+p) th rings are determined with the help of
travelling microscope.
For air film
Dn2 =4nλR & Dn+p2 =4(n+p)λR
Dn+p2 - Dn2 =4pλR ……. (1)
Now the liquid is placed whose R.I is to be determined is poured in the container
without disturbing the whole arrangement.
For liquid film
D’n2 =4nλR/μ & D’n+p2 =4(n+p)λR/μ
D’n+p2 - D’n2 =4pλR / μ ……. (2)
From (1) & (2)

Dn2 p  Dn2
=
D' 2n  p  D' 2n
Anti reflection Coating or Anti Reflection films:
Anti reflection films are a type of optical coating. These are in the form of a thin tranparent
film coated on the lenses of camera, binoculars, telescopes & eye glasses. A transparent
coating of Antireflection film on the surface of a solar cell minimizes the reflective loss of
light energy.
Antireflection coating is defined as “a thin film of suitable R.I & a specific thickness value,
to reduce the reflective loss of light energy”

Air(μa)

Film(μf)

Glass(μg)
The thickness & R.I of the film are determined by the following conditions.
(i) PHASE CONDITION:
Let the R.I & the thickness of the film be μf & t respectively. A thin coating of the film is
applied on the outer surface of the lens of R.I μg .
Here μa < μf < μg ,where μa =1(air)

From the incident ray AB two reflected rays BR1 & DR2 are produced as shown in fig.
Due to reflection at both the points B & C on the denser surface, the ray suffers a phase
reversal of π.Hence the net optical path difference between BR1 & DR2 is

For normal incidence , r=0,hence

To minimize the reflection of the incident light the rays BR1 & DR2 must interfere
destructively. Hence,
The wavelength, λ is selected to be 5500A0 ,the average wavelength of the visible
region. This wavelength exists in the yellow green region for which the eye is most
sensitive. Therefore, when a beam of white light is incident on the film, some red &
violet light from the two ends of the visible spectrum are reflected & a purple hue is
observed.
ii) Amplitude condition: This requires that the amplitude of the reflected rays
BR1 & DR2 to be equal.

This requires that μf =√μg

Hence, the R.I of the antireflection film should be nearly equal to the square root of
the R.T of the lens.
HIGHLY REFLECTING FILMS:SUN CONTROL FILMS:

These films are used on window glasses & sun glasses to reduce the transmission of light
by increasing its reflection.

The reflected rays BR1 & DR2 are produced from reflections. At point B & C ,both on the
denser surface as μa < μf < μg .This results in the effective path difference between BR1 &
DR2 as
For high reflection to take place,the reflected rays BR1 & DR2 need to interface
constructively for which the condition is

For normal incidence ,r=0 resulting in

Hence the thickness of the highly reflecting films needs to multiples of λ/2μf
The selection of λ & μf is done the same way as it is done in the case of antireflection
film.
Highly reflecting films are also used in costume jewellery as a coating on the stones to
make them more reflective.