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Chapter 36 Diffraction

The document discusses concepts related to diffraction and interference patterns produced by single slits, double slits, and multiple slits. Some key points covered include: - The conditions for destructive interference in a single slit diffraction pattern and the relationship between angle and distance from the central bright fringe. - How the intensity pattern from double slits of finite width is determined by the product of the single slit and double slit interference patterns. - As the number of slits increases, the principal maxima become taller and narrower while the number of secondary maxima and minima between principal maxima also increases. - The relationship between the number of bright fringes in the central maximum and the slit width and separation for a double

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Mark Reyes
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
107 views

Chapter 36 Diffraction

The document discusses concepts related to diffraction and interference patterns produced by single slits, double slits, and multiple slits. Some key points covered include: - The conditions for destructive interference in a single slit diffraction pattern and the relationship between angle and distance from the central bright fringe. - How the intensity pattern from double slits of finite width is determined by the product of the single slit and double slit interference patterns. - As the number of slits increases, the principal maxima become taller and narrower while the number of secondary maxima and minima between principal maxima also increases. - The relationship between the number of bright fringes in the central maximum and the slit width and separation for a double

Uploaded by

Mark Reyes
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHAPTER 36: DIFFRACTION

What is Diffraction?

the bending of light around an obstacle


part of the wave is cut off by some obstacle, we
observe diffraction
interference of the remaining part of the wave

Interference vs Diffraction
Interference: involve waves from a small number of
sources, usually two
Diffraction: involve a continuous distribution of
waves or a very large number of sources
But both phenomena are governed by the same
basic physics of superposition.

36.2 Diffraction from a Single Slit


Locate the dark fringes of the diffraction pattern
and determine the width of the central maximum

36.2 Diffraction from a Single Slit

Single Slit Diffraction: Locating the Dark Fringes


Huygens's principle: Each
element of area of the slit opening
can be considered as a source of
secondary waves.

Imagine dividing the slit into


several narrow strips
Cylindrical secondary wavelets
spread out from each strip

Single Slit Diffraction: Locating the Dark Fringes


RECALL:
screen is placed to the right of the slit
resultant intensity at a point P by adding the
contributions from the individual wavelets
account of their various phases and amplitudes
assume that the screen is far enough
all the rays from various parts of the slit to a
particular point P on the screen are parallel

Single Slit Diffraction: Locating the Dark Fringes

Consider two narrow strips, one just below the top


edge of the drawing of the slit and one at its center
The difference in path length to point P is (a/2) sin
If the path difference happens to be equal to /2
then light from these two strips will cancel at P
P represents a dark fringe
Condition for dark fringe to occur

sin
2
2

sin

Dark Fringes in Single Slit Diffraction

m m 1,2,3,...
sin
a

Distance from Central Bright Fringe:


Dark Fringes in Single Slit Diffraction

m m 1,2,3,...

Distance from Central Bright Fringe:


Dark Fringes in Single Slit Diffraction

ym
tan
x
m
ym x
a

ym

tan
y m x

Photograph of the
Fraunhofer diffraction
pattern of a single
horizontal slit

Single-slit diffraction vs. Two-slit interference


D
A
R
K
F
R
I
N
G
E
S

m
ym x
a
aslit width
x distance to the screen

B
R
I
G
H
T
F
R
I
N
G
E
S

m
ym R
d
dslit separation
R distance to the screen

EXAMPLE 36.1: SLIT


You pass 633-nm laser light through a narrow slit and observe the diffraction pattern
on a screen 6.0 m away. The distance on the screen between the centers of the rst
minima on either side of the central bright fringe is 32 mm. How wide is the slit?

SW 26

36.4 Multiple Slits


Describe the combined effects of diffraction and
interference on the pattern produced by two or
more slits with finite width
Calculate the number of fringes within the central
maximum

TWO SLITS OF FINITE WIDTH

+
intensity in a single-slit diffraction
pattern with slit width a
diffraction minima are labeled by
the integer md = 1, 2, . . .

pattern formed by two very


narrow slits with distance d
d=4a
the interference maxima are
labeled by the integer mi = 1, 2,..

TWO SLITS OF FINITE WIDTH


superimpose of the two patterns
multiply the two intensities at each
point
the two-slit peaks are in the same
positions as before but their intensities
are modulated by the single-slit
pattern
the expression for the intensity is
proportional to the product of the twoslit and single-slit expressions

I I 0 cos 2

2d

sin

sin / 2
2 / 2

2a

sin

TWO SLITS OF FINITE WIDTH

every fourth interference maximum


at the sides is missing because these
interference maxima (mi = 4, 8, . . . )
coincide with diffraction minima
(md = 1, 2, . . .)
there will be "missing" maxima
whenever d is an integer multiple of a

Diffraction and Interference Combined Effects


As you move away from the central
bright maximum of the two-slit
pattern, the intensity of the maxima
decreases
The narrower the slits, the broader
the single-slit pattern and the slower
the decrease in intensity from one
interference maximum to the next.

Multiple Slits (Finite Slit Width )


Number of bright
fringes within the
central maximum
# Bright

2d
1
a

d = slit separation distance


a = slit width

Several Slits
consider an array of 8 narrow slits
with distance d between slits
constructive interference occurs at P
when the path difference is

d sin m

m = 0, 1, 2, . . .

Interference patterns for N=8 equally


spaced, very narrow slits

principal maxima large maxima


small secondary intensity maxima
minima

N=3

PRINCIPAL MAXIMA

SECONDARY MAXIMA

MINIMA

Comparison of Multiple Slits

Comparison of Intensities

Principal maxima becomes taller and narrower as N increases


Peak width is proportional to 1/N
Intensity I=I0N2

Summary: Multiple Slits (Very Narrow Slit)

Principal Maxima
Separation does not depend on N:
R
y
d
Maximum intensity is dependent on N2:

I max N 2 I slit

Becomes narrower and taller as N increases.

Summary: Multiple Slits (Very Narrow Slit)

Secondary Maxima
There will be (N-2) secondary maxima in between
adjacent principal maxima.

There will be (N-1) minima in between adjacent


principal maxima.

No secondary maxima for a two slit setup.

EXAMPLE 36.1: Multiple Slit1


How many slits have produced the diffraction pattern below?

N=8

EXAMPLE 36.2: Multiple Slit2


How many slits have produced the diffraction pattern below?

N=6

EXAMPLE 36.3: Multiple Slit3


How many slits have produced the diffraction pattern below?

N=9

EXAMPLE 36.4: Intensity


If 128 mW/m2 is the maximum intensity in the diffraction
pattern below, how much intensity is passing through each
slit?

I max N 2 I slit

EXAMPLE 36.5: Bright


Two parallel slits of width 100 m and separated by a distance
of 500 m are illuminated by a monochromatic light. How many
bright fringes are contained within the central maximum of the
diffraction pattern?

#bright

d
2 1
a

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 36
Diffraction bending of light around an obstacle
Diffraction vs Interference
obey the same superposition principle
Single Slit Pattern
Condition for destructive interference

m m 1,2,3,...
sin
a
Distance from the Central Bright Fringe

m
ym x
a

m 1,2,3,...

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 36
Two Slits of Finite Width
Intensity
sin / 2
I I 0 cos
2 / 2

Number of Bright Fringes (Central Bright Maxima)


2d
# Bright
1
a

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 36
Multiple Slits

# secondary maxima = N-2


# minima = N-1

PS14: Chapter 35 Exercises 35.7, 35.18, 35.26


Chapter 36 Exercises 36.8, 36.25
Due: May 18, 2016 (Wed)

SW 27
1. How many slits is required to produce
the given diffraction pattern?

N=7

2. What is the maximum intensity of the interference pattern produced by 4 slits if


the maximum intensity for a single slit is 2 W/m2?

I=32 W/m2
3. How many bright fringes are found inside the central bright maximum of a 2-slit
system whose slit size and separation are 1 m and 5 m, respectively?

# Bright=9

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