Diffraction of Light

Diffraction of light:
The phenomenon of spreading of light around a edge of an aperture or obstacles is called diffraction.
The diffraction can occur when the size of the obstacles or aperture is comparable to the wavelength of incident waves.

Types of Diffraction:
1. Fresnel’s Diffraction
2. Fraunhofer’s Diffraction

Fresnel’s Diffraction:
When the source of light and screen lies at
finite distance from obstacle or aperture, the wavefront
are spherical or cylindrical and diffraction pattern is quite
complex. This type of diffraction is called Fresnel’s
diffraction.
Fraunhofer’s Diffraction:
When both source and screen are placed at
infinite distances from the aperture or obstacles, the
incident light is plane wave and the rays passing through
the aperture are parallel, this is called Fraunhofer’s
diffraction.

Difference between Fresnel’s diffraction and Fraunhofer’s diffraction:

Fresnel’s Diffraction Fraunhofer’s diffraction

The source and screen are at finite distance from The source and screen are at infinite distance from
the aperture. the aperture.
Incident wavefront are divergent which are either Incident wavefront are plane.
spherical or cylindrical.
No lenses are used. Convex Lenses are used.
Explain Fraunhofer diffraction at a single slit. [NEB 2075,2074,2071,2070]
OR
What is diffraction of light? Explain the case of diffraction at a single slit. Hence show the intensity distribution in the figure.

Fraunhofer’s Diffraction at a single Slit.

The experimental arrangement for diffraction
of light through a single slit is as shown in
figure. A narrow parallel beam of light from a
monochromatic source is incident normal on a
vertical slit of width 𝑑 . The waves propagating
out of slit diffract and produces diffraction
pattern on the screen with the central bright
fringe at O and number of fainter fringes on
the both sides of central fringe.

A) Central Maxima:
The secondary wavelets travelling in a direction
parallel to CO comes to focus at O and bright central
fringe is formed. This is due to secondary waves from
points equidistance from C will travel same distance in
Fig: Fraunhofer’s Diffraction at a single slit
reaching at O which results the path difference to be
zero. Thus point O is the position of maximum
intensity which is known as central maximum.
B) Position of Secondary minima and maxima:
Let us consider a point ‘P’ on which wavelets moving an angle 𝜃 with CO are brought to focus by lens 𝐿 . The
point 𝑃 will have maximum or minimum intensity depending upon the path difference between the secondary waves
origination form the corresponding points of the wave front.

Draw AN perpendicular to the direction of the diffracted rays from A.

In ∆ABN, Sinθ=

BN =AB Sinθ = d Sinθ

this gives the path difference between two wavelets.
Now,
the point 𝑃 is the position of secondary minima if the path difference is integral multiple of wavelength of light.
i.e d Sinθ = n𝜆

n
Sin θ=
For small angle , Sin θ≈ 𝜃,
n
θ= where n=1,2,3…………
If n=1, θ = 1 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑎

If n=2, θ = 2 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑎

……………………………….
If n=n, θ = 𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑎

the point 𝑃 is the position of secondary maxima if the path difference is odd integral multiple of .
i.e d Sinθ = (2n+1)

(2n+1)
Sin θ =
For small angle , Sin θ ≈ 𝜃,
(2n+1)
θ = where n=1,2,3…………

If n=1, θ = 1 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑎

If n=2, θ = 2 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑎

……………………………….
( )
If n=n, θ = 𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑎

Thus, we find that the diffraction pattern due to a single slit consist of a central maximum at O followed by
secondary minima and maxima both sides.
The intensity distribution of the diffraction pattern due to a single slit as a function of 𝜃 𝑖𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤.
The intensity of secondary maxima
goes on decreasing rapidly as shown in
fig.

Fig: Intensity distribution in Fraunhofer’s diffraction

Width of central maxima:
Width of central maxima is defined as the distance between
the first minima on either side of the central maxima O.

We know, for 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑎

d Sinθ=𝜆
Sin θ =
or θ = [For small angle , Sin θ ≈ 𝜃]
Since, angle subtended by the whole central maximum is 2θ
So,
𝟐𝝀
Angular width of central maxima(2𝜽)=
𝒅

If y is the distance from point ‘O’ to the first minima on either side of Fig: width of central maxima
central maximum, then width of central maxima is 2y.
Let D is the distance between slit and screen. Then
𝑦
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 =
𝐷
𝜃 = [for small angle, tan θ ≈ 𝜃]
=

y=
 2y=
𝟐𝝀𝑫
Linear width of central maxima(2y) = 𝒅

Note:
𝝀 𝝀
• The angular width of secondary maxima is which is half that of central maxima 2
𝒅 𝒅
• To observe the diffraction phenomena, the size of the obstacle or aperture must be comparable to the
wavelength of diffracted wave.
Numerical question:
1. How wide is the central diffraction peak on a screen 3.5m behind a 0.01mm slit illuminated by 500 nm light source?
[NEB 2075, 2062]
Ans: distance between source and slit(D)=3.5m
width of slit(d)=0.01mm=0.01 × 10 m
wavelength(𝝀)=500nm= 500 × 10 m
Width of central maxima(2y)=?
We know,
𝟐𝝀𝑫
width of central maxima, 2y = 𝒅

=0.35m
2. Monochromatic light from a distance source is incident on a slit 0.75mm wide. On a screen 2m away, the distance from
the central maxima of diffraction pattern to the first minima is measured to be 1.35mm. Calculate the wavelength of light.
What is diffraction grating? Discuss the formation of
diffraction pattern due to a diffraction grating.[2074]

Diffraction Grating::
The arrangement of a large number of parallel slits of
equal width and separated from one another by equal
opaque spaces is called diffraction grating.
The ruled lines acts as an obstacle known as opacities
having definite width b and spacing between them acts
as slit known as transparencies having width a. there are
15000 to 20000 lines per inch.
If N is the number of lines per inch of the grating then
grating element is
(a+b) = inch

.
(a+b) = cm
Fig: diffraction grating
Consider a parallel beam of monochromatic light incident normally on a diffraction grating . The light diffracted by the grating
superimpose constructively at the center of the screen with path difference zero. Hence O is the position of central maxima.
Suppose light is diffracted at an angle θ to the direction of incident light then path difference between two wavelets is given by
d Sinθ
but 𝑑 = 𝑎 + 𝑏,
or (a+b) Sinθ

For 1st order secondary maxima,

path difference = 𝜆
Then , (a+b) Sinθ = 𝜆

For 2nd order secondary maxima,

(a+b) Sinθ =2 𝜆

In general, for 𝑛 order maxima

(a+b) Sinθ𝒏 =n 𝝀 Where n=1,2,3…

Numerical Question:
1) A diffraction grating with 3000 lines to the centimeter gives third order diffraction maximum at an angle 30 from the
central band. Find the wavelength of light diffracted and angle at which first order maximum is to be observed.
Soln: N=3000 per cm
grating element (a+b)= = cm Also, for first order maximum,
n=3 n=1
𝜃 =30 𝜃 =?
wavelength 𝜆 =?
We know, we know,
(a+b) Sinθ =n 𝜆 (a+b) Sinθ = 1 𝜆

or Sin30 = 3 𝜆 Sinθ = 5556 × 10

or 𝜆=5556 × 10 𝑐𝑚 θ = 9.6
2) A parallel beam of monochromatic light is allowed to be incident normally on a plane transmission grating having
5000lines/cm and the second order spectral line is found to be diffracted at 30 . Calculate the wavelength of light.
Ans : 5× 𝟏𝟎 𝟕m
3) A plane transmission grating gives an angle of diffraction of line at 30 in the second order . Find the number of lines
per cm on the grating if the wavelength of light is 5× 𝟏𝟎 𝟓 𝒄𝒎.
Ans 5000 lines per cm
4) Parallel beam of light from a source is incident normally on plane diffraction grating. If the angle of diffraction for first
order is 30 , find the number of lines per mm of the grating considering wavelength of incident beam is 5893𝑨𝒐 .
Ans:848
4) A monochromatic light of wavelength 5890𝑨𝟎 is incident normally on a diffraction grating which has 6000 lines per
centimeter.
a) At what angle will the second order image be seen?
b) Can you obtain the third order image with this grating.
Ans: b)
a) N=6000 per cm for highest order spectra can be
found when θ = 90
grating element (a+b) = = cm = m We know,
n= 2 (a+b) Sinθ =n 𝜆
𝜃 =? n=
wavelength 𝜆 = 5890𝐴 = 5890 × 10 𝑚
We know, n=2.82
(a+b) Sinθ =n 𝜆

or (a+b) Sinθ= 2 𝜆 the highest order that can be obtained

with the grating is 2 .Hence third order
image cannot be observed.
2
or Sinθ = ( )

θ = 45
5) A diffraction grating has 400 lines per mm and is illuminated normally by monochromatic light of wavelength 6 × 10 𝑚.
Calculate (a) the grating spacing, (b) the angle at which the first principal order or maximum is seen, (c) the number of
diffraction maximum obtained. [NEB 2069, supp2060]
Ans: 𝟎. 𝟐𝟓 × 𝟏𝟎 𝟓 𝒎, 13.90 , 4
6) A plane transmission grating having 500 lines per mm is illuminated normally by light source of 600 nm wavelength. How
many diffraction maxima will be observed on a screen behind the grating? ANS: 3 [2073]

7) A parallel beam of sodium light is incidents normally on a diffraction grating. The angle between the two first order
spectra on either side of the normal is 27 42’ . Assuming that the wavelength of light is 5.893× 10 m, find the number of
rulings per mm on the grating. ANS:406 per mm [NEB 2071,2069]

Imp short answer question:

1) Why is diffraction of sound waves easier to observe that that of light waves?
Or
the diffraction of sound waves is more evident in daily experience than that of light waves.

2) Radio waves diffract around buildings but not light waves, why? [2070,2067]

3) Write the difference between interference and diffraction.

4) What is the difference between Fresnel’s and Fraunhofer’s diffractions?