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Project Diffraction Final

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muthu santhosh
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15 views

Project Diffraction Final

Uploaded by

muthu santhosh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction

 Diffraction is the bending of light around the sharp corner of an


obstacle. When light is incident on a slit, with a size comparable to
the wavelength of light, an alternating dark and bright pattern can
be observed. This phenomenon is called the single slit diffraction.

 According to Huygens’ principle, when light is incident on the slit,


secondary wavelets generate from each point. These wavelets start
out in phase and propagate in all directions

 This suggests that light bends around a sharp corner. The effect
becomes significant when light passes through an aperture having a
dimension comparable to the wavelength of light. If light is incident
on a slit having a width comparable to the wavelength of light, an
alternating dark and bright pattern can be seen if a screen is placed
in front of the slit.

 This phenomenon is known as single slit diffraction.

 Figure (17.11) shows the basic arrangement for observing


diffraction effects in light waves.
 It consists of a narrow source of light S0, a diffracting element G
(an obstacle or an opening) and a screen . The wave fronts emitted
by the source S0 are partially obstructed by the element G. The
secondary wavelets originating from different points of the
unobstructed part interfere on the screen  and produce the
diffraction pattern of varying intensity.

 A special case of diffraction, which is very important in practice


and which is simpler to analyse mathematically, arises when the
source S0 and the screen  are far away from the diffracting element
G.

 Plane waves are incident on G and the waves interfering at a


particular point come parallel to each other. This special class of
diffraction is called Fraunhofer diffraction.

 Fraunhofer diffraction can be observed in a laboratory by placing


converging lenses before and after G and keeping the source S0 and
the screen  in their focal planes respectively (figure 17.12). The
source and the screen are effectively at infinite distance from the
diffracting element.
Theory

 Suppose a parallel beam of light is incident normally on a slit of


width b. The light is received by a screen placed at a large
distance.

 A particular point P on the screen receives waves from all the


secondary sources. All these waves start parallel to each other from
different points of the slit and interfere at P to give the resultant
intensity.

 At the point P0 which is at the bisector plane of the slit, the waves
interfere constructively with each other and maximum intensity is
observed. (Central Maxima)

 The optical path difference between the waves sent by the upper
edge A of the slit and the wave sent by the centre of the slit is b/2
sinθ. This is shown in expanded view in the figure below.
 Condition of the minima, i.e., the dark fringe is given by

When θ is very small,


sin θ ≈ θ
Therefore the formula can be rewritten as,
θ = nλ ∕ b

 The first minima occurs at θ1 = λ ∕ b from the central maxima line


and the second minima occurs at θ2 = 2λ ∕ b from the central line.

 The points of the maximum intensity lie nearly midway between


the successive minima. The angular spread of side maxima will be
θ2 - θ1 = λ ∕ b
We also have,
Angular spread * D = Linear width (w)
where D = separation between the slits and the screen
 The angular the spread of the central maxima is twice the spread of
a side maxima. Therefore for central maxima,

2λD
wcentral maxima = 2(θ2 - θ1)(D) =
𝑏

 The intensity of central maxima is the maximum and intensity


decreases as we move away from central maxima.

 In the figure below variation of the intensity as a function of sinθ


is given,
Experiment

Aim:
To determine the width of a thin slit by observing the diffraction
pattern of a laser of known wavelength.

Apparatus required:
Mechanics kit, thin slit, laser of known wavelength

Formula used:
2λD
wcentral maxima =
𝑏
where,
w – width of central maxima
λ- wavelength of light source
D- separation between slits and screen
b- width of slit
Procedure:

1. Make a stand strong enough to hold the laser in place using the
Mechanics kit

2. Make sure the laser stands stable on the stand and doesn’t wobble
about.

3. Take a piece of paper and make a single clean slit on it using a


paper cutter or knife.

4. Now hold the paper in front of the laser with the help of another
stand or with the help of a friend such that the laser dot hits
directly on the slit.

5. Measure the distance between the screen where the diffraction


pattern is formed and the paper where the slit was made with the
help of a meter scale.

6. Now turn on the laser

7. With the help of the same scale, measure the width of the central
maxima And the distance between first minima and second minima
from any side.

8. Make sure the width of the central maxima is twice the distance
between any side maxima.
9. After noting the observations, turn off the laser. The observations
must be taken quickly as the laser must not be used continuously
for a long time.

Observation:

W central maxima = 2 cm = 2 * 10-2 m = 0.02 m


D = 53.5 cm = 535 * 10-3 m = 0.535 m
λ laser = 532 nm = 532 * 10-9 m
We know that,
2λD
w central maxima =
𝑏

2×0.535×532×10−9
0.02 =
𝑏
569.24×10−9
0.02 =
𝑏

b = 28462 × 10−9 m = 0.0284 mm

Result:
The width of the thin slit b = 0.0284 mm.
Applications

 Single Crystal diffraction

 Single crystal diffraction is the most widely used technique


for obtaining full three-dimensional structural information of
solid-state crystalline materials.

 Powder diffraction

 Powder diffraction is used to examine small, weakly


interacting crystals in random orientations. Many materials
exist as powders or in polycrystalline form, including
ceramics, metals, alloys.

 Energy dispersive diffraction

 Energy dispersive diffraction is useful for Strain-scanning of


engineering components. The high energy and high intensity
X-rays can be used to "see" inside chemical processing
equipment. This opens up the possibility of studying
chemical reactions.

 Grazing Incidence X ray diffraction (GIXD)


 Surface and interface diffraction is an ideal tool for
examining the atomic structure of materials, and establishing
links to their behaviour.

 Macromolecular crystallography

 Diffraction is used in macromolecular crystallography which


is vital for rational drug design and development of effective
therapeutic agents
Bibliography

 https://byjus.com/physics/single-slit-
diffraction/#:~:text=Diffraction%20of%20light%20is%20defined,
where%20a%20shadow%20is%20expected.

 https://www.vedantu.com/physics/single-slit-diffraction

 https://www.learncbse.in/to-observe-diffraction-of-light-due-to-a-
thin-slit/

 https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/diffraction-of-light/

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