Newton’s Rings
Newton’s Rings
• Another method for
viewing interference is to
place a planoconvex lens
on top of a flat glass
surface.
• The air film between the
glass surfaces varies in
thickness from zero at the
point of contact to some
thickness d.
• A pattern of light and dark
rings is observed
• These rings are called
Newton’s Rings.
• The particle model of light could not explain
the origin of the rings.
• Newton’s Rings can be used to test optical
lenses.
Newton’s Ring
• Ray 1 undergoes a phase change of 180 on
reflection, whereas ray 2 undergoes no phase
change
R= radius of curvature
of lens
r = radius of Newton’s
ring
From figure
d = R− R −r 2 2
1
r 2 2
= R − R 1 −
R
1 r 2
= R − R 1 − + ...
2 R
2
1r
Eq.1
2 R
The condition for a maximum is
1
2dn = m + m = 0, 1, 2, 3, …..
2
Assuming n =1 for the air film
1
2 d = m +
2
Substituting value of d from Eq.1
1r 1 1
2
2 = m + r = R m +
2
2 R 2 2
1
rbright = m + R m = 0, 1, 2, 3, …..
2
which gives the radii of the bright rings.
Note that r 0 for m = 0. i.e. the first bright ring
is at r 0 and consequently the center must be
dark.
The condition for minimum is
2dn = m m = 0, 1, 2, 3, …..
Assuming n = 1 for the air film
2d = m
Substituting value of d from Eq.1
1 r2
2 = m
2 R
r = mR
2
rdark = mR
Reflected Newton’s Ring
Michelson’s Interferometer
An interferometer is an apparatus
that can be used to measure the
lengths or changes in length with
great accuracy by utilizing
interference between two light
waves.
One particularly famous
interferometer is that developed
by Albert A. Michelson (1852–
1931).
Albert Abraham
Michelson
A schematic diagram of the interferometer
• A beam of light from a M1
monochromatic source is
incident on a beam splitter.
• A beam splitter is a mirror
that transmits half the
incident light and reflects the
other half. M2
• The incident light hits the
beam splitter and is divided
into two waves.
• One ray is reflected from beam splitter vertically
upward toward mirror M1, and the second ray is
transmitted horizontally toward mirror M2.
M1
• Hence, the two rays
travel separate paths d1
and d2.
• After reflecting from M1
and M2, the two rays
eventually recombine at
beam splitter to produce M2
an interference pattern,
which can be viewed
through a telescope
• The only difference between the two waves is that they
travel different distances between their respective
mirrors and the beam splitter.
• The path length difference for the two wave is
Δd = 2d2 – 2d1
• Anything that changes this path length difference will
cause a change in the phase difference between these
two waves at the eye.
• For example, if a dark circle appears at the center of the
target pattern (corresponding to destructive
interference) and M2 is then moved a distance /4
toward beam splitter, the path difference changes by
/2. What was a dark circle at the center now becomes a
bright circle
• The path length difference is related to the
wavelength of the light d
2d1
d
N=
• If N is an integer, the two
2d2
waves are in phase and
produce constructive
interference.
• If N is a half-integer the
waves will produce
destructive interference.
• For constructive interference, Δd = m λ
• For destructive interference, Δd = (m + ½) λ
– m is an integer in both cases
• If the interference is constructive, the light intensity
at the detector is large
– Called a bright fringe
• If the interference is destructive, the light intensity at
the detector is zero
– Called a dark fringe
• In Michelson’s day, the standard of length—the
meter—was the distance between two fine scratches
on a certain metal bar preserved at Sèvres, near Paris.
• Michelson showed, using his interferometer, that the
standard meter was equivalent to 1,553,163.5
wavelengths of a certain monochromatic red light
emitted from a light source containing cadmium.
• For this careful measurement, Michelson received
the Nobel Prize in physics in 1907.
• His work laid the foundation for the eventual
abandonment (in 1961) of the meter bar as a standard
of length and for the redefinition of the meter in
terms of the wavelength of light.
Example
• A helium–neon (He–Ne) laser emits light
with a wavelength of approximately λHe–
Ne =633 nm. Suppose this light source is
used in a Michelson interferometer and
one of the mirrors is moved a distance d
such that exactly N = 1,000,000 bright
fringes are counted, calculate d.
Solution:
When the mirror moves a distance d, the distance traveled by the light
changes by 2d because the light travels back and forth between the
beam splitter and the mirror.
ΔL=2L2 – 2L1=2(L2 – L1)=2d
d = 0.5×1000000×633×10-9m=0.317m
Example
Yellow light (λ =589.0 nm) illuminates Michelson. How
many bright fringes will be counted as the mirror is
moved through a distance of 1.00 cm.
Solution:
( L )Change
( L )Change = N N=
since ( L )Change = 2d
−2
2d 2(1.00 10 m)
N= =
589 10−9 m
= 33956 fringes
