Diffraction

The phenomenon of bending of light round the corner of an obstacle

and their spreading into the region of geometrical shadow is called
diffraction and the distribution of light intensity resulting in dark
and bright fringes is called diffraction pattern.
 Diffraction
The diffraction phenomenon is
of two types:

1) Fresnel diffraction: The

source of light and the screen
are at finite distance from the
diffracting aperture.
Source

Aperture Screen
2) Fraunhofer diffraction:
The source and the screen are at
infinite distance from the
aperture (Using convex lens)
Source

Note: Wavelength of light must be comparable to the size of an obstacle

Resultant of ‘N’ simple harmonic waves of equal Amplitude,
Periods and Phases increasing in arithmetic progressions
x1  a cos t  aeit (1)
x 2  a cos(t  )  aei( t  ) (2)
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
x N  a cos(t  (N  1))  aei( t ( N1) )
Hence, X=x1  x 2  ... ...+x N =aeit (1  ei  ei2   ...  ei( N1)  )
1  eiN
it
=ae (3)
1  ei
iN/2 iN/2
it e e  e iN/2
=ae (4)
ei/2 ei/2  e  i/2
sin(N / 2) i( t ( N1) /2)
=a e (5)
sin( / 2)
sin(N / 2) i( t (N1) /2)
a e  R ei( t  ) (6)
sin( / 2)
 N
a sin
R 2 ...(7)

sin
2
Let us suppose that the number of vibrations are infinitely large but the
amplitude ‘a’ and the common phase ‘’ are infinitely small, so that ‘Na’
and ‘N’ are finite.
Also suppose N=2

a sin  a sin 
R  (because /n is very small)
Then  
sin N
N
Na sin  sin 
R A
From eq. (6)  
 N  1  N
(since for large N, 
   N  1  N
2 2  )
2 2
 Single slit diffraction
Fraunhofer diffraction

The path difference between the rays emanating from

extreme points A and B of the slit AB is given by
  BN  ABsin   bsin 
2
corresponding phase difference is (bsin )

The phase difference between the waves from any
sin 
two successive parts of the slit AB would be
RP  A
1  2 
 b sin     
n  
N  
sin sin  b sin  
RP  a 2 =a   The resultant intensity at P,
 1  2 
sin sin  b sin  
2 N   sin 2

sin  sin  I=R  A
2 2
or, R P  a

 Na
 2
sin
N
 Position of maxima and minima
1. PRINCIPLE MAXIMA
The resultant amplitude is given by
Asin 
R for maxima  should me minimum

Asin 
therefore, R max = lim A
0 

b sin 
  0   0


So maximum value of resultant amplitude R is A

So Imax = I0 = A2
2. Minima
A sin 
Re-consider the equation R

The resultant amplitude R will be minimum when sin = 0
but   0
i.e.    ,2 ,3 ,4 ..., n
    n , where n  1,2,3,......
b sin 
    n

Therefore the condition
for minima is
b sin    n
Where n = 1,2,3…. gives the condition of 1st, 2nd, 3rd,
minima. Here n  0, because for n = 0,  = 0 which
corresponds central maxima.
Maximum Possible orders
Let us consider the condition for minima
b sin    n
The first minima would occur (n = 1) at
 
sin 1     sin  
1
b b
And the second minima (n = 2) would occur at
 2 
    sin 1  
sin 1   n  b 
b Further, sin   
b
Since,
sin   1 Therefore,

therefore maximum possible order would be

b
n

3. Secondary maxima
sin 2
 Apply the method of finding
I R A
2 2
maxima and minima
2

In order to determine the position of secondary maxima
differentiate the above equation with respect to 
dI d  A2 sin 2    2
 2 sin  cos   sin 2
  2
  
 
 A 2

d d   2
  4

 2  sin  cos   2 sin 2

 2 2 sin    cos   sin  
A 
2
A   0
  3
    2

sin   cos   sin 
Thus either  0 or 0
  2

 sin   0 (minima ) cos-sin  0

   tan
3. Secondary maxima
Consider   tan 
From the graph, roots which
satisfy the equation are

y   0, 
3 5 7 9
, , , ...
2 2 2 2

   (2n  1) where n  1, 2, 3, ...
2

y  tan
(the more exact values are  =
1.430, 2.46, 3.47, 4.471…)
exclude β = 0 because central
maximum
3. Secondary maxima

So the direction of secondary maxima are approximately:

 
2n  1
, where n  1,2,3....
2


b sin 

2n  1
 2
2n  1  b sin   
2n  1
 b sin   
2 2
 2n  1 
   sin 
1

 2b 
 INTENSITY CALCULATIONS
Intensity of diffraction pattern is given as I  R  A
2 2 sin 2 
2
In a single slit Fraunhoffer diffraction, show that more
than 90% of transmitted intensity is in the central
maxima.
1 1 1 2
Use 1  2  2  2  ... 
3 5 7 8
 INTENSITY CALCULATIONS
Intensity of diffraction pattern is given as I  R  A
2 2 sin 2 
2
Intensity of principle maxima: for   0 Imax = I0 = A2
The intensity of secondary maxima:
Substituting  = ±3/2 Similarly, substituting  = ±5/2
1st secondary maxima (n =1), 2nd secondary maxima (n = 2)
3 5
sin 2 2 A2 sin 2
2  4 A 2
I1  R  A
2 2
I2  2  4 A
 
3
2
9 2
5 2 25 2
  ( )
 2  2
 I1  0.046 I 0 I 2  0.016 I 0
Thus I1 is 4.6% of I0. Thus I2 is 1.61% of I0.

Relative intensities of successive maxima

1:4 /9π2 :4 /25π2:4 /49π2
3. Spread of central diffraction maximum

Direction of first minima is given by b sin    , or sin = 
b

 If the lens is very near to the slit, the L  f

sin 1 
b x
sin = 
f
x is the linear half width of the central maximum

sin 1   and f is the focal length of the lens then
b
x 
=
f b
2f
Hence, the width of central maximum =2r=
b
 Single Slit Fraunhofer diffraction: Effect of slit width

• Principle maxima,  = 0, I =I0 =A2

• Minima, sin  = 0,  = n

 = n , sin = n/b

• First minima at sin  = /b

As the opening size gets smaller, the wave front experiences more and more curvature
 FRAUNHOFER DOUBLE SLIT DIFFRACTION
The path difference between the two wave
originating from A and B
BM=(a+b) sin
therefore the phase diff. between them is
2
= (a  b)sin 


The resultant amplitude due to all the wavelets

diffracted from each slit is given by
sin  R  2
 2 R 2
 2 R 2
cos 
RP  A
 2 
 4 R cos
2

and the resultant phase in this direction is, 2

bsin  sin 2
 2 
  4 A2 cos

Therefore, the resultant intensity at P is  2
2
sin 2  
I  R  4 A
2 2
cos 2
2 2
 In other words, the diffraction pattern acts like an envelope
containing the interference pattern.

Considering only interference:

The image below is taken from the central maximum area of a display.
 The intensity pattern is in effect
2 sin 2  a combination of both the
A
2 single-slit diffraction pattern
and the double slit interference
pattern.

cos 2

 

4 A2 sin 2  
cos 2
 2
2

The amplitude of the diffraction

pattern modulates the
interference pattern.
 FRAUNHOFER DOUBLE SLIT
DIFFRACTION

4 A2 sin 2  
I cos 2

 2
2

where
Diff . Min. bsin    n

  b sin  Diff . Max. bsin   (2n  1) / 2

and where n  1, 2,3.....

  Interf. Min. dsin   (2m  1) / 2

 d sin  Interf. Max. dsin    m
2 
where m  0,1,2,3....
Missing orders in double slit diffraction
The condition of interference maxima is
d sin   m ...(i) m = 0,1,2,3,...
The condition of diffraction minima due to each slit
bsin    n ...(ii) n = 1,2,3,...
b and d are such that minima of diffraction overlaps
the maxima of interference
d sin  m

b sin  n

d m
 
b n
 Missing orders of int. pattern (m)
Because of min of diff pattern (n)

(i) If d=2b, then m=2n

cos 2

2
missing orders are 2,4,6,...

(ii) If d=3b, then m=3n

missing orders are 3,6,9,...

4 A2 sin 2  
cos 2
 2
2 (iii) If d=4b, then m=4n
missing orders are 4,8,12,...
Consider the case when b = 8.8  10–3 cm, d = 7.0  10–2 cm, and
= 6.328  10–5 cm. How many interference minima will occur
between the two diffraction minima on either side of the central
maximum? In the experimental arrangement the screen was placed
at a distance of 15 ft. Calculate the fringe width.
 Numerical: Double slit diffraction
If λ=0.5µm, slit width ‘b’=2 µm and separation
between slits ‘a’=2 µm. Calculate
1. Position of first two minima (a+b)sin=(2m+1) /2;
'n =sin 1 ((2m  1)0.0625); m  0,1
Ans: 3.58o, 10.8o
2. Position of first two maxima (a+b)sin=m ;
n =sin 1 (0.125m); m  1, 2
Ans: 7.18o , 14.47o
3. Position of first diff. minima bsin=n; n  1
Ans: 14.47o
4. How many numbers of maxima are there in
Ans: 3 (m=0, +1, -1)
principal maxima ?
5. Missing orders Ans: m=2 order is missing
DIFFRACTION FROM N
NUMBER OF SLITS

(DIFFRACTION GRATING)
Intensity of diffraction pattern is given as
sin 2 N A2 sin 2  sin 2 N
I R 2

sin 
2
2 sin 2 
MAXIMA (Principal Maxima)

sin   0    m  (d sin  )

 d sin   m Where m = 0 ,1, 2, 3, …

Intensity of the principal maxima

sin N N cos N A2 sin 2 

Lt  Lt  N IN 2
 I  N2
 m sin   m cos  2
(N-1) Secondary Minima Between Two Successive Principal Maxima

sinN   0 but not sin   0  Nγ  nπ  N (dsin )

 Nd sin   n Where n can have the all integer values except 0, N, 2N, 3N…

(N-2 )Secondary Maxima Between Two Successive Principal Maxima

1
Intensity of the secondary maxima I ' (approx.)
N2
Resultant intensity distribution of grating spectra
 WIDTH OF A PRINCIPAL MAXIMA

Angular width of a principal maxima is equal to the

angular separation between first two minima on either side
of the principal maxima.
0 order
principal maxima

1st order
principal maxima
1st order
secondary maxima
m 1
N 3
2nd order
principal maxima mN  1  4 and 2

4 th order minima 2nd order minima

 WIDTH OF A PRINCIPAL MAXIMA
width of m th order principal maxima
2
 2d m 
Nd cos  m

Condition for Principal Maxima

dsin m  m
sin m 
 
m d

2
 2dm 
mN cot m

Important: larger the number slits sharper will be principal maxima.

 Calculation of missing ORDERS IN
N slit DIFFRACTION PATTERN

Principal Maxima(interference) d sin  n

 
Minima due to single slit(diffraction) b sin  m ' 
d n(interference) d
   n  m'
b m '(diffraction) b

1) If d=2b, n=2m’= 2,4,6…. Since m’=1,2,3…

Absent orders are n=2,4,6,…..of principal maxima
Similarly
2) If d=3b, n=3m’= 3,6,9…. Since m’=1,2,3…

3) If d=4b, n=4m’= 4,8,12…. Since m’=1,2,3…

HIGHEST POSSIBLE ORDER OF PRINCIPAL MAXIMUM

The maximum value for (a  b)sin n  n

Substituting this value in equation

Here n is the highest order for principal

maximum visible. If n is not an integer,
then the highest possible order is given by
the integer lower than n.
Thus, the grating element determines the maximum possible order.
 DIFFRACTION GRATING

Typically there are 15000 lines in 2.54 cm in the laboratory

grating.
2.54
d  1.693 10  4 cm
15000

d sin  m  m
d sin  m 1.693 104
m   2.8
 6 10 5

Thus only two orders are possible in grating.

Dispersive power of grating
Rate of change of angle of diffraction w.r.t. change of wavelength.

d
d
For principal maxima of grating we know
d sin    m Where, d = a+b
 d cos  d   md
d m 1
  or
d d cos   cot 

Note: Sometimes ‘dθ’ is called angular dispersion.

What about Linear dispersive power of grating?

 Linear dispersive power

If dx is the linear separation of two spectral lines

differing in wavelength dλ in the focal plane of a lens
of focal length f, then

dx  fd
d m
 (From angular dispersion)
d d cos 
dx d
 f
d d
dx m
 f
d d cos 
Overlapping orders: many wavelengths

1  4000A ,  2  5000A
0 0

dsin    m
4000m 2
 sin   
d
5000m1
 sin   
d

5th order of principal maxima of 4000A will

coincide with 4th Order principal maxima of 5000A
wavelength.
 N slit as DIFFRACTION GRATING

N - SLITS
b
d
a
numbers of lines per inch

If there are 15000 lines per inch

then grating element ‘a+b’ d = a+b
2.54
d ab cm
15000
LASER DIFFRACTION
 Quest:

Two spectral lines have wavelengths  and  +d respectively.

Show that if d  their angular seperation d in a grating
spectrometer is given by:
d
d 
2
ab
 
2

 n 
Where (a+b) is the grating element and n is the order at which the lines are
observed.
d m m
Sol:  or
d d cos  d 1  sin 2 
using ' d sin   m ' and d  a  b
d
d 
2
ab
 
2

 n 