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Lecture - Diffraction

Diffraction occurs when light waves pass an obstruction and bend or spread around the obstruction. This causes local variations in the amplitude and phase of the light waves. There are two types of diffraction: interference from discrete sources is called interference, while interference from different points of a continuous source is called diffraction. Diffraction can be treated mathematically using models like Fraunhofer diffraction for light far from an aperture and Fresnel diffraction when the curvature of wavefronts is significant. Diffraction patterns are observed from objects with slits, apertures, and diffraction gratings.

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63 views21 pages

Lecture - Diffraction

Diffraction occurs when light waves pass an obstruction and bend or spread around the obstruction. This causes local variations in the amplitude and phase of the light waves. There are two types of diffraction: interference from discrete sources is called interference, while interference from different points of a continuous source is called diffraction. Diffraction can be treated mathematically using models like Fraunhofer diffraction for light far from an aperture and Fresnel diffraction when the curvature of wavefronts is significant. Diffraction patterns are observed from objects with slits, apertures, and diffraction gratings.

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Diffraction of Light

Treating light (EM field) as a wave

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Treating light (EM field) as a wave

On a much smaller scale, when light waves pass near a barrier, they
tend to bend around that barrier and spread at oblique angles.

This phenomenon is known as diffraction of the light, and occurs


when a light wave passes very close to the edge of an object or
through a tiny opening, such as a slit or aperture.

Diffraction is any deviation from geometrical optics that results from


obstruction of the wave front of light.

Obstruction causes local variations in the amplitude or phase of the


wave and also causes image blurriness.

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Interference Vs Diffraction

Interference: superposition of the beams originating


from discrete number of sources

Diffraction: superposition/interference of the waves


originating from different points of a continuous source

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Mathematical Treatment

Far-field or Fraunhofer Diffraction: when both the


source & observation screen are far from the diffraction causing
aperture, so that the waves arriving at the aperture & screen can
be approx by plane waves

Near-field or Fresnel Diffraction: when the curvature of


the wave fronts are not to be ignored (spherical, cylindrical)

We will discuss the far-field diffraction considering the


Huygens-Fresnel approximation

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Diffraction from a Single Slit

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Diffraction from a Single Slit

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Diffraction from a Single Slit

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Diffraction from a Single Slit

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Diffraction from a Single Slit
Angular Width & Beam Spreading

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Rectangular & Circular Aperture

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Diffraction of Light
Rectangular & Circular Aperture

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Diffraction of Light
Resolution & Rayleigh criterion

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Diffraction of Light
Resolution & Rayleigh criterion

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Diffraction of Light
Double Slit Diffraction

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Double Slit Diffraction

The intensity at point P is

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Diffraction of Light
Double Slit Diffraction

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Diffraction of Light
Diffraction from many Slits (GRATING)

The diffraction grating equation is

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Diffraction from many Slits (GRATING)

The diffraction grating equation is

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Diffraction from many Slits (GRATING)

m = 0 occurs at θm = -θi for all wavelength. Higher orders occur


On either side of 0th. For other value of ‘m’ the grating separate λ.
Unlike prism, Grating produces greater deviation

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Dispersion of a GRATING

The wavelength within an order are better separated


as their order increases. This property is described
as angular dispersion

Angular dispersion, for normal


Incidence

NS104 (AKK)
Diffraction of Light
Resolution of a GRATING

The resolving power is defined as

For normal incidence and mth principal maximum


of closely value of λ

Rayleigh criterion

For a grating of N grooves

NS104 (AKK)

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