Diffractio
n
Diffraction:
bending of light around the sharp edges of an object and then spread out
Types of Diffraction
1. Fresnel Diffraction (source and screen at finite distance)
2. Fraunhofer Diffraction (source and screen at infinite distance)
Difference between Interference and Diffraction
pattern
Interference pattern Diffraction pattern
1. It is due to superposition of 1. It is due to interference of
two wavefronts coming from secondary wavelets , which
coherent sources . originates from the same wave
front .
2. In the interference pattern the 2. In the diffraction pattern the
fringe width is constant. fringe width is not constant .
3. Points of minimum intensity 3. Points of minimum intensity
are perfectly dark . are not perfectly dark .
4 . All bright bands are of 4 . All bright bands are not of
uniform intensity. same intensity .
Fresnel Diffraction Fraunhofer Diffraction
Source and screen at finite distance from Source and screen at infinite distance from
slit slit
Incident wavefront is spherical or Incident wavefront is plane
cylindrical
Diffracted wavefront is spherical or Diffracted wavefront is plane
cylindrical
Path difference between rays before No path difference
entering the slit which depends on distance
between source and slit
Lenses are not required Lenses are required
Mathematical treatment is complicated It is easy
It has less applications for designing optical Many applications
instruments
Fraunhofer Diffraction at Single
Slit
Δ = a sinθ
Φ = (2π/λ ) a sinθ
Phasor diagram
Eθ2
Iθ
Where,
• Principal Maxima:
Iθ = Im, if = 0
• Condition for minima:
a sinθ = nλ, if = nπ
• Condition for secondary maxima:
Iθ = Im ()2 , if = π
a sinθ = λ
Intensity distribution of diffraction pattern due to single slit
Dependence of spectrum on slit width
if, a = λ
if a >> λ
if a << λ
Hence,
a≈λ
Width of Central or Principal Maximum
W=
Diffraction
Grating
Grating element
(a+b) = , N is number of lines per unit length
Iθ2 2
• Principal Maxima:
(a+b) sin θ = mλ, where m = 0, 1, 2,……
• Condition for minima:
(a+b) sin θ = λ, where n = 1, 2, 3, …… (N-1),…..
n ≠ 0, N, 2N,……
• Secondary maxima: (N-2)
Dispersive Power and Resolving
Power
R. P.
Closely space tracks on CD or DVD : diffraction grating
Application of diffraction grating
• separation of the spectral lines associated with atomic transitions : analysis of gas spectra
• Analysis of spectra from stars: cosmology
Hydrogen spectrum
A slit of width ‘a’ is illuminated by white light. For what value of ‘a’ will the first minimum for red light
fall at an angle of 300? Wavelength of red light is 6500 A0.
a sinθ = nλ
a = 1.3 X 10-4 cm
Find the half angular width of the central maximum in the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern of a slit of width
12 X 10-5 cm, when illuminated by light of wavelength 6000 A 0.
θ = 300
In a plane transmission grating, the angle of diffraction for the second order principal maximum for thee
wavelength 5 X 10-5 cm is 300.
(a+b) sinθ = nλ
N = 1/(a+b)
N = 5000 lines/cm
What is the highest order spectrum that is visible with light of wavelength 6000 A 0 by means of a grating
having 5000 lines per cm?
nmax = (a+b)/λ
n=3
Monochromatic light of wavelength 6.56 X 10-5 cm falls normally on a grating 2 cm wide. The first order
spectrum is produced at an angle of 18014’ from the normal. What is the total number of lines on the
grating?
N = 4770 lines / cm
Total number of lines = 4770 X 2 = 9540
