INTERFERENCE AND DIFFRACTION OF LIGHT

Superposition of waves
o Superposition principle states that when two or more waves travelling through a medium
superimpose on one another, a new wave is formed which has resultant displacement at
any instant equal to vector sum of displacement due to individual waves.
o The most dramatic evidence of superposition is interference. The phenomenon of
redistribution of light energy in a medium as a result of the superposition of light
waves from two coherent sources is called interference.
o Two sources of light are said to be coherent if they emit light waves of the same
frequency (or wavelength) having zero phase difference or constant phase difference.
o Constructive interference:- When two waves which are in phase overlap to
produce a resultant wave with amplitude equal to sum of the individual amplitudes,
that is known as constructive interference.
o Either two crests or two troughs overlap to form a bigger wave.
o For constructive overlap both the waves are in phase with each other.

Destructive interference:- There will no resultant wave when 2 out of phase (180 0 phase
shift) waves overlap together.
Phase difference and path difference

A common cause of phase difference between the waves is the path difference. Path
difference is the difference in the distance travelled by a wave.

%&
Phase difference (𝜑) = ×𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 (𝑥)
'()*+*,-./ (1)

Interference

Consider 2 waves reaching at the same point in the medium at an instant having a phase
shift 𝜙. They individually produce 𝑦A &𝑦% displacement of the particle of the medium.

𝑦A = 𝑎A sin 𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥 & 𝑦% = 𝑎% sin 𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥 + 𝜙

Applying the Principle of superposition, net displacement 𝑦 = 𝑦1 + 𝑦2

= 𝑎1 sin 𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥 + 𝑎2 sin 𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥 cos 𝜙 + 𝑎2 cos 𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥 sin 𝜙

= sin 𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥 𝑎1 + 𝑎2 cos 𝜙 +cos 𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥 𝑎% sin 𝜙

𝒚 = 𝑅 cos 𝜃 sin 𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥 + 𝑅 sin 𝜃 cos 𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥

where, 𝑅 cos 𝜃 = 𝑎1 + 𝑎2 cos 𝜙 & 𝑅 sin 𝜃 = 𝑎2 sin 𝜙.

𝒚 = Rsin 𝜔𝑡 − 𝑘𝑥 + 𝜃

From above, 𝑅% = 𝑎A% + 𝑎%% + 2𝑎A 𝑎% cos 𝜙 ; 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑅 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒.

In terms of Intensity 𝐼 = 𝐾𝑅% 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑠 𝐼 = 𝐼A + 𝐼% + 2 𝐼A 𝐼% cos 𝜙

Condition for constructive interference

𝐼 = 𝐼A + 𝐼% + 2 𝐼A 𝐼% cos 𝜙

• When cos 𝜙 = +1, resultant intensity is maximum. ∴ 𝜙 = 2𝑚𝜋 & 𝐼a(b =

%
𝐼A + 𝐼%

Whenever the path difference between the two waves is an integral multiple of
wavelength, then the both waves reinforce each other. This effect is called
constructive interference.

• Path difference 𝑥 = 𝑛𝜆; 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑛 = 0,1,2, … …

Condition for destructive interference

Whenever the path difference between the two waves is an odd integral multiple of
half of wavelength, then the both waves cancel each other’s effect. This effect is
called constructive interference.

𝐼 = 𝐼A + 𝐼% + 2 𝐼A 𝐼% cos 𝜙

• When cos 𝜙 = −1, resultant intensity is minimum

%
∴ 𝜙 = (2𝑚 − 1)𝜋 & 𝐼a(b = 𝐼A ∼ 𝐼%

1
• Path difference 𝑥 = 2𝑛 − 1 ; 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑛 = 1,2, … …
%

Calculation of fringe width

The separation between any consecutive bright or dark fringes is called fringe width.
O is the central maximum as a bright fringe is produced at O always. This is because O is
equidistant from S1 and S2 or path difference = 0.

For the point P on the screen, Path difference =S2B= S1P – S2P = 𝑑𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 ≃ 𝑑𝜃 from the figure.

b mb
But 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 Δ𝐴𝑂𝑃, 𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 = ≃ 𝜃 ∴ 𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 =
l l

mb ,1l
For a bright fringe, 𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 = = 𝑛𝜆 ∴ 𝑥 = ;n = 0,1,2,3….
l m

mb 1 1l
For a dark fringe, 𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 = = 2𝑛 − 1 ∴ 𝑥 = 2𝑛 − 1 ;n = 1,2,3….
l % %m

FRINGE WIDTH

𝛽 = 𝑥, − 𝑥,oA

𝑛𝜆𝐷 (𝑛 − 1)𝜆𝐷
= −
𝑑 𝑑
𝝀𝑫
∴𝜷=
𝒅

Intensity distribution curve for interference

CONDITIONS FOR SUSTAINED INTERFERENCE

The interference pattern in which the positions of maximum and minimum intensity of light
remain fixed with time, is called sustained or permanent interference pattern.

The conditions for the formation of sustained interference may be stated as:

• The two sources should be coherent & monochromatic.

• Amplitudes of the two interfering waves should be equal.
• Two sources should be very narrow
 • The sources should lie very close to each other to form distinct and broad fringes, ie.,
𝝀𝑫
we will have sufficient fringe width (𝜷 = ), if d≪ 𝐷.
𝒅

DIFFRACTION

• Diffraction is the phenomenon of slight bending of light around the corners of an

obstacle or aperture whose size is comparable to the wavelength of light.
• The amount of bending depends on the relative size of the wavelength of light to the size
of the opening. If the opening is much larger than the light's wavelength, the bending will
be almost unnoticeable.
• Diffraction verifies the wave nature of light. Both transverse & longitudinal waves
undergo diffraction.
• Red light(longer wavelength) diffracts more than blue light.

Types of diffraction

• Fresnel diffraction
• Fraunhofer’s diffraction

Fraunhofer’s diffraction

The Fraunhofer approximation, is only valid when the source, aperture, and detector are all
very far apart or when lenses are used to convert spherical waves into plane waves.
A point source is placed at the focus of a convex lens to derive a plane wavefront. The
diffracted light is focused on a screen by a second convex lens.

Each portion of the slit acts as a source of secondary wavelets. The light from one portion
interferes with light from another portion and results in a pattern on the screen. It is found
that diffraction pattern on the screen consists of central bright band (central maximum) and
alternate dark and bright bands with decreasing intensity on either side.

Position of secondary minima

In the above diagram point P on the screen is the point of first secondary minima, if the path
difference BK is 𝜆. To prove this, we divide the slit into two equal halves.
Say for example, the slit is divided into 12 secondary wavelets. The
wavelet from 1& the wavelet from 7 will destructively interfere at P as
the path difference between them is l/2.

Each wavelet from the first half will have a phase difference of l/2 with the corresponding
wave in the second half.

* 1
∴ sin 𝜃 = or 𝑒 sin 𝜃= λ.
% %
The various secondary minima are formed at 𝒆 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽 = ±𝒏𝝀; 𝒏 = 𝟏, 𝟐, 𝟑, ….
𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆: 𝑛 ≠ 0 𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑎 𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑑.

Positions of secondary Maxima

In the above diagram a point on the screen is the point of first secondary maxima, if the path
difference BK is 3𝜆/2. Here we can explain by dividing the slit into 3 equal parts. The
secondary maxima are weak because it’s formed by a combination of constructive &
destructive interferences.
1
𝑒 sin 𝜃 = ± 2𝑛 + 1 ; n = 1,2,3,…..
%
Intensity distribution curve

Here, d is the
width of the slit.
Linear & Angular width of central maxima

It is the distance between the first secondary minimum on the two sides of the central
maximum.

Angular width = 2q
𝜆
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 = ≃𝜃
𝑒
2𝜆
∴ 2𝜃 =
𝑒
Linear width = 2x
𝑥 𝜆
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 ≃ 𝜃 = ≃ 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 =
𝐷 𝑒
𝐷𝜆
∴𝑥=
𝑒
l1
Linear width = 2 *
As shown in figure, D = f of the focal length of lens L2
which is held very close to the slit.