Wave Optics

OPTICS
STUDY OF LIGHT

GEOMETRICAL OPTICS WAVE OPTICS

WAVE OPTICS
Huygen wave theory
1. Assumed light is a mechanical and longitudinal wave.
2. Require medium to propagate .

Able to explain -: rectilinear propagation , interference ,reflection , refraction

Not able to explain polarisation

Wave equation
WAVE FRONT
1. Wavefront is the locus of all points which oscillate in a same phase
2. Perpendicular line to a wavefront is ray
3. Wave travel perpendicular to wave front
Point source
Linear source
Plane source
WAVE FRONT
A wave front is parallel to the line Y = -X + 4 then direction of propagation of
wave with + x axis is?

1. 2. 3. 4.
HUYGEN'S PRINCIPLE

1. Each source of light is a centre of disturbance from which waves

spread in all directions. All particles equidistant from the source &
vibrating in same phase lie on the surface known as wavefront.

2. Wave propagates perpendicular to wavefront

3. Every point on a wavefront is a source of new disturbance which

produces secondary wavelets. These wavelets are spherical & travel
with the speed of light in all directions in that medium.
Coherent source
1. Frequency -: no. of oscillation per second
2. Amplitude -: maximum displacement from mean position on either side
(source dependent)
3. Velocity -: speed with which wave propagate.
Interference
PRINCIPLE OF SUPERPOSITION :
If y1= 3 sin ωt and y2 = 4 cos ωt, find resultant amplitude and intensity
if intensity of y1 is I0.
Light from two source, each of same frequency and travelling in same direction,
but with intensity in the ratio 4 : 1 interfere. Find ratio of maximum to minimum
intensity.
In an interference experiment, the ratio of amplitudes of coherent waves
is . The ratio of maximum and minimum intensities of fringes will be
(a) 2 (b) 18 (c) 4 (d) 9
Wave Optics
Lec-2
Two beams of light having intensities and interfere to produce a fringe
pattern on a screen. The phase difference between the beams is at point
and at point . Then the difference between resultant intensities at and is
(a) (b) (c) (d)
Coherent sources can be obtained:
1. only by division of wave front
2. only by division of amplitude
3. both by division of amplitude and wave front
4. none of the above
If two wave of same intensity interfere then find resultant intensity , if
phase difference is
If is wavelength of light , then find total no. of maxima and minima
on circular screen.

2𝜆
YOUNG'S DOUBLE SLIT EXPERIMENT (Y.D.S.E.)
YOUNG’S DOUBLE SLIT EXPERIMENT
Fringe
width
Angular fringe width
Intensity graph
YDSE dipped in
liquid
In Young's double slit experiment, the fringe width is found to be 0.4 mm. If the
whole apparatus is immersed in water of refractive index 4/3 , without disturbing
the geometrical arrangement, the new 3 fringe width will be
(a) 0.30 mm
(b) 0.40 mm
(c) 0.53 mm
(d) 450 microns
In a Young's double slit experiment, a laser light of 560 nm produces an interference
pattern with consecutive bright fringes separation of 7.2 mm. Now another light is used
to produce an interference pattern with consecutive bright fringes separation of 8.1
mm. The wavelength of second light is ………….nm.
In YDSE experiment, when two light waves make third minima, then they have:
1. Phase difference of 3π
2. Phase difference of 5π/2
3. Path difference of 3
4. Path difference of 5 /2
In a Young' double slit experiment if there is no initial phase difference between the
light from the two slits, a point on the screen corresponding to the fifth minimum has
path difference. [Odisha NEET 2019]
1. λ
2. λ
3. λ
4. λ
In a double slit experiment with monochromatic light, fringes are obtained
on a screen placed at some distance from the plane of slits. If the screen is
moved by towards the slits, the change in fringe width is
. If the distance between the slits is 1 mm, then the wavelength of the light
will be ………..nm.
In Young's double slit experiment, if the separation between coherent sources is
halved and the distance of the screen from the coherent sources is doubled, then the
fringe width becomes:
(a) half (b) four times (c) one-fourth (d) double
The Young's double slit experiment is performed with blue and with green light of
wavelengths 4360 overline A and 5460 Å respectively. If x is the distance of 4th
maxima from the central one, then
(a) x (blue)= x(green)
(b) x (blue)> x(green)
(c) x (blue)< x(green)
(d) x(blue)/x(green) = 5460/4360
Young's double slit experiment is first performed in air and then in a medium other than
air. It is found that the 8th bright fringe in the medium lies where the 5th dark fridge lies
in air. The refractive index of the medium is nearly:
A. 1.78 Β. 1.25 C. 1.59 D. 1.69
The intensity at the maximum in a Young's double slit experiment is . Distance
between two slits is d = 5, where a is the wavelength of light used in the experiment.
What will be the intensity in front of one of the slits on the screen placed at a
distance D = 10d?
In Young's double slit experiment the separation d between the slits is 2 mm, the
wavelength of the light used is 5896 Å and distance D between the screen and slits is
100 cm. It is found that the angular width of the fringes is 0.20°. To increase the fringe
angular width to 0.21° (with same and D) the separation between the slits needs to be
changed to
(a) 1.8 mm (b) 2.1 mm (c)1.9 mm (d) 1.7 mm
In a double slit experiment, when light of wavelength 400 nm was used, the angular
width of the first minima formed on a screen placed 1 m away, was found to be 0.2°.
What will be the angular width of the first minima, if the entire experimental
apparatus is immersed in water? (water = 4/3)
(a) 0.1° (b) 0.266° (c) 0.15° (d) 0.05°
In an interference pattern, the slit widths are in the ratio 1: 9. Then find out the ratio of
minimum and maximum intensity.
(a) 1:2 (b) 1:6 (c) 1:3 (d) 1:4
Interference was observed in interference chamber, when air was present. Now the
chamber is evacuated, and if the same light is used, a careful observer will see :
A. no interference
B. interference with central bright band
C. interference with central dark band
D. interference in which breadth of the fringe will be slightly increased
Two slits in Young's experiment have widths in the ratio 1: 25. The ratio of intensity
at the maxima and minima in the interference pattern, /
 YOUNG’S DOUBLE SLIT EXPERIMENT

P
S1 y

d O

S2

Screen
 YOUNG’S DOUBLE SLIT EXPERIMENT

P
S1
x

d O

S2

Screen
FRINGE WIDTH :
In a YDSE performed with wavelength λ = 5890 Å the angular fringe width
is 0.40°. What is the angular fringe width if the entire set-up is immersed
in water ?
Monochromatic light of wavelength 5000 A° is used in Y.D.S.E., with slit-
width, d = 1mm, distance between screen and slits, D = 1m. If intensity
at the two slits are I1= 4I0 , I2 = I0 , find
(i) fringe width β
(ii) distance of 5th minima from the central maxima on the screen
(iii) Intensity at y = 1/3 mm
(iv) Distance of the 1000th maxima
What should be the slit separation
in terms of wavelength such that
the first minima occurs directly in
front of the slit
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
In Young's double slit experiment intensity at a point is (1/4) of the maximum
intensity. Angular position of this point is
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
A beam of light consisting of two wavelengths 6500Å and 5200Å is used to
obtain interference fringes in a Young's double slit experiment. What is the
least distance from the central maximum where the bright fringes due to
both the wavelengths coincide? The distance between the slits is 2 mm and
the distance between the plane of slits and the screen is 120 cm.
In a Young's double slit experiment, the path difference at a certain point on
the screen between two interfering waves is th of wavelength. The ratio of
the intensity at this point to that at the centre of a bright fringe is close to
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
The distance between coherent sources is 0.2 mm and the interference
pattern is observed on a screen 80 cm from the sources. If the wavelength is
6000 Å then
(i) how far is second dark fringe from central bright fringe ?
(ii) how far is the second bright fringe from central bright fringe ?
Wave Optics
Lec-3
Intensity distribution on the screen
Find the minimum distance of the point on the screen from central
maxima where the intensity is 1/4th of the intensity of central maxima.
Find the distance of the point lying between 6th min and 6th max on the
screen from central maxima where the intensity is 1/4 th of the intensity of
central maxima.
OPTICAL PATH
Set up is immersed in a medium of refractive index μ
A Young's double slit interference arrangement with slits and is immersed in
water (refractive index ) as shown in the figure. The positions of maxima on
the surface of water are given by , where is the wavelength of light in air
(refractive index ), is the separation between the slits and is an integer. The
value of is
 Slab is introduced in front of a
slit

OPTICAL PATH DIFFERENCE

Shift of pattern when a thin slab is kept in front of the slit
In a double slit experiment, when a thin film of thickness having refractive
index is introduced in front of one of the slits, the maximum at the centre of
the fringe pattern shifts by one fringe width. The value of is ( is the
wavelength of the light used)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
In a YDSE with d = 1 mm and D = 1 m, slabs of (t = 1 μm, μ = 3) and (t =
0.5 μm, μ = 2) are introduced in front of upper and lower slit respectively.
Find the shift in the fringe pattern.
Wave Optics
Lec-4
Number of fringe
In a Young's double slit experiment, the slits are placed apart. Light of
wavelength is incident on the slits. The total number of bright fringes that
are observed in the angular range is
(a) 320
(b) 321
(c) 640
(d) 641
Interference fringes were produced by Young's double slit method, the
wavelength of light used being 6000 Å. The separation between the two slits is 2
mm. The distance between the slits and screen is 10 cm. When a transparent
plate of thickness 0.5 mm is placed over one of the slits, the fringe pattern is
displaced by 5 mm. Find the refractive index of the material of the plate.
YDSE shape of fringe
pattern
Two coherent point sources and are separated by a small distance as
shown. The fringes obtained on the screen will be
(a) points
(b) straight lines
(c) semi-circle
(d) concentric circles
YDSE WITH OBLIQUE INCIDENCE
A coherent parallel beam of microwaves of
wavelength falls on a Young's double slit apparatus.
The separation between the slits is . The intensity of
microwaves is measured on a screen placed parallel
to the plane of the slits at a distance of from it as
shown in the figure.
(a) If the incident beam falls normally on the double
slit apparatus, find the -coordinates of all the
interference minima on the screen.
(b) If the incident beam makes an angle of with the -
axis (as in the dotted arrow shown in figure), find the
-coordinates of the first minima on either side of the
central maximum.
In YDSE with D = 1m, d = 1mm light of wavelength 500 nm is
incident at an angle of 0.57° w.r.t the axis of symmetry of
the experimental set up. If centre of symmetry of screen is O
(i) find the position of central maxima
(ii) Intensity at point O in terms of intensity of central maxima I0
(iii) Number of maxima lying between O and the central maxima.
Path difference due to reflection from denser boundary
Find the minimum value of for which a maxima is obtained at .
Find the no. of maxima and minima on the circular
path

S1 S2
2
Diffraction

Single slit
experiment
Diffraction
Wave Optics
Lec-5
Polarisation
A system of three polarisers is set up such that the pass axis of is crossed
with respect to that of . The pass axis of is inclined at to the pass axis of .
When a beam of unpolarised light of intensity is incident on , the intensity of
light transmitted by the three polarisers is . The ratio equals (nearly)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)