Angle of Minimum Deviation through a PrismC.E.

Mungan, Spring 2001 Prove the well-known fact that one gets minimum deviation for a symmetric beam geometry.

1 4 2 3

It is easy to see from the geometry of this sketch that the apex angle is related to the two internal angles of refraction by
(90 2 ) + + (90 3 ) = 180 = 2 + 3 ,

(1)

and that the angle of deviation is given by

= (1 2 ) + ( 4 3 ) = 1 + 4 .
We get two more equations by applying Snells law to the first interface,
sin 1 = n sin 2 ,

(2)

(3)

and to the second interface,

sin 4 = n sin 3 .

(4)

But minimum deviation arises when

d =0 d1 d 4 = 1 d1 d 3 d1 d 2 . d1

(5)

using Eq. (2). Now differentiate Eq. (4) with respect to 1 to get
cos 4 d d 4 = n cos 3 3 d1 d1 cos 4 = n cos 3

(6)

after substituting Eq. (5). Similarly, differentiate Eq. (1) with respect to 1 to obtain
d 3 d = 2 d1 d1 cos 2 cos 4 = n cos 2 cos 3

(7)

The second equality follows from substituting the first result into Eq. (6) and pre-multiplying by cos2. Again, differentiate Eq. (3) with respect to 1 and pre-multiply by cos3 to give
cos 3 cos1 = n cos 3 cos 2 d 2 . d1

(8)

Addition of Eqs. (7) and (8) results in

cos 3 cos1 = cos 2 cos 4 .

(9)

Square this equation and substitute Eqs. (3) and (4) to obtain

(1 sin2 3 )(1 n 2 sin2 2 ) = (1 sin2 2 )(1 n 2 sin2 3 )

which simplifies to

sin 2 = sin 3
assuming n 1. The only solution to this equation which is consistent with Eq. (1) is

2 = 3 = 1 and so 1 = 4 2

(10)

using Eqs. (3) and (4). This has the desired symmetry. Hecht points out a much simpler argument for why 1 must be equal to 4 at minimum deviation. Namely, if this were not the case, then we could optically reverse the ray to prove that there must be two distinct angles of minimum deviation, which is not true. It is also worth remarking on one of the many applications of minimum deviation. Note from Eq. (2) that

1 =

min + 2

(11)

and from Eq. (3) it follows that

sin 1 = n sin

(12)

for minimum deviation. Substituting Eq. (11) into (12) gives a means of determining the index of refraction of a prism of known apex angle,

+ sin min 2 n= sin 2

from a measurement of the angle of minimum deviation.

(13)