PHYC10001Physics1Advanced 30

Chapters34to36:LightandOptics

ProfRobertScholten
SchoolofPhysics
UniversityofMelbourne

Whereweare

Lastlecture
Interference:standingwaves

Interference:constructiveanddestructive
Coretooptics,
quantumcomputing,
Interference:beats

Thislecture
Waveoptics:diffraction

Waveoptics:interferenceandinterferometers

Nextlecture
Waveoptics:interference

Rayoptics:reflectionandrefraction

ProfREScholten(2015)
 Whatislight?
Threemodels:
A)Electromagneticwaves
B)Raymodel
C)Quantumphotons

Islightawaveoraparticle?
Waveparticleduality:bothmodelswork
Wavemodelworksverywellformostaspects
Cruxofthecourse vitaltomanyaspectsofphysics

ProfREScholten(2015)

36Diffractionoflight

Lightbendsaroundcorners!
Shadowsgenerallynotsharp
Notethe
brightspot!

Aragos spot
1818:PoissonreadFresneltheory;calculatedbright
spotbehindopaquemask
Ridiculoushecried!

Arago foundthatindeed,thebrightspotappeared

Arago RoseLine=RoseLineinThedaVinciCode
=ParisMeridian(equiv.Greenwichmeanline)

Poisson,FresnelandArago
Shadowsharpif:
smallcomparedtoaperture
Closetoaperture
ProfREScholten(2015)
 35.2Theinterferenceoflight:Youngsdoubleslit

Lightspreadsoutafterapertures

ProfREScholten(2015)

16.5Interferenceinonedimension

Copropagatinginterference:wheredoestheenergygowhendestructive?

a
sin sin sin sin
2 2
50/50beamsplitter
(semisilveredmirror)

a a
sin sin sin sin sin 0
2 2 2 2

sin

Butwhydotheyaddontheuppathandcancelontheotherpath?

Phasechange onexternalreflection(goingfromlow tohigh )

ProfREScholten(2015)
 35.2Theinterferenceoflight:Youngsdoubleslit
Interferencefromtwoidenticalsourcesinphase
Createtwosourcesbysplittingonesourcewithdoubleslit
Inphase and coherent
P

r1
ym
r2
S1 m
d
O
S2 B

radians
Pathlengthdifferencein
wavelengths,times2

Phasedifference = k (Pathlengthdifference) k r2 r1

ProfREScholten(2015)

Example#1:Youngsdoubleslit
P

S1
r1
ym
r2

m S1 m
d d
O
S2 B

B
S2

Pathlengthdifferenceis* r2 r1 S 2 B d sin m
*toagoodapproximation!

Constructiveinterferencewhenpathlengthdifference(S2B)ism

m
i.e.when d sin m m or
m m =0,1,2,3,
d

tan
Screenlocationy atangle
ProfREScholten(2015)
y mL
m so ym
(positionsofbright fringes)
L d
 35.2Theinterferenceoflight:Youngsdoubleslit
Howbrightarethefringes?i.e.whatistheintensity?

Recallforcopropagatingwaves D x, t 2a cos 12 sin kx t 12

d
Using sin tan ,amplitudeis 2a cos 12 2a cos y
L
Intensity (amplitude)2 d
I double 4 I1 cos 2 y
(I1 issingleslitintensity) L
Notethatintensityvariesfrom0 to4 :constructiveinterferencedoublesamplitude
whichisthensquaredfortheintensity
Inreality,intensityfallswithincreasingy (singleslitdiffraction:later)
d
I 4 I1 cos 2 y
L
4I1

0 L L y
2d d
ProfREScholten(2015)

Doubleslitwithindividualphotons
Describelightasawave
Propagatingwavesinterfere
Diffractionoflight:wavepropagation&interference

ThomasYoungsdoubleslitinterference(1801)

m L
Brightfringesat d sin m m ym Huh?Whatifwe
d blockoneslit?

m
d

d m

ProfREScholten(2015)
 36.5Thediffractiongrating
Similartodoubleslit:constructive
interferencewhen

d sin m m y m L tan m

Typicallyd issmall,similarto:
Cannotusesmallangleapproximation
d
r=d sin
Effectofmultipleslits d

ContributionsfromN slitsofamplitudea
each,inphase;fringesbecomebrighter
m
I max N 2 I1

Conservationofenergy:fringesbecome
narrower

ProfREScholten(2015)

Diffractionofcolours

Wavelengthdependenceofdiffractiongrating d sin m m
Gratingsaredispersive
Criticaltoolinphysics,astronomy,
quantumoptics,
Lasers
&peacockfeathers;butterflywings

ProfREScholten(2015)
 36.1Singleslitdiffraction

Huygensprinciple:everypointonanexpandinglightwaveisconsideredthe
sourceofanotherexpandingwavelet
Wavefrontatlatertimeissuperpositionofthesewavelets:
tangenttonewwavefronts
Waveletshavesamefrequencyandspeedasoriginalwavefront

Basisofmoderndiffractiontheory

ProfREScholten(2015)

36.1Singleslitdiffraction
Wefirstconsiderdiffractionfromarectangularaperture(singleslit)
Illuminatewithplanewaves,andlookinfarfield
Considerapertureasalineofcoherentoscillators
Addsphericalwavelets
Alwaysconstructive at0

a a p

ProfREScholten(2015)
 36.1Singleslitdiffraction Huh?? Textbookp1083
Everypointonwavefront canbe
pairedwithanotherpointa/2away,
withpathlengthdifference/2
Atcertainangles,diffractedrayswillcancel
(Pathlengthdifference/2) Caution
Looksliketwoslitinterference
Minima occurat a sin m p m 1, 2, 3,... sin maxima

m m m 1, 2, 3,... (minima) (dark fringes)
Smallangleapproximation
a
1
Displacement(ratherthanangle):

Normalised irradiance
mL
ym m 1, 2, 3,... (minima)
a
2 L
Widthofcentral peakonscreen: w
a
2
sin
I I 0
0
Intensitypattern 0

where 12 ka sin 2 L
a

ProfREScholten(2015)

Recalltwoslitdiffraction

Twoslitexperiment:interferencefringesatdiscreteangles d sin m m

Fringepattern=twoslitconvolvedwithsingleslit

d
I 4 I1 cos 2 y
L Twoslit
Fallsoffdueto 4I1
singleslitdiffraction

0 L L y
2d d

ProfREScholten(2015) 16
 Doubleslit

2
sin
I 4 I 0 cos 2 where=ka sin

Justproductofdoubleinfinitelynarrowslit,withsingleslitdiffraction

Single slit sinc2()

Double slit cos2()

0 2 4

ProfREScholten(2015) 17

36.3Circularaperturediffraction
2
sin
I slit I 0 forslit;circularaperturesimilarbutpolarcoordinates

J
2
Diffractionpattern(Airypattern) I I 0 1 12 kD sin D diameter


2 1.22
Minimaseparatedbyangle cf rectangular 2
D a

p=2
p=1

Diameter D Width w
p=1

p=2

L
w 2 y1 2 L tan 1 2.44
D
Verysimilartorectangularslit

ProfREScholten(2015)
 36.3Opticalresolution (textbookp1094)
Angularwidthofcentrallobe(between1st minima)
isgivenby
2 1.22
D

Object superpositionofapertures
Image superpositionofAiryspots
Eachspot 2.44/Dacross

Rayleighscriterion 1

JustresolvetwospotsifcentreofoneAiry
discfallsonfirstminimumofsecond

1.22 0 1.22

Describesresolutionoftelescope,cameralensetc. 1.22
D
whereD islensdiameter
ProfREScholten(2015)

22.6Interferometers

Interference isuseful!
switchlighton/off(basisoffibreopticscommunications)
measuredistances,gravity,time,etc.withincredibleprecision
inertialguidance
Needtwosourcesatexactlythesamefrequency/wavelength
Cheat:useonesourcedivided

Wavefront division
Dividewavefront spatially,e.g.withtwoslits

Amplitudedivision
Dividewavefront amplitude,e.g.withbeamsplitter

ProfREScholten(2015)
 Example:Michelsoninterferometer35.5

Interferencedependsonopticalpathlengthdifferences
Smallvariations,fractionsofawavelength,causelargechangesinfringe
brightness
Interferometersexploitthistomeasuresmalldistances
EASILYmeasuredistancesof(atomicdiameter)/1000

Detector
Detector

Laser

Beamsplitter
M1
Phase?
50/50beamsplitter
(semisilveredmirror) M2

ProfREScholten(2015)

Example:Michelsoninterferometer
Constructiveinterference destructive
whenrelative pathdifferencechangesby/2
MovingmirrorM2bydistanced changes
thepathlengthinone armby2d
Thusd = /2 perfringe Detector

Distancemovedis dN
2
Laser
N =numberoffringescounted
Beamsplitter
Detector M1
Intensity

d
d M2
3 2
2 2

Measurerate offringesforfallingcornercubemirror(M2) velocity g

(andthus,gravitationalanomalies)

ProfREScholten(2015)
 Cornercubes

ProfREScholten(2015)

Summaryandhomework
Describelightasawave
Propagatingwavesinterfere
Diffractionoflightiswavepropagationandinterference
4I1
d
Doubleslitinterference: I 4 I1 cos
2
y
L

Multipleslits=diffractiongrating d sin m m L L y
0
2d d

2
sin
Singleslit sinc function: I I 0

J
2
Circularaperture:
I I 0 1
opticalresolution 2 1.22
D

Interferometers
Ultrahighprecisioninstrumentsformoderntechnologyandtestsoffundamentalphysics
BesureyouunderstandtheMichelsoninterferometer!

Readingfornextlecture: Chapter34Images
Recommendedexercises
Chapter 35: Q1,Q2,P14,P21,P23,P27,P73,P79,P81,P82
Chapter36:Q1,Q3,Q4,Q5,Q6,P8,P10,P15,P22,P23,P30,P39,P42,P51

ProfREScholten(2015)