Diffraction grating

Once common phenomenon that exemplifies the wave property of light is diffraction
is bending of light around obstacles. It can be best explained using principle known
as Huygenss principles

Huygens principle :
1-ach point on the wavefront of a propagating wave can be considered to act as a point source

2- wavefront at any subsequent point can be found by adding together the contributions from
each of these individual point sources.

Note:the new wavefront consist of a line that is tangent to all these wavelets.

Let us see how Huygens principle essentially explains why diffraction takes place

Diffraction:suppose wave fronts are travelling and hit an obstacles with an opening;

Assume the opening is much smaller than the wavelength of the wave itself as show
in figure
As the wave front hits the obstacle,it is partially disrupted.huygens;s principle
predicts tha the wave will partially move through th opening.this ability of wave to
move around obstacles is known as diffraction

Gratings can be made in which various properties of the incident light are modulated in a
periodic pattern; these include

transparency (transmission amplitude diffraction gratings);

reflectance (reflection amplitude diffraction gratings);

refractive index or optical path length (phase diffraction gratings);

direction of optical axis (optical axis diffraction gratings).

effectively the first diffraction grating to be discovered.[10] Thomas Young performed a

celebrated experiment in 1803 demonstrating interference from two closely spaced slits.[
 Diffraction gratings:

diffraction grating is an optical component with a periodic structure, which splits and diffracts light into several
beams travelling in different directions.

he directions of these beams depend on:

1) spacing of the grating

2) wavelength of the light

note: grating acts as the dispersiveelement

gratings are commonly used in :
a)monochromators
b)spectrometers.

Typical Groove Profiles:

We have different shape of grooves :
1) Saw tooth
2) Blazed
3) Rectangular

a) The shape of the groove has no effect on the angles at which

different wavelengths are diffracted.
b) The groove profile determines the relative strengths of diffracted
orders produced. This enables the distribution of powers into
different orders to be controlled.
But in this report we take in account blazed
Equation:
Where
m:angle between the diffracted ray and the grating's normal vector,
i is the angle at which the light is incident,
d is the separation of grating elements, and
m is an integer which can be positive or negative.

Where :
N:total Number of line on grating
L:wide of grating
d: slit spacing

Proof:
We can analyze this in more detail by examining Figure 2. Here we represent the
change in path lengths for beams 1 and 2 as
i = d sin i
r = d sin(r) = d sin r
Thus the total difference in path length is
T = d sin i (d sin r) = d(sin i + sin r)
For constructive interference to occur this difference must equal and integer
multiple of the wavelength, . That is T = m
diffracting grating phenomenon can be used it for:
1)calculate wavelength for monochromatic light

2) Identification monochromatic light that consist polychromatic light

3) Interpretation Light interference phenomenon

When the Incident Angle, i = 0

Often, the incident illumination is perpendicular to the gratings surface. That is, the
incident angle is zero. In this case the grating formulation of reduces to m = d sin
r which is the diffraction grating equation for normal incident

Example:

Problem . A grating has 8000 slits ruled across a width of 4 cm. What is the
wavelength, and the color, of the light whose two fifth-order maxima subtend an
angle of 90 degrees?

where m is the diffraction order, is the wavelength, d is the groove (slit) spacing,
i is the incident angle, and r is the diffracted angle. Here the incident angle i =
0. Note that 90 degrees is the angle subtended by two maxima, one on each side.
Thus r = 45 for m = +5 and r = 45 for m = 5. Therefore, for the order |m =
5| we have

= d(sin r) /m =( 0.04 / 8000) * sin 45 /5 = 707.1 nm Since 650 nm is roughly red,

707 nm probably corresponds to a color of dark red.
Example2:

Problem 4. An echellette grating containing 1450 blazes (lines) per millimeter was
irradiated with a polychromatic beam at an incident angle of 48 degrees to the
grating normal. Calculate the wavelengths of radiation that would appear at an
angle of reflection of +20, +10, 0, and -10 degrees for the first order, as can be
seen in Figure 5. Recompute for the second and third orders as well.

Solution:
Conclusion:
Basic concept that diffraction grating depend on it is path length difference
between tow or several beam

Can construct diffracting grating by slit in or reflected of beam on groves

Diffraction grating can be used as Reflective Gratings are wavelength-selective

filters or in optical communication they are used for 1. Wavelength Selection

2. Pulse Compression