INTERFERENCE

The basic mathematical description of two

beam interference is given by

I = E02 = E012 +E022+2E01 E02 COS( 2-1)
If E01 =E02 Then
I=

4 E012 cos2 (2-1/2)

I = 2 E012 [1+ COS ( 2-1) ]

This equations shown that the irradiance
distribution of the fringes is given by a (cosine) 2
function.
If the contributions from the coherent sources are
equal the irradiance of the fringes varies from
4I12to zero as (2-1) varies between 0 and if

 To obtain the coherent wave trains needed for

the observation of interference before the

advent of lasers one hand to ensure that.
i) The sets of wave trains were derived from
the same small source of light and then
brought together by different paths.
ii) The differences in path were short enough
to ensure at least partial coherence of the
wave train (ie: the differences in path were
less than the coherence length of the sources).
The basic ways of satisfying these
requirements and demonstrating interference
can be classified groups.
(a) Division of wave front and
(b) Division of amplitude

Division of wave front:

Draw for wave diagram

Division of wave front is a youngs double slit
interference experiment.
In this experiment the monochromatic light is
passed through a pinhole S so as to illuminated a
screen containing two further identical pinholes or
narrow slits placed close together.
The presents of the single pinholes S provides the
necessary mutual coherence between the light
beams emerging from the slits S 1 and S2.
The wave fronts from S inter set S1 and S2
simultaneously so that the light contributions
emerging from S1 and S2 are derived from the
same original wave front and therefore coherent.

 These contributions spread out from S1 and S2

as cylindrical wave fronts and interfere in the

region beyond the screen.
If a second screen is placed as shown then an
interference pattern consisting a straight lines
fringes parallel to the slits is observed on it.
To find the irradiance at a given point P it is
necessary to find the phase difference
between the two sets of wave arriving at P from
S1 and S2. This is depends on the path
difference(D2-D1) as in general
Phase difference = 2/ (optical path difference)
= 2- 1 = 2/ (D2-D1)
Where D1 & D2 are the distance from S1 and S2 to
P respectively

 Bright fringes occur when the phase

difference is Zero or 2p where p-integer.

ie, when 2/ (D2-D1) = 2p Y = (P X )/H
Which is equivalent to (D2-D1) = p
There fore bright fringes occur if the path
difference is an internal number of wave
lengths.
Dark fringes occur when = (2p+1) or the
path difference is an odd internal number of
half- wave length (ie) the bright fringes occurs
at points P a distance y from 0 such that
Provided both y and H are small compared to
x, Here H is the slit separation and x is the
distance from the screen containing the slits to
the observing screen.

Division of Amplitude:
Interference effects involving amplitude division

can be observed in thin films or plates.

DRAW FOR BLOCK DIAGRAM
In this interference occur between the light
reflected at A on the front surface of the plates and
at B on the rear surface.
If the plates has parallel faces then the two sets of
waves from A and C are parallel and a lens must be
used to bring them together to interface.
By using elementary geometry and snells law the
optical path difference (AB+BC) n-AD is equal to
2nL cos 2
2 - angle of refraction and
L-Plate thick ness

 The phase difference is then

2/ (2nL cos 2 )
There fore the bright fringes occur when
(4nL cos 2 ) / =2p
ie. P = 2nL cos 2
Similarly dark fringes occur when
(2p+1) /2 = 2nL cos 2
If the plates is optically denser then the
sourrounding medium, there is a phase
change of on reflection at the upper surface.
For the given fringes p, ,L and n are constant
and therefore 2 must be constant, the fringes
are known as fringes of equal inclination

When the optical thickness of the plate is not

constant and the optical system is such that

2 is almost constant, the fringes are constant
are contours of equal optical thickness nL. The
situation may be illustrated by considering a
small angled wedge. If the wedge is uniform
the fringes are approximately straight lines
parallel to the apex of the wedge.
The apex angle is given by
tan = /2S
Where S-fringe spacing

Multiple beam interference:

If the reflectance's of the surfaces of the plate were

increased there would be many reflected beam to

contribute to the interface pattern.
DRAW FOR BLOCK DIAGRAM
In practice the resultant interference is seen more
clearly if the transmitted beams rather than the
reflected ones are used.
If the plates has parallel sides then the multiple
beams are parallel and are brought together to
interference in the total focal plane of the lens.
The resultant of superposing there beams can be
calculated quite easily as the phase difference from
one beam to the next is constant.
The phase difference is due to two additional
traversals of the plate plus any phase changes which
may occur on reflection at the surfaces of the plate.

The Irradiance distribution is given by

FORMULA
Where
IO- Irradiance of the incident beam
R Reflectance
T transmitting of the plates surfaces
- Total phase change between
successive beams.