The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference

Conditions for Interference:

I  I1  I 2  2 I1 I 2 cos 2  1 
  kx2  t   2   kx1  t   1   k x2  x1    2   1 
2
 x2  x1    2   1   2 nx2  x1    2   1 
m 
I  I1  I 2  2 I1 I 2 cos
(i) (21) must remain constant with time. (ii) (x2-x1) should not exceed the wave-
train length.
I max  I min 2 I1 I 2
Visibility: V 
I max  I min I1  I 2
Interferometer:
An instrument designed to exploit the interference of light and the fringe patterns that
result from optical path differences. An interferometer divides an initial beam into
two or more parts that travel diverse optical paths and then reunite to produce an
interference pattern. According to the manner in which the initial beam is separated,
interferometers can be broadly classified as wavefront division interferometers
(divide the same wavefront of a coherent beam of light) and amplitude division
interferometers (divide the initial beam into two parts).
Optics II----by Dr.H.Huang, Department of Applied Physics 1
 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Young’s Double Slits: s

a
The waves from S0 illuminate the
slits S1 and S2 which act as
coherent secondary sources.
Each wavefront is split and since OPD  n(S1P  S2 P)  na sin   m
the phase difference is constant sin   tan   y s
for waves arising from S1 and S2.
ms s ym m
ym  y  m  
na na s na

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Example:
The slits S1 and S2 in Young’s experiment are 1 mm apart (center to center) and the screen
placed such that D=5 m. If the incident light has a wavelength =589.3 nm and the system is
in air, n=1.00029, find the distance of the first bright fringe form the central bright fringe. If
the system is immersed in water, n=1.33, what will be the result?
ms
(1) : m  1; a  1 mm ; ym   2.946 10 3 m
na
ms
(2) : n  1.33; ym   2.215 10 3 m
na

Example:
Helium yellow light illuminates two slits, separated by 2.644 mm, in a Young’s experimental
set-up. If 21 bright fringes occupy 20 mm on a screen 4.5 m away, calculate the wavelength.
Assume the refractive index of air is 1.

y  20 21  1  1.00 mm
s nay
 y     587.6 nm
na s

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Intensity Distribution:
In Young’s experiment, the intensities of the two rays arriving at point P can be
regarded as the same. I1=I2=I0,

I  2 I 0 1  cos    4 I 0 cos 2
2
2n
     
  k x2  x1   2  1  k x2  x1  ka sin   a sin 

 nay 
I  4 I 0 cos 2  
 s  

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Fresnel Double mirror interferometer:
The two coherent secondary sources, S1 and
S2, are formed by reflections in the mirror.
The arrangement is then identical to the
Young’s double-slit geometry with s=R+d,
a=2R.

Fresnel’s biprism:
The apical angle  is about 0.5. Light
reaching the screen appears to come from the s
two coherent secondary sources S1 and S2,
formed by the biprism. The arrangement is
then identical to the Young’s double-slit
geometry with s=R+d, a=2R=2R(ng/n-1).

R d

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Lloyd’s Mirror:
Lloyd’s mirror provides a coherent secondary
source S1 (formed by reflection from the
mirror) from which light reaches the screen to
interfere with light reaching the screen directly
from S. A hidden phase change of  occurs
upon reflection, and this corresponds to a /2
path length change which must be included in
calculations. d

Determination of the Central Bright Fringe:

When a white light is the source for the Young’s double-slit experiment, the fringe
width will be different for different wavelength, except for the central fringe which will
appear white. All the other positions will exhibit a mixture of color. The central
white fringe can be helpful to locate the position of the central fringe.

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Example:
A Fresnel double mirror is used with the source slit at 1 m from the mirror intersection A.
When the screen is 4 m distant and =500 nm, the fringe width (separation) is 2 mm. Find
the angle between the mirrors.
s  R  d ; a  2 R ; y 
s
; 
R  d   6.25 104 rad
na 2 Rn y
Example:
Lloyd’s mirror is used with sodium light (=589.3 nm) and the slit placed 3 mm above the
reflecting surface and 3 m from the screen. Find the position of the first bright fringe above
the level of the reflecting surface.

A dark fringe occurs at the level of the reflecting surface.

s
s  3 m; a  6 mm ; y   0.295 mm
na
The first dark fringe is 0.295 mm above the level of the reflecting surface.

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Example:
In a Young’s experiment a glass cylinder 50 mm long is placed in front of one of the
secondary source slits. The central fringe position is located with white light. The air is
evacuated and is replaced with a gas. The central fringe is now seen to be displaced.
Illuminating the system with red light from a hydrogen discharge lamp, =656.3 nm, the
central fringe had moved 42 fringe widths (for the red light). If the refractive index of air is
1.00028 for =656.3 nm, find the refractive index of the gas.

OPD  ng l  nl  ng  n l  42  ng  1.00083

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Dielectric Thin Films:
The optical path difference for the first two
emergent beams is,
 2t 
OPD  n f  AB  BC   n0 AD  n f    n0 AC sin i

 cos i 
 2t   2t 
 nf    n f sin i AC  n f    n f sin i 2t tan i 
 cos i    cos i  
 1 
 2n f t   sin i  tan i  
 cos i  
OPD  2n f t cos i

The conditions for constructive interference is 2n f t cos i   2  m

The condition for destructive interference is 2n f t cos i   2  (m  1 / 2)

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Fringes of Equal Inclination:
They are formed by parallel incident beams
from an extended source. Fringes of equal
inclination are focused by a lens.

Example:
Red light from a hydrogen discharge lamp, =656.28 nm, is incident at 30 on a thin film of
refractive index 1.5. What is the minimum thickness of film if an intensity maximum is to be
observed?
2n f t cos i   2  m n sin i  n sin i i  19.47


2
tmin   1650 nm
2n f cos i

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Antireflection Coating:
Suppose now the film is on a substrate, if ns>nf>n1,
then both E1r and E2r will have a phase shift  at the
interface due to the external reflection. For normal
incidence, the condition (path condition) for destructive
interference will be,
2n f t  (m  1 / 2)


t  2m  1 m  0, 1, 2,...
4n f
amplitude condition: n f  n1 ns

The minimum thickness single layer antireflection films

are often referred to as quarter-wavelength films.

 f
t min  
4n f 4

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Fringe of Equal Thickness:
Interference from a wedge-shaped dielectric film,
producing localized fringes of equal thickness.
m bright fringes
2n f t    
m  1 2 dark fringes
For small wedge angle , the fringe width is,
t m1  t m 
x  x m1  xm  
 2n f 

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Newton’s Ring:

The Newton’s ring is formed by an air wedge between the spherical surface and an
optically flat surface. Equal-thickness contours are concentric circles around the
point of contact with the optical flat
rm2  t m2
R  r  R  tm  R
2 2 2
m
2t m
For rm>>tm, rm2  2 Rt m The radius of the mth order of the dark fringe is

m mR
2n f t     rm 
m  1 2 nf

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Example:
In an experiment the Newton’s rings apparatus is illuminated with the green light from a
mercury lamp, =546.1 m. If the diameters of the 10th and 20th dark rings are 2.10 mm and
2.96 mm, respectively, calculate the radius of curvature of the convex surface. Assuem nf=1.

rm 
mR
r202  r102 
20  10R
nf nf
R  19.92 cm

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Michelson Interferometer:
2d
2d cos  m  m m 

With increasing d, the fringe pattern
appears to expand outward from
the center, where they seem to
originate. With decreasing d, the
fringe pattern appears to shrink
toward the center, where they seem
to disappear.

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Coherence:
The OPD must not exceed the coherence length (the
wave-train length) if interference is to occur. The
Michelson interferometer can thus be used to
determine the length of wave-train.
Example:
Suppose a thin sheet of glass of refractive index ns is
inserted in one arm of a Michelson interferometer which is
illuminated by mercury light, =546.1 nm. If 94 fringes are
displaced when the sheet is inserted, find its refractive
index if the thickness is 0.0513 mm.
OPD  2nS  1t  m
m 94  546.1 10 9
nS  1  3
 1  1.5
2t 2  0.0513 10

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Film Thickness Measurement:
For normal incidence, 2n f t  m
If the air-film thickness changes by t=d, the
order of interference m changes accordingly,
2n f t  2n f d  (m)
For a shift of fringes of magnitude a, the change
in m is given by m  a x

a  a f
d 
x 2n f x 2 d

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Example:
Find the refractive index of a single layer antireflection film used on glass of refractive index
1.7 if no light of wavelength 550 nm, is reflected on normal incidence. What is the
reflectance for =400 nm?

n f  nair ns  1.3038; n f t   4  137.5 nm

n f 1 2 nf ns  n f
r1    0.1319; t1  t 2   0.9913; r2    0.1319;
n f 1 n f 1 ns  n f
t1r2t 2  r1
2n f t
  2  2  0.6875  247.5
400
r 2  r12  r22  2r1r2 cos   0.0215

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Example:
The figure shows the Jamin interferometer with two identical chambers placed in the paths of
the interfering beams. The inner lengths of the chambers are 25 cm and a mercury source,
=546.1 nm, illuminates the system. If both chambers are evacuated and air is allowed to
slowly fill one of them, the observer sees 133 fringes sweep by a cross-line hair in the focal
plane of the telescope objective. Find the refractive index of the air in the chamber.

OPD  nair  1d  m

m 133  546.110 9
nair  1   1  1.000291
d 0.25

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Example:
A thin wedge of transparent liquid is formed between two flat glass plates. The spacers is a
hair 0.1 mm in diameter placed 60 mm from the apex of the wedge and lying at the center of
a dark fringe. If there are 462 dark fringes from the apex to the spacer, calculate the
refractive index of the film when sodium light, =589.3 nm, is used for the illumination.

t m1  t m  60 10 3
x  xm1  xm     0.13 10 3 m
 2n f  462  1
t m 0.1
   1.667 10 3
xm 60

nf   1.358
2x

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 The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Interference
Example:
The figure shows the arrangement for a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. It consists of two
mirrors M1 and M2, and two beam-splitters B1 and B2. Explain how it can produce fringes
of equal inclination and fringes of equal thickness.

When all the mirrors and beam-splitters are

parallel it will produce circular fringes of equal
inclination. Tilting one mirror slightly will create
fringes of equal thickness, as in the wedge-shaped
film. Since the beams follow markedly different
paths, before being brought together to create the
interference pattern, one can insert large test
objects in one path.

Homework: 13.1; 13.2; 13.6; 13.8;

13.12; 13.15; 13.17; 13.20

Optics II----by Dr.H.Huang, Department of Applied Physics 21