Y



2 Huygenƞs principle
requires that the waves
spread out after they
pass through slits
2 This spreading out of
light from its initial line
of travel is called
diffraction
2 In general, diffraction
occurs when wave pass
through small openings,
around obstacles or by
sharp edges
„iffraction, 2
2A single slit placed between a distant
light source and a screen produces a
diffraction pattern
2 It will have a broad, intense central band
2 The central band will be flanked by a series
of narrower, less intense secondary bands
2 Called secondary maxima
2 The central band will also be flanked by a
series of dark bands
2 Called minima
„iffraction, 3
2 The results of the
single slit cannot be
explained by
geometrical optics
2 Geometrical optics
would say that light
rays traveling in
straight lines should
cast a sharp image
of the slit on the
screen
Gresnel and Graunhofer
„iffraction
 
 

G

 G 

2 Relation of Gresnel diffraction to Graunhofer
diffraction by a single slit
Graunhofer „iffraction
2 Graunhofer „iffraction
occurs when the rays
leave the diffracting
object in parallel
directions
2 A bright fringe is seen
along the axis (è
(è ÿ 0)
with alternating bright
and dark fringes on
each side
Y



2 According to Huygenƞs
principle, each portion of
the slit acts as a source of
waves
2 The light from one portion
of the slit can interfere with
light from another portion
2 The resultant intensity on
the screen depends on the
direction è
[ingle [lit „iffraction, 2
2 All the waves that originate at the slit are in phase
2 Wave 1 travels farther than wave 3 by an amount
equal to the path difference (a (a/2)sinè
/2)sinè
2 If this path difference is exactly half of a
wavelength (180o), the two waves cancel each
other and destructive interference results
2 (a/2)sinè
(a/2)sin è ÿ /2 (for first or n ÿ 1) or a sin èÿ
2 In general, destructive interference occurs for a
single slit of width a when sin
sinè
èdarkÿ /a
2 ÿ ’1, ’ 2, ’ 3, Ʀ
[ingle [lit „iffraction, 3
2 The general features of the
intensity distribution are
shown
2 A broad central bright fringe
is flanked by much weaker
bright fringes alternating
with dark fringes
2 The points of constructive
interference lie
approximately halfway
between the dark fringes
6
6
Y


x

 

 
 


















 




 
 
 






 
 


Y



2 Thediffracting grating consists of many
equally spaced parallel slits
2 A typical grating contains several thousand
lines per centimeter
2 The intensity of the pattern on the
screen is the result of the combined
effects of interference and diffraction
 „iffraction Grating, cont.
2 The condition for maxima is

d sin
sinèèbrightÿ


ÿ0, 1, 2, Ʀ

2 The integer
is the order

nu
ber of the diffraction
pattern
2 If the incident radiation
contains several wavelengths,
each wavelength deviates
through a specific angle
„iffraction Grating, cont.
2 All the wavelengths are
focused at
ÿ 0
2 This is called the zeroth-
zeroth- order

axi
u

2 The first order
axi
u

corresponds to
ÿ 1
2 Note the sharpness of the
principle
axi
a and the
broad range of the dark area
2 This is in contrast to to the
broad, bright fringes
characteristic of the two-
two-slit
interference pattern
Grating spectrometer
2 The light to be analyzed
passes through a slit and
is formed into a parallel
beam by a lens. The
diffracted light leaves the
grating at angles that
satisfy d sin
sinèèbrightÿ

„iffraction Grating in C„
Tracking
2 A diffraction grating can
be used in a three-
three-
beam method to keep
the beam on a C„ on
track
2 The central maximum
of the diffraction
pattern is used to read
the information on the
C„
2 The two first-
first-order
maxima are used for
steering