DIFFRACTION Lesson 2.

INTRODUCTION
• The phenomenon of bending of light round the corners of
an obstacle and spreading of light waves into its
geometrical shadow is known as Diffraction.
• The amount of bending depends on the size of the obstacle
and wavelength of light.
• The bending of light is very small when the dimensions of
the obstacle or aperture are large as compared to
wavelength. It becomes more when the dimensions are
comparable with wavelength.
This phenomenon was first observed and explained by Fresnel.
The diffraction is observed due to mutual interaction between
secondary wavelet origination from various points of the
primary wave front.
There are two types of diffraction phenomenon, Fresnel and
Fraunhofer diffraction.

FRESNEL DIFFRACTION: Diffraction phenomenon observed

when source and screen are at finite distance from the
aperture or obstacle

• FRAUNHOFER DIFFRACTION: Diffraction phenomenon

observed when source and screen are at infinite distance
from the aperture or obstacle
[This type of diffraction can be observed in the laboratory by
using two convex lens, one to make the light from the source
parallel before it falls on the aperture and the other to focus the
light after diffraction onto the screen. This arrangement makes
the source and screen to be at infinity.]

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INTERFERENCE AND

DIFFRACTION PATTERNS?
Interference pattern
• It is due to interaction between two separate wave fronts
originating from the two coherent sources.
• Interference bands are of equal width
• All the bright fringes are of the same intensity
• The regions of minimum intensity are almost perfectly dark
Diffraction Pattern
• It is due to interaction between the secondary wavelets
originating from different points of primary wave front.
• Diffraction bands decrease in their width as the order
increases
• The bright fringes are of varying intensity
• The regions of minimum intensity are not perfectly dark.

FRAUNHOFER DIFFRACTION DUE TO SINGLE SLIT

Describe Fraunhofer diffraction due to single slit and study
the diffraction pattern?
In order to study the diffraction pattern due to single slit, a plane
wave front WW' of monochromatic light of wavelength λ is
allowed to fall normally on slit AB of width e perpendicular to
the plane of the paper (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
According to Huygen’s principle, every point in the slit AB
sends out secondary wavelets in all directions.
• All the waves traveling in a incident direction are brought
to focus by the lens at a point Po on screen. The Po
corresponds to the position of the central bright maximum,
as all the waves traverse equal paths and therefore, they
interfere in phase.
• The secondary wavelets traveling in a direction inclined at
an angle θ to the horizontal are focused at a point P1 on
the screen. The intensity at this point depends on the path
difference between secondary waves originating from the
corresponding points of the wave front.
From A and B drop a perpendicular AC on BR as shown in Fig.
1.
The path difference between waves originating form A & B is
BC = AB sin θ = e sin θ
2π
Corresponding phase difference = λ e sinθ
Let the slit of width ‘e’ be divided into 'n' equal parts. For a
parallel beam of incident light, amplitude of vibration of waves
from each part can be considered to be same 'a'.
∴ Phase difference between two waves originating from
consecutive parts
1 2π
= n * Total Phase = nλ * (e sin θ ) = d (say)
The resultant amplitude due to all the waves originating from all
parts can be determined by vector polygon method and it is
given as
nd πe sin θ
sin sin sin α
2 λ
R= a d = a πe sin θ = a sin
α
sin sin n
2 nλ

2π
where ‘d’ = nλ
e sin θ is the phase difference between any two
consecutive waves
‘a’ is amplitude of individual wave and α = π e
sinθ /λ
sin α
=> R = a n α [since sin(α /n) = α /n
as (α /n) is very small]
sin α
=A α where A = na
sin α
Intensity = R2 = A2 (
α
)2

Principle Maximum: Resultant amplitude and resultant

intensity gets max. value when θ = 0 i.e., when α = 0 Rmax =
A => I = Io = Imax = A2
Minimum Intensity: Intensity will be minimum only when
e sin θ = nλ =
α = nπ where n = 1, 2, 3 -----. => I = 0
n = 0 is not allowed because when m = 0, θ = 0 which
corresponds to principle maximum.
Secondary maximum: In addition to principle maximum
secondary maximum are also obtained between two consecutive
minima.
(2n +1)λ
The secondary maxima occurs when e sin θ = 2 => α =
( 2n +1)π
2

3π 5π 7π
α = , ,
2 2 2 and so on.
When α = 3π /2, => I1 = Io / 22 ;
α = 5 π /2, => I2 = Io / 61;
α = 7 π /2, => I3 = Io / 120; ------
The intensity of the secondary maximum gradually decreases.
Most of the incident light is concentrated in the principle
maximum.
FRAUNHOFER DIFFRACTION DUE TO DOUBLE SLIT
Describe diffraction due to double slit and study the
diffraction pattern?
In case of Fraunhofer
diffraction due to double slit
each of width ‘e’ and
separated by distance ‘d’,
the resultant intensity
distribution is a product of
the single slit diffraction
pattern and the interference Fig. 2
pattern produced by two
point sources separated by a
distance ‘d’ (Fig. 2).
Consider two parallel slits
AB and CD each of width e
and separated by an opaque
distance d.

A parallel beam of light from a monochromatic source of

wavelength λ is allowed to fall normally on two slits. The
diffracted light from slits is focused on the screen placed in the
focal plane of a convex lens as shown in Fig. 2.
According to Huygens principle, every point in the slits AB &
CD sends out secondary wavelets in all directions. All the
waves traveling in a incident direction are brought to focus by
the lens at a point Po on screen. The Po corresponds to the
position of the central bright maximum, as all the waves traverse
equal paths and therefore, they interfere in phase.
The wavelets traveling in a direction inclined at an angle with
the incident direction are focused at a point P on screen . Then
from the theory of diffraction at single slit, resultant amplitude
sin α
due to all wavelets diffracted from each slit is given by {A α }
where α = π e sinθ /λ .
The two slits act as two coherent sources placed at their middle
points S1 and S2 each sending a wave of amplitude {A sinα /α }
in a direction ‘θ ’ to the normal. Consequently the resultant
amplitude at the point P on the screen is due to the interference
of these two waves originating in the same phase ‘α ’ but
having a certain phase difference δ on reaching P depending
upon the path difference. To determine the phase difference,
drop a perpendicular S1K from S1 on S2 P. Then the path
difference is given as ∆ = S2 K.
From triangle S1 S2 K, S2 K = S1 S2 sinθ = (e+d) Sinθ
2π
Therefore the corresponding phase difference = λ [(e + d)
sinθ ]
Resultant amplitude R at P is the resultant of two vectors each of
sin α 2π
magnitude {A α } and making an angle of ‘δ ’ (= λ [(e+d)
Sin θ ]) as shown in Fig. 2.
sin α 2 sin α 2 sin α 2
R2 = [A α ] + [A α ] + 2 [A α ] Cos δ
sin α 2
= 2 [A α ] [1+ Cos δ ]
sin α 2
= 4 [A α ] Cos2 (δ /2)
sin α 2
= 4 A2 [ α ] [Cos (δ /2)]
2

sin α π
= 4 A2 [ α ]2 Cos2[ λ (e+d) Sin θ ]
sin α π
R2 = I = 4 [A α ] Cos2β where β = [ λ (e+d) Sin θ ]
sin α
The first term {A α }2 is same as derived for a single
Fraunhofer diffraction. It gives the intensity distribution in the
diffraction pattern due to any individual slit. The second term
gives the intensity pattern due to waves starting from the parallel
slits. The resultant intensity at any point on the screen is equal to
the product of two factors.
sin α
Special cases: If e ~ 0 then α ~ 0 => α = 1 then the
resultant pattern consists only interference pattern. Thus if the
slit width is very small then the only interference term only
contributes to the resultant pattern.
If (e+d ) = 0 which implies that the two slits merge to one the
β = 0
=> Cos β = 1 then the resultant pattern consists only
diffraction pattern. Thus if the distance between two slits is
reduced to zero, in other words if two slits becomes one then the
only diffraction term contributes to the resultant pattern.
First term gives central principal maxima in the direction of
incident ray i.e., θ = 0
The intensity gets minimum value when sin α = 0 i.e., when
e Sin θ = m λ
The position of secondary maxima are α = 3π /2 ; 5π /2;
--------
Second term gives a set of equidistant dark and bright bands
The intensity distribution is the resultant diffraction pattern is a
sin α 2
plot of the product of constant tem 4A2, diffraction term ( α )
and the interference term Cos2β

DIFFRACTION GRATING:
Write a short notes on Diffraction Grating?

The Diffraction grating is an extremely useful device to

determine the wavelength of light of a given monochromatic
source. An arrangement, consisting of large number of parallel
slits of same width and separated by same opaque spaces is
known as diffraction grating.
A plane transmission grating can be constructed by ruling
equidistant parallel lines on an optically transparent material
(like glass plate) with a fine diamond point. The space between
any two lines is transparent to the light and hence acts as a slit.
In order to study the
diffraction pattern,
consider ‘N’ slits each of
width ‘e’ and separated by
an opaque distance ‘d’
(Fig. 3). Then (e+d) is
Fig. 3
known as grating element.
Let WW' be the plane wave
front allowed to fall
normally on grating (N
slits). The secondary
wavelets traveling in the
direction inclined at angle
θ with the incident are
focused at a point P on
screen XY.

The pattern observed on the screen is the result of the combined

effects of interference and diffraction. Each slit produces
diffraction and diffracted beams interfere with each other to
produce the final pattern. According to Fraunhofer diffraction at
a single slit the wavelets proceeding from all points in a slit
along the direction ‘θ ’ are equivalent to a single wave of
amplitude {A sin α / α } starting from mid point of the slit,
where α = (π e Sin θ ) / λ .
N diffracted rays from N slits superimpose on each other
resulting bright and dark bands on the screen XY. The path
difference between any two rays emitting from two consecutive
slits is given ∆ = {(e + d) Sinθ }, and corresponding phase
difference is {(2π /λ )(e+d) Sinθ }. Now the problem of
finding the intensity along a given direction reduces to finding
the resulting amplitude of N vibrations in a direction θ each of
amplitude A Sin α / α having a constant phase difference 2β
= [2π / λ ] (e+d) Sinθ
Using the method of vector addition the resultant amplitude
I = R2 = [A Sin α / α ]2 [Sin Nβ / Sinβ ]2
The first term gives the distribution of intensity due to single slit
and the second term gives the distribution of intensity as a
combined effect of all slits

Two important changes occur when the number of slits

increases:
Fringes becomes narrower
Intensity of additional maxima decreases and there
negligible in their effect

Transmission gratings are used to determine the wavelength of

monochromatic source of light and also to determine the slit
width.
Determination of wavelength.
Diffraction gratings are used to determine the wavelengths
that are emitted by any source of light. Spectrometer can be
used to determine the wavelength using grating.

The light from source S is allowed to pass through the

collimator C. The parallel beam of rays from C ar now incident
perpendicularly on grating G. The light rays are diffracted into a
pattern with zero order diffracted at angle θ =0 along the central
axis of the grating, and the intensity gets maximum ( central
maximum).
When polychromatic light ( white light) is used as a source of
light different colours of different orders can be observed on
either side of the zeroth ordered (principal maxima).
By measuring the angles of different colours of different orders
the corresponding wavelength are determined by using the
formula
sin θ
λ=
Nn
where N is no. of lines per cm.
n is the order of the spectrum.

The principal maxima will takes place when (e+d)sin θ = n λ

----- 1
Equation 1 is known as diffraction equation .
Dispersive power:

In order to use a grating to distinguish two wavelengths that

are close to each other the grating must spread apart the
diffraction lines associated with the wavelength’s.
dθ n Nn
The dispersion is defined as D = dλ
= (e + d ) cos θ = cos θ

To achieve high dispersion grating element should be small.

Resolving power:

The resolving power of a grating is its ability to show two

neighbouring lines in a spectrum as separate. It is defined as the
ratio of the wavelength of any spectral line to its difference of
wavelengths between this line and a neighbouring line such that
the two spectral lines can be just seen as separate.
 Two lines of wavelengths λ and λ + dλ are said to be just
resolved if the central maxima due to λ + dλ falls on the first
minima of λ .
λ
The resolving power of diffraction grating is given by R = dλ
= Nn