We have already seen that the most important condition necessary for interference of light is that the two

sources must be coherent. Fresnel, in his biprism experiment, obtained the coherent sources with the help

of a biprism. A biprism is a prism having a very large (almost 180) refracting angle. The ray diagram of Fresnel's biprism experiment is shown in Fig. (12.5). A narrow slit S is illuminated by monochromatic light and is placed parallel to the refracting edge of the biprism B. It should be noted that, the slit and the refracting edge of the biprism are at right angles to the plane of the figure. After refraction through the biprism, the rays appear to come from the two virtual images S1 and S2 of the slit. These virtual images act as the two coherent sources of light. Interference occurs in the region shown by the shaded portion in the figure, where light waves from both Sl and S2 overlap each other. The interference fringes can be seen through the micrometer eyepiece E.

The arrangement of the biprism experiment is shown in Fig. (12.6). The slit, the biprism and the micrometer eyepiece are carried by adjustable stands mounted on an optical bench. The optical bench is about one and a half metre long and a scale is marked along its length. A convex lens can be placed on another stand mounted on the optical bench. The slit and the biprism can be rotated about a horizontal axis.

Initially the slit, the biprism and the eyepiece are kept at the same height. The slit is made narrow and is illuminated by a monochromatic source of light such as a sodium vapour lamp. The stands carrying the slit and the biprism are kept close to each other. The slit is kept vertical. The biprism is now slowly rotated about a horizontal axis. When the refracting edge of the biprism becomes exactly parallel to the slit, a clear and sharp interference pattern consisting of alternate dark and bright bands is observed through the eyepiece. Initially the slit, the biprism and the eyepiece are kept at the same height. The slit is made narrow and is illuminated by a monochromatic source of light such as a sodium vapour lamp. The stands carrying the slit and the biprism are kept close to each other. The slit is kept vertical. The biprism is now slowly rotated about a horizontal axis. When the refracting edge of the biprism becomes exactly parallel to the slit, a clear and sharp interference pattern consisting of alternate dark and bright bands is observed through the eyepiece.

Fig. 12.6 : Fresnel's biprism-experimental arrangement Determination of the Wavelength of Light

The wavelength of monochromatic light used in the biprism experiment can be determined by using Eq. (12.8), viz.,

Xd

where X is the band width, i.e. the distance between two consecutive bright bands (or dark bands); d is the distance between the two sources and D is the distance between the sources and the screen.

As the screen is replaced by the micrometer eyepiece in this experiment and the two sources are formed in the plane of the slit (Fig. 12.5), the distance D in this case is equal to the distance between the slit and the eyepiece. It can be easily measured from the scale marked on the optical bench.

The band width X is measured with the help of the micrometer eyepiece. The eyepiece is first so adjusted that its vertical cross wire coincides with the bright band at one end of the interference pattern. The micrometer reading is noted. By rotating the micrometer screw, the vertical crosswire is made to coincide with each successive bright band in turn and the corresponding readings of the micrometer are noted. Let these readings be denoted by x2, x3, ...etc. Then the average value of ( x2 - xj, ( x3 - x2), etc. gives the band width X.

The distance d between the two coherent sources cannot be directly measured in this experiment because these sources are virtual. Therefore the following procedure is used. A convex lens is mounted between the biprism and the eyepiece. The eyepiece is moved away from the slit so that its

distance from the slit is more than four times the focal length of the lens. The lens is now moved towards the eyepiece and placed in such a way that two diminished images of the slit are clearly seen through the eyepiece (Fig. 12.7 (a)]. The vertical crosswire of the eyepiece is made to coincide with each image and the micrometer reading is noted. The difference between the two readings gives the distance d. between the two diminished images of the slit.

The lens is then moved towards the biprism and its position is so adjusted that two magnified images of the slit are seen through the eyepiece [Fig. 12.7 (b)]. The distance d2 between these images is measured. The distance d between the two virtual images of the slit can now be calculated by using the formula ,

d = Jd^ ...(12.9)

This formula can be easily proved. By the property of conjugate foci, the object and image distances get interchanged in the two adjustments described above. If the object distance is x and the image distance is y in the first adjustment [Fig. 12.7 (a)], we can write, size of image distance of image

size of object ~ distance of object dx y

-j- =~ -(i) d x

For the second adjustment [Fig 12.7 (b)] d7 x

-7 = "

dy

dxd2 y . X 7- = X = 1

dxy

d2 = dxd2 d = *Jdid2

Substituting in Eq. (12.8), we get_

X Jdidi

x = v...(12.10)

D-