Physics 104

Lecture 12

Electromagnetic Waves
(Interference & Diffraction)

1
Communiversity
2
Princeton Nursery School May 5
th

Liberty Science Center May 11
th

Foundation Academy May 12
th


Final Exam Announcement
Friday, May 16
th

1:30pm-4:30pm
McDonnell A01, A02 and Jadwin A10
Closed book, Closed notes
No calculators or electronic devices
3
Remember:
Exam 4 is a take-home (45min.) available online
starting at noon on Friday May 2
nd
.
Due by NEXT Friday May 9
th
at noon use the
PHY 104 return box in Jadwin Hall on the 1st Floor
near the Entrance
Superposition Principle
Superposition principle states that the
total electric or magnetic field due to two
sources is the sum of the individual
fields:



EM waves consist of propagating E and
B fields.
The E and B fields of two sources add
according to the superposition principle.





E
total
=

E
1
+

E
2
+ ...

B
total
=

B
1
+

B
2
+ ...
4
Interfering waves with
unequal amplitudes: E
B
=.9E
A
Constructive
A and B in phase
Wave A
Wave B
Wave A+B
Destructive
A and B out
of phase 1/2
cycle (180
o
)
Wave A
Wave B
Wave A+B
t
t
E
E
5
Coherence
Two or more waves can produce interference effects.

To get a consistent interference effect, the two
waves must be coherent.

Coherent means that the phase difference between the
waves is constant.

Two incandescent light bulbs do not produce coherent
waves, since the light in each is produced by atoms
radiating independently and randomly.
6
Question
150 nm
nm 600 =
Q1. Is the interference between
the reflected beams:
A) Constructive
B) Destructive
C) Somewhere in between
D) Not enough information
given.
7
Producing coherence
and phase shifts.
Single light source,
split into two beams.
Single light source,
reflected off two surfaces.
8
Speed of light in
transparent media v = c/n

Speed of light in vacuum = c =
0
f
0
Speed of light in media is less than c:
v =
c
n
< c
n = index of refraction : n > 1
v =
c
n
=

0
f
0
n
= f
But frequency depends on the oscillating charge
that produced the EM wave.
f = f
0
=

0
n
9
Phase shift due to reflections
Reflections can produce phase shifts:

1) Reflection from less dense medium off more dense
medium (hard reflection):
phase shift is t (equivalent to /2)

2) Reflections from more dense medium off less dense
medium (soft reflection):
phase shift is 0

10
Thin film interference
Example:
n
1
<n
2
<n
3

Here, both waves have phase shift on reflection, thus
there is no net relative phase shift due to reflections.
Thus,
2 L
water
= 0, , 2, ... constructive
2 L
water
= /2, 3/2, ...destructive
where,
=
water
=
0
/n 11
Q2. What is condition for
destructive interference?
n
1
< n
2
> n
3

Ray 1 has phase shift of t (/2).
Ray 2 has no phase shift.

(A) 2 t
water
= 0, , 2,..
(B) 2 t
water
= /2, 3/2,... =
water
=
0
/n

12
Thin-Film Interference in
soap bubble
Gravity makes the
bubble thin at the top
and thick at the bottom.
Why is it black at the
top?
13
Phasing in an Antenna Array
14
Huygens Principle
Each point on a
primary waveform
serves as the source
of spherical
secondary wavelets
that advance with a
speed and frequency
equal to those of the
primary wave.
15
2-slit interference water
waves
By passing water waves
through narrow slits,
one generates spherical
wavelets emanating
from each slit.
The two wavelets then
interfere.
16
Interference-path difference
Path length differences
are a common source of
phase shifts.

Phase difference: | = 2t
Ar

|
\

|
.
|
where Ar = path difference
and = wavelength
17
Interference from
Two (Very Narrow) Slits
m d = sin
) ( sin
2
1
+ = m d
Interference maxima:
Interference minima:
18
Microwave zone plate
In this demo you see vividly how microwaves can
interfere, depending on their path difference.

Each zone plate corresponds to a different path length
from the source to the detector.

19
Microwave zone plate demo
The zone plate with some
of the zones removed.
The microwave detector is
shown in front of the plate.
The source is behind the plate.
20
Zone plate
Source
Detector
L1
L1
L2
L2
21
Zone plate condition for
interference
Source
Detector
L1
L1
L2
L2
Constructive: 2L
1
-2L
2
= , 2 ,


Destructive: 2L
1
- 2L
2
= /2, 3
/2,
22
Single Slit Diffraction
23
Single Slit Diffraction
A more complicated
interference pattern results. It
has first intensity zero at:
Huygens principle
tells us that the
opening of a single
slit emits multiple
spherical wavelets.
q = = sin
2
sin
2
a
a
24
Pin Hole Camera (Airy Spot)
25
Point
Source
Pin
Hole
What about a solid
sphere?
26
Q3. What will happen if we shine laser light
at a solid sphere?

a) Will create a solid black shadow
b) Some light will appear on the screen directly
on the axis of the laser beam
Poisson Point
27
Point
Source
Poisson Point
28
Single Slit Diffraction
L
y
= tan
= sin a
But since
q sin tan
a
L
y

=
The narrower the slit,
the wider the diffraction
pattern.
29
Double-slit Interference
with Diffraction
30
In general, one observes the combined effects of two-slit
and single-slit interference. Here d = 5a.
Diffraction Grating (N slits)
31
Atomic Line Spectra
32
33
Single Photon Counting
34
3000 photons 10,000 photons
100,000 photons 1

M photons
4 M photons
30 M photons
How about
Interference?