Diffraction:

In addition to interference, waves also exhibit another property diffraction, which is the bending of
waves as they pass by some objects or through an aperture. The phenomenon of diffraction can be
understood using Huygenss principle which states that

Every unobstructed point on a wavefront will act a source of secondary spherical waves. The new
wavefront is the surface tangent to all the secondary spherical waves.

Propagation of wave based on Huygenss principle.

According to Huygenss principle, light wave incident on two slits will spread out and exhibit an
interference pattern in the region beyond. The pattern is called a diffraction pattern. On the other
hand, if no bending occurs and the light wave continues to travel in straight lines, then no diffraction
pattern would be observed (shown below).

(a) (b)

(a) Spreading of light leading to a diffraction pattern. (b) Absence of diffraction pattern if the
paths of the light wave are straight lines.

We shall restrict ourselves to a special case of diffraction called the Fraunhofer diffraction.
In this case, all light rays that emerge from the slit are approximately parallel to each other.
For a diffraction pattern to appear on the screen, a convex lens is placed between the slit and
screen to provide convergence of the light rays
Fraunhofer Diffraction:

In this case, source and screen are placed at infinite distances from the obstacle. In this case,
for getting diffraction, we need two convex lenses, one to make the light from the source
parallel and the other to focus the light after parallel rays. The incident wavefronts are plane
and the secondary wavelets, which originate from the unblocked position of the wavefront,
are in the same phase at every point in the plane of the obstacle. Fraunhofer diffraction can be
easily observed in practice.

Fraunhofer Diffraction of light by a slit of width a

Consider a slit AB of width a perpendicular to the plane of the paper. Let a plane wavefront
propagating normally to the slit is incident on it
Let the diffracted light is focused by means of a convex lens on a screen placed in the
focal plane of the lens.
According to Huygens-Fresnel, every point on the wavefront in the plane of the slit is
a source of secondary spherical wavelets, which spread out to the forward direction. The
secondary wavelets are focused on the screen at point O and it is a bright central image. The
secondary wavelets travelling at an angle with normal and focused at P on the screen
For finding the intensity at point P, consider the path difference between secondary
wavelets from A and B in direction
From figure, path difference =BC= ABsin=a sin --- (1)
Phase difference ()= (path difference)= a sin ---(2)

Let us consider that the width of the slit is divided into n slits. The phase difference between
any two consecutive waves from these would be

( total phase difference)= ( a sin)= d ---(3)

But the resultant amplitude,
( )
R= ---(4)
( )
Where x is the amplitude of each source
 ( a sin)
R=
( a sin)

( a sin)
R=
( a sin)

R= , where = a sin
( )

is small, hence sin ( )

R= =

R= , A= nx = amplitude due to n sources

Intensity I = R2 = A2 ( )2
Case-1

Principal Maxima : Intensity depends on amplitude , therefore

R= , where = a sin

The value of R will be maximum when = 0, because i = 1 maximum value

=0= a sin , = , which is the principle maxima

Case-II

Minimum intensity position:

The intensity will be minimum when R = 0, sin = 0,

= n = a sin

a sin = n -----(5)
Case III

Secondary maxima

R= maximum value for sin = = ( ) = a sin

a sin = ( ) ----(6)

Intensity distribution for a single slit diffraction

Expression for intensity for secondary maxima

In addition to principle maxima at = , there are secondary maxima in between equally spaced minima and the
condition for these secondary maxima is

= ( ) =0

( ) =0

Hence, either = or ( ) = , but = condition satisfies for minima

So, condition for maxima is ( )=
=
= = tan
Solution for such equations can be obtained from graphical method plot graph for both the equation and
identify the point where the above condition satisfies
The above figure shows both y = and y = tan graph and it is clear from the graph that the common
points for both graphs are = ( ) . But = is the condition for
principal maxima hence condition for secondary maxima is

= ( )

Intensity of Double-Slit Diffraction Patterns

The intensity of double slit-diffraction pattern is the result of interference of diffraction pattern
from each slit. Hence, the resultant pattern is an interference pattern with diffraction pattern as
bracket.

I = R2 = A2 ( )2cos2(/2)

Where cos(/2) is from interference component

From the above pattern it is clear that some of the interference maximas, which coincide with
diffraction minima are missing, these maxima are also known as missing order.

Diffraction due to n-slit or Grating

An arrangement of large number of equally spaced slit is known as diffraction grating and the
diffraction pattern obtained is known as diffraction spectrum.

A diffraction grating consists of a large number N of slits each of width e and separated from
the next by a distance d , as shown below

Path difference between adjacent rays is given below

(e+d)sin = n -------(7)

( )
= =

where N is grating element i.e., number slit per unit length = ( )

1. Determination of of beam of light from unknown source using grating

n =3

n =2

n =1

n =0
n =1

n =2

n =3

when a beam of monochromatic light falls normally on grating it splits into diffraction
pattern as shown above
= , ----(8)
n= order of maxima, N= grating element, = angle at which nth
maxima diffracted.

2. Finding the maximum order for a grating (nmax)

Rearranging equation (8)

n=

nmax= , for maximum value for sin = 1

3. Dispersive power of grating: Dispersive power of grating is defined as ration of change

in angle with respect to change in wavelength
Dispersive power =

Differentiating equation (8)

d =

Dispersive power is directly proportional to n and N and inversely to cos.

 4. Resolving power of grating: Resolving power of grating is the quality of grating
element in how clearly it can separate two close waves in the spectrum.
Resolving power =
Lets consider a beam of light consisting to two wavelength 1 and 2 which are
very close to each other, falls normally on a grating
2 = 1+ d , where d is very small
th
let n maxima for 1 forms at an angle n, nth maxima for 1+ d forms at angle
n+ d. As shown in the figure below.

Form equation (7), we get following condition

(e+d)sinn = n1

(e+d)sin(n+d) = n(1+d)=n1+nd ----- (9)

If we exam carefully 1 has maxima at n than at angle (n+d) it will have first minima only
when the path difference between the rays at n and (n+d) is now substituting this in equation (9) we
get

= nd

= nN

Thus resolving power of a grating is directly proportional to the order of spectrum(n) and the
grating element(N)