Chapter 13: Fresnel Diffraction

Diffraction
Geometrical optics

light cant turn a corner.

Diffraction
Physical optics

Francesco Maria Grimaldi

(1618 - 1663)

actually, it can.

Huygens-Fresnel principle
every point on a wavefront may be regarded as a secondary
source of spherical wavelets
The propagated wave
follows the periphery of
the wavelets.

Huygens, just add the wavelets

considering interference!

Huygens-Fresnel principle
If one perturbs a plane wavefront, the Huygens wavelets
will no longer constructively interfere at all points in
space. Adding the wavelets by physical optics explains
why light can turn corners and create fringes around
images of objects.

Obliquity factor
(oblique obscure?)
- wavelets propagate isotropicallyin forward and reverse directions
- to use the Huygens approach, modify amplitude of wavefront as a
function of :

Calculating the diffracted wave

spherical waves:

EO

Es i ( kr t )
e
r

Fresnel-Kirchhoff diffraction integral:

ikES it
e ik ( r r )
EP
e F
dA
2
rr
phase shift

i e i / 2

obliquity factor

1 cos
F ( )
2

In general, not an easy task. Lucky for you, Fresnel made it simpler.

Diffraction dudes: Fresnel and Fraunhofer

Contemporaries, but not collaborators (nor competitors).

Fresnel vs. Fraunhofer diffraction

S
P

Fraunhofer:
both incident and diffracted
waves may be considered to
be planar (i.e. both S and P
are far from the aperture)

Fresnel:
occurs when either S or P are
close enough to the aperture
that wavefront curvature is not
negligible

Fresnel diffraction from an edge

Fresnel diffraction from a slit

Irradiance

irradiance vs. position, just after a slit illuminated by a laser

x1

From Fresnel to Fraunhofer diffraction

Incident
plane wave

Fresnel vs. Fraunhofer diffraction

view from source:

h2
h2

2r 2 p

view from point of interest:

near field

1 1 1

2 p q

h2 h2

2 r 2q

h2

A
d

where d represents p or q (=distance

from source or point to aperture)
A is aperture area

Fresnel number, F
source:

Fresnel diffraction occurs when:

h2
F
1
d
Fraunhofer diffraction occurs when:

h2
F
1
d

where h = aperture or slit size

= wavelength
d = distance from the aperture (p or q)

point:

Fresnel diffraction from an array of slits:

the Talbot effect

one of the few Fresnel diffraction problems that can be solved analytically
beam pattern alternates between two different fringe patterns
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaeloso/4256791024/

Rolling out the optical carpet: Talbot effect

http://physicsworld.com/
cws/article/print/133

Getting into the zone

Fresnels approach to diffraction from circular aperatures

zone spacing = /2:

r1 = r0 + /2
r2 = r0 +
r3 = r0 + 3 /2
rn = r0 + n /2
these are called the

Fresnel zones

Stay in the zone

as we draw a phasor diagram where each zone is subdivided into 15 subzones

5
4
3
2
1

half-period zones

obliquity factor shortens successive phasors

circles do not close, but spiral inwards
amplitude a1 = A1 : resultant of subzones in 1st half-period zone
composite amplitude at P from n half-period zones:

An a1 a2 ei a3e i 2 a4 e i 3 ...an e i ( n 1)
An a1 a2 a3 a4 e i 3 ...an

Adding up the zones

individual phasors

composite phasors

for large N,
resultant amplitude=
half that of zone 1

Implications of Fresnel zones

For N contributing Fresnel zones,
If N is small,
a1 ~ aN
for odd N,
for even N,

AN ~ a1
AN ~ 0

If N is large (i.e. huge aperture)

aN 0
for any N,
AN ~ a1

strange Implications of Fresnel zones. Part 1

A circular aperture is matched in size
with the first Fresnel zone:
What is amplitude of the wavefront at P?

AP = a1
Now open the aperture wider to also
admit zone 2:
AP ~ 0 !
Now remove aperture, allowing all
zones to contribute:

AP = a1 !!!
(Irradiance only !)

strange Implications of Fresnel zones. Part 2

A circular disk is matched in size with
the first Fresnel zone:
What is amplitude of the wavefront at P?
all zones except the first contribute
first contributing zone is the second

AP = a2
irradiance at center of shadow nearly the
same as without the disk present!

How absurd!

Simon Denis Poisson (1781-1840)

Poisson/Arago spot

The Fresnel zone plate

16 zones

An a1 a2 a3 a4 e i 3 ...an
If the 2nd, 4th, 6th, etc. zones are blocked, then:

A16 a1 a3 a5 a7 a9 a11 a13 a15

Amplitude at P is 16 times the amplitude of a1 /2
Irradiance at P is (16)2 times!

An alternative to blocking zones

Fresnel vs. plano-convex
lens
lens

phases of adjacent Fresnel zones changed by

Kewaunee, Wisconsin

Fresnel lighthouse lens

other applications: overhead projectors

automobile headlights
solar collectors
traffic lights

Fresnels treatment of straight edges

cylindrical wavefronts diffracted by rectangular aperture:

consider source
to be a slit

zones are now rectangular strips

edge view:

Fresnels treatment of straight edges

again, zone spacing =

adding the phasors gives the
endpoints of a Cornu spiral

Phasors trace a Cornu spiral

2 zones:

areas of Fresnel strip zones

decrease rapidly with n
successive phasor
amplitudes of zones are
much shorterhalf circle
never reached
phasors continue to spiral to
limit point E (eye)
zones of lower half produce
twin spiral in 3rd quadrant

Applications of the Cornu spiral

straight edge:

wire:

Other Cornu spirals

Cornucopia

Cornu spiral pendant

$34.99
Roman Cornu horn

http://www.mboot.net

Cornu aspersum, garden snail

Exercises
You are encouraged to
solve all problems in the
textbook (Pedrotti3).
The following may be
covered in the werkcollege
on 13 October 2010:
Chapter 13:
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 18