Diffraction

Fresnel Diffraction Integral

For

where
 Aperture would modify ‘A’ the amplitude of PW

1. It is assumed that the screen (in the plane of the

aperture) does not effect the field at the point P. This is
an approximation because we know that the optical
constants of the screen material will effect the
boundary conditions for the electromagnetic field at the
surface. This assumption will become more valid when ‘At λ larger than the array period no diffraction occurs and sharp peaks
the size of the aperture becomes larger.
are observed in transmission’. Transmission greater than the integrated
I = I0 (Sin2 β / β2); applicable for b > λ intensity over the area occupied by the holes, light impinging
on the metal between the holes can also be transmitted.
2. The treatment not valid for apertures of size smaller
than the wavelength. Normal incidence transmission images (top) and spectra (bottom) for
three square arrays of subwavelength holes. The hole diameter and
3. Used a scalar theory. The field is represented by a scalar
spacing (in nm) were Blue:(155, 300); Green: (180,450) and Red (225,
function u; this implies that the electric field is in the
same direction everywhere. This assumption will e valid 550) respectively. The arrays made in a free standing 300 nm thick
when the line joining the point O with the observation silver film
point P makes a small angel with the axis.
Ebbesen et al, Nature, 391, 667 (1998) Barnes, et al. Nature 424, 824(2003)
=

Fresnel Diffraction Integral

1While change in ‘r’ is small the exponential factor changes rapidly

 Fresnel Diffraction Integral

(9)

Neglect of term proportional to α2 will be justified if it leads

to a phase change that is much smaller than π. Thus the
Fresnel Approximation will be valid when
19.3: Uniform amplitude and phase distribution

(9)
 Leads to

For a = 1 cm, λ = 500 nm, Z >> 20000 cm

 Fraunhofer diffraction by a rectangular aperture

origin has been taken to be at the center of the rectangular aperture.

Carrying out the integration we obtain

Sin θ = x/z and sin ϕ = y/z, with θ & ϕ representing the

angle of diffraction along the x & y directions respectively

a = b = 0.01 cm and z = 100 cm, and λ = 500 nm

Along x intensity minima when β = (2π/λ)(x/z)(b/2) = mπ ; x = 0.5 m. Similar along y.
When a tends to ∞

becomes very sharply peaked around ϕ = 0 which

implies no diffraction along the y axis
Diffraction by a circular aperture

Consider
 where

J1(ν) Bessel function of first order

Zeros of J1(ν) occur at v = 3.832, 7.016,……

First zero corresponds to

Sin θ =(3.832/π) (λ/2a) = 1.22 (λ/2a)