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Wave Optics
AIEEE Syllabus
Wave optics: wavefront and Huygens’ principle, Laws of reflection and CHAPTER
refraction using Huygen’s principle. Interference, Young’s double slit
experiment and expression for fringe width, coherent sources and sustained
interference of light. Diffraction due to a single slit, width of central
maximum. Polarisation, plane polarized light; Brewster’s law, uses of plane
polarized light and Polaroids

In this chapter we will discuss about wave nature (interference and diffraction) of light
THIS CHAPTER
and particle behaviour (photoelectric effect) will be studied in modern physics later.
COVERS :
LIGHT WAVES
 Light Waves
1. Light of single wavelength is defined as monochromatic light.
 Huygen's Wave
2. Speed of light in vacuum is 3 × 108 m/s.
theory
3. In any medium, speed of light is lesser than speed of light in vacuum.
 Superposition of
4. The ratio of speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in a medium
Waves
c
is defined as the refractive index of the medium w.r.t. vacuum i.e.,   .
v  Young's Double Slit
5. Optical path length is defined as the distance travelled by light in vacuum Experiment
in same time interval in which it is traversed in a medium i.e., if light
 Interference
traversed in a medium of refractive index  by a distance l, optical
path = l.
through thin Films
Coherent Sources : Two sources emitting continuous light waves of same  Diffraction
frequency (or wavelength) in same phase (or having constant phase difference)
are called coherent sources.  Polarization

S1 S2 P
The phase difference between waves reaching at P, will be independent of time
when the frequencies of the sources are same. Therefore wavelength and
speed are also same.
Wavefront : A continuous locus of all those points which are vibrating in
same phase.
Spherical wavefront (Point source) Cylindrical wavefront (Line source)
1 1
1. Amplitude  1. Amplitude 
r r
1 1
2. Intensity  2 2. Intensity 
r r
light rays

r r
Direction of
Point source propagation line source

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AIEEE/State CETs Wave Optics

Plane Wavefront (Plane sheet source)

1. Amplitude = constant
2. Intensity = constant
light rays

Plane wavefront

Refraction in form of Wave Fronts

1.

Plane Converging Diverging

wavefront wavefront wavefront

2. 3.
Plane Plane
wavefront wavefront

Plane
wavefront
Diverging
wavefront
HUYGEN'S PRINCIPLE
The Dutch physicist Christian Huygen in 1678, suggested a convincing wave theory of light. He assumed light
as a mechanical wave propagating in a hypothetical medium called ether.
According to Huygen
1. Every point on a given wavefront (known as primary wavefront) acts as a source of new disturbances called
secondry wavelets, which propagates in all directions in a homogenious medium with same speed.
2. A tangential surface to these secondry wavelets in forward direction gives you the position of new wavefront
called secondary wavefront.

SUPERPOSITION OF WAVES B
y1 = A sin t
R
y2 = B sin (t + )

y = y1 + y2  y = A sin t + B sin (t + )

 y = R sin (t + ) A

B sin 
where tan  
A  B cos 
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and R  A 2  B 2  2 AB cos 

Intensity (Amp)2  I1  A2, I2  B2, I  R2

as R2 = A2 + B2 + 2AB cos   I = I1 + I2 + 2 I1I 2 cos 

Relation between phase difference and path difference

AB = 2
A B
XAB = 

2
 x


Condition for Maxima

When cos  = 1 or  = 2n or x = n (path difference)

Rmax = A + B, Imax = I 1  I2  2

Condition for Minima


When cos  = – 1 or  = (2n –1)or x  (2n  1)
2

Rmin = A – B, Imin = ( I1  I 2 ) 2

2 2
Rmax A  B Imax  I1  I 2     1
    
Rmin AB Imin  I1  I 2     1
   

I1
When  
I2

Some Important Points :

Imax  I min
1. Fringe visibility =
Imax  Imin

2. When I1 = I2 = I0  Imax = 4I0, Imin = 0

Fringe visibility = 1


Also, in general I = 4I0 cos2
2
3. For superposition of incoherent waves, resultant intensity is
I = I1 + I2 or I = 2I0

Interference
Phenomenon of redistribution of energy on account of superposition of waves is known as interference.

Coherent Sources
Condition for sustained interference-Sources must be coherent i.e., phase difference between them must be
constant.

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Young’s Double Slit Experiment

P

S1 
M y
D
 d D
  O 2d
d
S C 4I0
d
x N =
D

S2

D
Screen
yd
Path difference x  d sin  for small  x 
D

Condition for Maxima

D
For maxima x = n  y  n (n = 0, 1, 2, …)
d
or d sin  = n

n
 sin  =
d

Condition for Minima

 ( 2n  1)D
For minima x  (2n  1)  y (n = 1, 2, …)
2 2d

(2n  1)
or d sin  
2
( 2n  1)
 sin  
2d
If  and d are comparable then, as –1  sin  1
( 2n  1)
1 1
2d
2d   2d  
 n
2 2
From here you can find maximum number of dark fringes observed on the screen.
For example, if d = 2,then
4    4  
n
2 2

3 5
 n so, n can have four values i.e., –1, 0, 1, 2.
2 2
This means that only four minima are observed on the screen.
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Some Important Points :

1. At ‘O’ n = 0, central maximum. Imax = 4I0 where I0 is intensity due to single slit.

  d   y 
2. At point P, I = 4 I0cos2  4I 0 cos 2  y   4I 0 cos 2   .
2  D   
D 
3.   is the distance between consecutive maxima = distance between consecutive minima = fringe width.
d 
4. Distance between nth maxima and mth minima

D D
(a) When they lie on same side of central maximum is n  ( 2m  1) .
d 2d

nD ( 2m  1)D
(b) When they lie on opposite side of central maximum is  .
d 2d


5. When Young's double slit experiment arrangement is kept in a medium of refractive index ‘’,   i.e.,

 < . Intensity remains same.
6. When slits do not emit light of same intensity (say one of the slit is covered slightly), then
(a) Dark fringes will not be exactly dark, they become slightly brighter
(b) Bright fringes become less bright.
7. When white light is used in place of monochromatic light,
(a) Central fringe will be white, as all the wavelengths are present
(b) All other fringes will be coloured
(c) First maxima after central maximum will be of violet colour.
(d) Two wavelengths may have maxima at the same position given by n11 = n22, where nth maxima of 1
coincides with n2th maxima of 2.
8. If one of the slits (say S1) is covered with a small film of thickness ‘t’ and refractive index ‘’ then
(a) The rays from S1 and S2 will have an initial path difference (– 1)t.
(b) At ‘O’, path difference is not zero. It is (– 1)t.
(c) A maxima may be formed at ‘O’ if (– 1)t = n.

(d) A minima may be formed at ‘O’ if (  1)t  (2n  1)
2
(e) The point where path difference is zero will shift upwards (toward S1) . This will be called central maximum.
(  1)tD 
(f) The distance moved by central maximum =  (  1)t
d 

(g) Number of fringes shifted up  (  1) t


(h) Fringe width will remain same.
9. If the source ‘S’ displaced upwards from centre, central maximum shifts downward.
10. Two independent monochromatic light sources can not be coherent.

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Interference Through Films

The surface of soap bubble appears coloured due to interference.
Wings of butterfly are coloured due to interference

Reflected light

air
r
t ' ' Thin film

air

Transmitted light
1. For reflected light
(a) If 2t cos r  n , destructive interference will take place.


(b) If 2t cos r  2n  1 , constructive interference will take place
2

Note : Condition for maxima and minima gets interchanged due to the additional path difference
because of reflection from the Denser end cause a phase difference of 

2. For transmitted light

(a) If 2t cos r  n , constructive interference will take place.


(b) If 2t cos r  (2n  1) , destructive interference will take place.
2


3. Wavelengths present in reflected light and absent in transmitted light satisfy 2t cos r  (2n  1) .
2
4. Wavelength absent in reflected light and present in transmitted light satisfy 2t cos r  n .

DIFFRACTION
Diffraction is the phenomenon of light observed due to superposition of secondary wavelets starting from different
points of a wavefront which is not blocked by an obstacle or which are allowed by an aperture (of size
comparable to the wavelength of light).
In other words you can say diffraction is the phenomena of entering of light in the region of geometrical shadow.

Diffraction by Single Slit

Plane wave
front r1 P
r2 A
a/2
x

O
a/2
B
Slit
Screen

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a
1. x  sin 
2
2. For ‘O’ waves from all points in the slit travel about the same distance and are in phase.
a
3. At P, rays r1 and r2 have a phase difference x  sin  .
2
a 
4. When sin 1  , there will be destructive interference.
2 2
 when a sin 1 = , first minima will be formed at P.
5. In general a sin n = n is position of nth minima.

1  
6. Angular position of first minima  n  sin  
a

2 
7. Angular spread of central maximum is 21 = if  < < a, otherwise 2 sin 1   .
a a
8. When  > a  sin  > 1 which is not possible
 diffraction can not be observed.


9.  < < a, then sin     (in radians)
a
2 D
10. Width of central maximum =
a
D
11. Width of other fringes = .
a

4I 0
12. If I0 is the intensity of central maximum, then intensity of nth maxima is I n 
(2n  1)2  2
 I0 : I1 : I2 : : 1 : 0.045 : 0 : 016.
13. Resolving Power diffraction by a circular aperture or a lens with diameter ‘d’ produces a central maximum

and concentric maxima and minima, with the first minimum at angle  given by sin   1.22 .
d

14. The intensity of fringe goes on decreasing in case of diffraction while it remain same in the interference

Polarization

Polarizer Analyser
A
C

Unpolarized Polarized D Polarized

light of B light of light of
I
intensity I0 intensity I0 intensity = 0 cos2  (Law of Malus)
2 2
where  = angle between the transmission
(i.e., AB and CD) axis of the two polaroids

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Some Important Points :

1. Unpolarized light consists of waves with randomly directed electric fields.
2. The plane containing the electric field vector is called the plane of oscillation.
3. A plane polarized electromagnetic wave has electric field vector only in one plane.
4. Circularly polarized light is a superposition of two plane electromagnetic waves of same amplitude, having

their plane of oscillations perpendicular to each other and differing in phase by .
2

Polarization by Reflection

Unpolarized
light
Reflected fully
Air polarized
i i Reflected, partially ip ip
polarized

Medium ( ) r r

Refracted
Refracted

Some Important Points :

1. Reflected light is partially polarized
2. When i = ip (polarizing angle), reflected light is completely polarized, ip is also called Brewster’s angle.
3. When reflected light is completely polarized, reflected and refracted light are perpendicular to each other.
4. This was found experimentally by Sir David Brewster.
At this situation ip + r = 90°

 = tan ip. This is called Brewster’s law.



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