Interference

of Light

Guided By:
Dr. Kaushik Das
 Table of Contents
 Light
 Dual Nature of light
 Wave theory of light
 Wavefront
 Huygens’ principle
 Principle of superposition of wave
 Interference of light
 Coherent sources
 Young’s double slit experiment
 Interference in a thin film by reflected light
 Interference in a wedge-shaped thin film by
reflected light
 Newton's ring
 Light

Light is electromagnetic radiation within a certain

portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The word
usually refers to visible light, which is the portion of the
spectrum that can be perceived by the human eye.

The study of light and the interaction of light and

matter is termed optics. The observation and study
of optical phenomena such as rainbows and the
aurora borealis offer many clues as to the nature of
light.
 Dual Nature of Light

Light has a dual nature.

Sometimes it behaves like a particle (called a photon),

which explains how light travels in straight lines.

Sometimes it behaves like a wave, which explains how

light bends (or diffracts) around an object
 Wave Character of Light

The light travels in the form of particles( as suggested by

Newton) as well as in the form of Wave. Back then in 1675,
when Newton sent his corpuscular theory suggesting that
light travels in the form of particles, then it could not explain
phenomena like interference, diffraction, polarization,
double-refraction, and so on.

Then wave character of light explained all these facts.

Huygens's theory suggested that each point in a source of

light sends out waves in all directions in hypothetical
medium called ether. This way the wave character was
established.
 WAVEFRONT

A wavefront is defined as the continuous locus of all such

particles of the medium which are vibrating in the same phase
at any instant.

Fig: Wavefront
Types of wavefront:
The geometrical shape of wavefront depends on the source of
disturbance. Some of the common shapes are –
• Spherical wave front .E.g. Point source
• Cylindrical wave front .E.g. fine rectangular slit.
• Plane wave front .E.g. small portion of spherical wavefront .

Ray- an arrow drawn perpendicular to a wave front in the

direction of propagation of a wave.

Fig: Types of wavefront

 HUYGENS PRINCIPLE
It is the basis of wave theory of light. According to
Huygens principle, each point on a wave front is a
source of secondary waves, which add up to give
a wave front at any later time.

Fig: Christiaan Huygens

Fig: Huygens Principle
PRINCIPLE OF SUPERPOSITION OF WAVES

When a number of waves travelling through a

medium superpose on each other, the resultant
displacement at any point at a given instant is
equal to the vector sum of the displacements due to
the individual waves at that point.

՜
+ …..+ 𝑦𝑛
𝑦 𝑦1
= + 𝑦2
+
𝑦3
 Interference Of Light
When two light waves of the same
frequency and having zero or constant
phase difference travelling in the same
direction superpose each other, the
intensity in the region of superposition
gets redistributed, becoming maximum at
some points and minimum at others.

First shown by Thomas Young in 1801. Fig: Thomas Young

This phenomenon is called interference of

light.
Fig: YDSE experiment
 Types of Interference
1. Constructive interference: Points where the two
interfering waves reach in phase and hence
intensity becomes maximum.

2. Destructive interference: Points where the two

interfering waves reach in opposite phase and
hence intensity becomes minimum.

Fig: Types of wavefront

 Conditions for interference
1. The two sources must be monochromatic.
2. The two sources must have either no or
constant phase difference.
3. The separation between the two coherent
sources should be small.
4. Distance between the screen and the
sources should be large.
5. The background in which fringes are seen
should be dark.
6. The amplitudes of the two interfering
waves must be nearly the same or equal.
7. The two light sources should be very
narrow.
Methods of producing interference
1. Division of wave front: In this method, the
wave front produced by a source is divided
into two parts by refraction or diffraction
and later the two parts are brought near so
that they can combine to interfere. E.g.:
Young’s double-slit method

2. Division of amplitude: In this method, the

amplitude of the wave front is divided into
two amplitudes by reflection and
refraction and later the two are combined
to interfere. E.g.: Newton’s rings method
 Coherent Sources

1. The sources of light waves whose

frequencies are same and the phase
difference between the waves emitted
by them remains constant w.r.t time,
are defined as coherent sources.

2. Coherent sources are necessary for the

phenomenon of interference
 Methods for the production of
coherent sources:

• Two virtual images of the same source produced by division of

wavefront, as in Young’s double-slit experiment

• By dividing the amplitude of a portion of the wavefront into two

parts by reflection or refraction or both as in Newton’s rings
experiment
 Young’s Double Slit Experiment

1. In 1801, the phenomenon of interference

was first shown by Thomas Young, who sent
sunlight through two narrow slits and
showed that an interference pattern could
be seen on a screen placed behind the two
slits.
2. The interference pattern was a set of
alternating bright and dark lines,
corresponding to where the light from one
slit was alternately constructively and
destructively interfering with the light
from the second slit.
Fig: YDSE experiment
Mathematical expressions for Young’s
double slit experiment
1. Path difference, Δ=S2P-S1P= 4𝑥𝑑/2𝐷
2. For nth bright fringe, Δ=n λ
3. 4𝑥𝑑/2𝐷=n λ
4. 𝑥=(𝑛 λD)/2𝑑
5. For nth dark fringe, Δ=((2n+1) λ)/2
6. X=((2n+1) λ)/4 𝐷
7. Fringe width, W=( λD)/2𝑑
 Interference in a thin film by reflected light

The optical path difference between the two reflected rays

According to Snell’s law

Correction on account of phase change at reflection: when a beam is

reflected from path change of λ /2 occur for the ray as it travels
from a denser medium
Therefore the true path difference is
CONDITION OF MAXIMA (BRIGHT FRINGE)

CONDITION FOR MINIMA (DARK FRINGE)

Fig: Interference in a thin
film by reflected light
INTERFERENCE IN A WEDGE-SHAPED THIN FILM
BY REFLECTED LIGHT
Path difference

Correction on account of phase change at reflection: when a

beam is reflected from a denser medium (ray R1 at B), a path
change of λ/2 occur for the ray.
Therefore the true path difference is
Condition of Maxima (Bright Fringe)

Condition for Minima (Dark Fringe)

Fig: Interference in a
wedge shaped film by
reflected light
 Newton’s Rings
• light is shone on Plano-convex lens in contact with a flat glass plate
• incorporating a thin medium of air,
• there are multiple such interfaces so there will be multiple reflections but
• the reflected light from the surfaces incorporating a thin layer of air are of
consequence to us here,
• these reflected waves of light from the above mentioned surfaces superpose giving
rise to an interference pattern consisting of concentric circles of bright and dark
rings/fringes called Newton’s rings.
 Diameter of Newton’s Rings:
To calculate the diameter of fringes, assume a plano-convex lens is placed on
a plane glass plate as shown in figure say R be the radius of curvature of lens.
In ΔO’ML
Using the formula from circles
(2R-t)*t = 𝑟𝑛 2
𝑟 2
t=(2R−t)
𝑛

𝑟𝑛 2
t =(2R)
•Diameter of Bright Rings •Diameter of Dark Rings
 Application of Newton’s rings

• Determination of Wavelength of Light

• Determination of Refractive Index of liquid

PHYSICS IS AWESOME

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