Interferenceeffects

6.1InterferenceandDiffractionII.
recombined

Thinfilminterference MichelsonInterferometer XrayDiffraction

Coherent light Interferenceeffects

phaseshifted

Thinfilminterference

Phaseshiftduetoreflection
phaseshift p phaseshift0

n 1

n 2

n 1 n >n 1 2

n 2

Inthinfilminterferencethephasedifferenceisdueto reflectionateithersideofathinfilmoftransparent material. Thephasedifferenceisduetotwofactors: Pathdifferencethroughthefilm(correctedforthe changeinspeedoflightinthematerial) Phaseshiftattheinterface

n <n 1 2

Whenawaveisreflectedingoingfromamediumwithalower refractiveindextoahigherrefractiveindexthephaseisshiftedby p. Whenawaveisreflectedingoingfromamediumwithahigher refractiveindextoalowerrefractiveindex,thephaseisnotshifted.

Interferenceduetothinfilm reflection(e.g.filminair)
Beams1and2reflectedoffthefront andbacksurfacesofathinfilm combinetoshowinterferenceeffects. Anetphaseshiftdifferenceof p due toreflection Beam2hasaphaseshiftdueto pathdifference

Conditionsforconstructiveand destructiveinterference(filminair)
Constructiveinterference

1 l 2d = ( m+ ) 2 n
Destructiveinterference

l/nisthespeedoflightinthe mediawithrefractiveindexn. Theconditioninvolvesthehalf integerwavelengthbecauseofthe phaseshiftduetoreflection

2d = m n

Theconditioninvolvesinteger wavelengthsbecauseofthephase shiftof p Asd>0,thereisdestructive interferenceduetothephaseshift

Phaseshift p

Phaseshift0

SoapfilmExample37.4
Arectangularloopofwire20cmsquareisdippedintoasoapsolutionanthen heldvertically,producingasoapfilmwhosethicknessvarieslinearlyfrom essentiallyzeroatthetopto1.0matthebottom.Ifthefilmisilluminated with650nmlighthowmanybrightbandswillappear?

Soapfilminterferencepattern
Blackfilm

AntireflectiveCoating
nocoating Antireflectivecoatingsareused toreducereflectionsattheairglass interface.

AntireflectiveCoating
Antireflectivecoatingsconsistsofathinlayer ofmaterialwitharefractiveindexinbetween thatofairandglass.Destructiveinterference betweenlightreflectedatthetwosurfaces reducestheintensityofreflectedlight.

Thephaseshiftis p atbothsurfaces. Thereforenophaseshiftdifference Conditionfordestructiveinterference. d antireflective coating

1 l 2d = ( m+ ) 2 n 2

n =1.00 1

<n < n 3 2

Question
AnantireflectivecoatingofMgF (n=1.38)isusedonaglasssurfaceto 2 reducereflections.Findtheminimumthicknessofthecoatingthat canbeusedforgreenlight(l=550nm).

Compactdiscs

Digitalinformationstoredonpitsin tracks. Spacingbetweentracks1.6mm

opticalcompactdiscsCD
highreflectance lowreflectance

Question
Acdismadeoutofaplasticwitharefractiveindexof1.55. Ifthecdisscannedwithalaserwithawavelengthof780 nmhowhighshouldthepitsonthesurfacebefor destructiveinterference.
d

reflected light

Codingofinformationreadoutbyalaserbeam. Reflectionfromtracksismodulatedbydestructiveinterference.

MichelsonInterferometer
.

Question
AMichelsoninterferometerusesahydrogenemissionline at486.1nm.Asyoumoveonemirror,530bright fringespassafixedpointintheviewer.Howfardid themirrormove?

movingthemirrorbyadistanced producesfringeshifts,frombrightto darktobright. Theno.offringeshifts,misrelatedto thechangeinthepathlength.

2d = m l

Interferencepattern

Xraydiffraction
Xraydiffractionusesxraystoscatterfromatomsina crystal. Thecrystalactsasa3dimensionalgrating. Thepatternofspotsinthediffractedbeamcontains informationaboutthe3dimensionalstructureofatomsin thecrystal.

NaClCrystalanorderedarrayofatoms 0.56n

Diffractionofxraysfromacrystal. Eachatomactsasawavesource.

XraydiffractionpatternofNaCl

Fig.2711,p.883

Braggcondition

Question
Anxraysourcewithawavelengthof0.154nmpasses throughaNaClcrystalandisshowsafirstorder o diffractionpeakatanangleof15 awayfromthecentral maximum.Whatisthespacingofthecrystalplane responsibleforthediffraction?

Xraysarescatteredfromplanesofatomsinacrystallatticespaceda distancedapart. Theconditionforreflectionistheconditionforconstructiveinterferenceofx raysscatteredfromdifferentplanes(pathlengthdiffference=ml)

2d sin = ml q
Notethedifferenceinthedefinitionof

DNAstructure determinedby xraydiffraction

XraydiffractionpatternfromacrystallinefiberofDNA.Watson AndCrickusedthisdatatodeducethestructureoftheDNAmolecule