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INTERFERENCE
The phenomenon of redistribution of energy in a medium due to the super position of two or
more waves is known as interference.
In interference, there will be no loss of energy, but energy is transformed from minimum
displacement point to the maximum displacement point. The minimum and maximum
displacement points appear alternatively.
Optical Path:
It is defined as the distance travel by the light in a vacuum for the given interval of time in
medium. Let d be the distance travel by the light in a medium, then
Geometric path (d) = velocity (v) x time (t)
At the same time (t), the distance travelled by light in vacuum is called optical path.
i.e. Optical path (L) = c x t = c x d/v= μ x d
therefore, Optical path (L) = Refractive index (μ) x geometrical path (d)

o As typical to two wave-like structures, light also produce interference

phenomena. Two waves of light could interfere either constructively or
destructively depending on the phase differences or the path differences
between them.
▪ Condition for constructive interference
• Crusts meet crusts or troughs meet troughs
• Path difference, δ = nλ, or Phase difference, Ø = 2nπ
o n=0,1,2,3.....(Integers)
▪ Condition for destructive interference
• Crusts meet troughs or troughs meet crusts
• Path difference, δ = (2n+1)λ/2, or Phase difference, Ø = (2n+1)π
o n=0,1,2,3.....(Integers)
o A beam of light interfering with another beam of light could produce
interference fringes, provided, the sources of light are coherent sources
▪ A coherent source is a source with same frequency, same phase and
same amplitude
▪ They are usually constructed by the method of splitting the light from
the same source using different methods of beam-splitting
•
o Thin film interference of reflected light
▪ A film is said to be thin when its thickness is about the order of one
wavelength of visible light which is taken to be.
▪ When light is incident on such a film, a small portion gets reflected
from the upper surface and a major portion is transmitted into the
film. Again a small part of the transmitted component is reflected
back into the film by the lower surface and the rest of it emerges out
of the film.
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▪ These reflected beams reunite to produce interference.

▪ This type of interference that takes place in thin films is called
interference by division of amplitude, because the entire intensity of
the incident light is not used in the interference phenomena and a
major portion of the light is actually transmitted through the medium
and the remaining light of weak intensity is being used for
interference.

Interference in thin film: Reflected Light

rarer

denser

rarer

Consider a thin transparent film of refractive index μ and thickness t. A light wave is allowed
to incident on the upper surface at point B and certain parts of the incident beam gets reflection
and remaining part is refracted. The refracted part is again refracted from the point C and it is
finally transmitted along the direction of R. Here, we have to find the path difference between
reflected light waves BQ and DR. Two perpendiculars are drawn from the point B and D at
points E and F as sown in the figure. The optical path difference between the reflected light
waves is;
=μ(BC+CD)−BF.......(1)
BF DE
We know, μ = sini/sinr = BD/BD
BF=μDE......(2)
Using (2) in (1), we have
Optical path difference = μ [ BC + CD – DE ]
[∴ BC = PC ]
So, optical path difference = μ. PE ; (Since PC + CD - ED = PE )
Again, from the triangle BEP,
Cos r = PE/BP
Or, PE = BP Cos r
Therefore, PE = 2t Cos r [since, BP = 2t]
So, optical path difference = 2μt Cos r .................(3)

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The equation (3) cannot give the correct path difference because one of the interfering beam
has been reflected from denser medium to rarer medium. When light reflects from the
denser surface to rarer medium, then there exists an extra path difference of λ/2 for
equivalent phase difference of π (Stoke’s law)
Therefore, the correct path difference due to reflected light wave is 2μ t cosr - λ/2

o Therefore, the Condition for constructive interference in the reflected system,

▪ 2μtcosr - λ/2 = nλ
• 2μtcosr = (2n+1)λ/2
• n = 0,1,2,3 ...
o Condition for destructive interference
▪ 2μtcosr + λ/2 = (2n+1)λ/2
• 2μtcosr = nλ
• n = 1,2,3 ...

▪ Where,
o t-> thickness of film
o r-> angle of refraction
o n-> order of interference
• For Normal incidence, the angle of refraction r = 0, Hence:
o Condition for constructive interference:
▪ 2μt = (2n+1)λ/2
o Condition for destructive interference:
▪ 2μt = nλ

Newton’s Rings

• An important application of interference in thin films is the formation of Newton’s

Rings. When a plano-convex lens of long focal length is placed over an optically plane
glass plate, a thin air film with varying thickness is enclosed between them. The
thickness of the air film is zero at the point of contact and gradually increases outwards
from the point of contact in a quadratic manner.
• When the air film is illuminated by monochromatic light incident normally to the
curved edges of the Plano-convex lens, we observe interference pattern.
o A plane glass plate inserted in the path of light acts as a beam-splitter, giving a
coherent source of light as required by interference experiments
o The beam splitter additionally ensures normal incidence
• Light reflected from the glass-air interface and that reflects from the air-glass interface
at the top of the plane glass plate do interfere to produce interference fringes.
• Alternate bright and dark concentric circular rings are formed with dark spot at the
centre. These rings are known as Newton’s rings.

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o The dark region at the centre may be attributed to the absence of reflected light
from the point of contact between two glass plates, which could interfere. Due
to the absence of reflected light, it looks dark on looking from the top.
o The point of constructive or destructive interference is determined by the path
difference at the point, which in turn is dependent on the thickness of the air
film. Locus of all points having same thickness for the air film trapped between
the top plano-convex lens and bottom plane glass lie on a circle. Hence the
shape.

• Why is the thickness of the rings decreasing as the order of the rings increase?
o Interference is the redistribution of energy in the medium, hence light will be
redistributed in equal areas. As the order of the ring increases, its radius
increases and hence to keep the area equal the thickness decreases and hence
they appear crowded.

• Let us consider the cross sectional view of the arrangement of plano-convex lens and
glass plate. Since the plano-convex lens is part of a sphere of radius R, it appears as a
circle in the cross sectional view.

o
▪ Let us consider the nth dark ring of radius rn and corresponding diameter
dn formed at points where the thickness of the air film is tn
▪ From the right angles triangle,
▪ (R- tn)2 + rn2 = R2

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▪ R2 + tn2 + 2Rtn + rn2 = R2, since t is very small and R is very large, tn2
is negligible when compared to R,simplifying,
▪ 2tn = rn2/R
▪ But the path difference between the interfering light is 2tn (μ=1, for air
film)
• nth dark band
o 2tn = nλ
o rn2 = Rnλ
o Dn 2
= 4Rnλ
• For (n+k) dark band,
th

o Dn+k2 = 4Rn+kλ
2
𝐷𝑛+𝑘 −𝐷𝑛2
o λ= 4𝑅𝑘

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AIR WEDGE* (TOPIC BEYOND SYLLABUS)

• Two glass plates are arranged to form an inclined plane so that a wedge-shaped film is
formed between them. This forms a wedge of air. This can also be formed of oil, gel
etc.

• Here is the cross-sectional view of the two flat glass plates kept on each other and
separated by a wire at the rightmost end. There is a thin air film between the two glass-
plates due to the wire kept at the right end.

The path difference between the two rays r1 and r2 is 2t cos r , where ‘t’ is the air thickness as
shown in the figure The condition for nth dark band is, 2tCosr = nλ (as μ=1, when air film is
formed)
If the incident ray is close to normal,
2t = nλ
From Fig., t = xtan θ
2 μ x tanθ = nλ
x= λ/(2 μ tanθ)

• Wedge-shaped films form straight line fringes

o Condition for darkness depends on thickness of film. Since locus of all points
having same thickness of the film, which causes the fringes, is a straight line lie
on a straight line.

o Bandwidth (Fringe-width)

▪ Let x1 as the distance of mth dark band from the edge and x2 as that of
(m+1)th dark band

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▪ Band width β = x2 - x1 = λ/(2μ tanθ)

• For air wedge, μ = 1 and β = λ/(2tanθ)

o Same definition holds good for bright band too

▪ All fringes will have the same thickness for a given λ

• Fringe width, β = λ/(2tanθ)

To find the diameter of thin wire

• Fringe width, β = λL/[2d]

o tanθ= d/L, from fig.

• d = Lλ/[2 β]

To test the optical flatness of surfaces

• If both glass plates are plane, straight-line parallel fringes (bands)

will be obtained, or else bands will be irregular in shape

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Anti-refection coating

Thin film anti-reflection coatings greatly reduce the light loss in multi-element lenses by making use of
phase changes and the dependence of the reflectivity on index of refraction. A single quarter-
wavelength coating of optimum index can eliminate reflection at one wavelength. Multi-layer coatings
can reduce the loss over the visible spectrum.
The idea behind anti-reflection coatings is that the creation of a double interface by means of a thin film
gives you two reflected waves. If these waves are out of phase, they partially or totally cancel. If the
coating is a quarter wavelength thickness and the coating has an index of refraction less that the glass it
is coating then the two reflections are 180 degrees out of phase.

Multi-Layer Anti-Reflection Coatings

A single layer anti-reflection coating can be made non-reflective only at one wavelength, usually at the
middle of the visible. Multiple layers are more effective over the entire visible spectrum

• Refracting index of the coating; μc= √(𝜇𝑔 𝜇𝑎 ); this is obtained by equating the reflectivity at
both interfaces(air-coating and coating glass)
• Thickness of the coating is obtained by taking 2 μct=λ/2
• t=λ/4μc
• μc= √(𝜇𝑔 ); 𝜇𝑎 = 1

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TOPIC BEYOND SYLLABUS

Interference Filters *

• If a thin transparent spacer is placed between two semi-

reflective coatings, multiple reflections and interference
can be used to select a narrow frequency band,
producing an interference filter.
• If the spacer is a half wavelength for the desired
wavelength, then other wavelengths will be attenuated
by interference.
• Commercial filters are available with a half-power
width of about an angstrom. If the back layer is totally
reflective, then the arrangement is called a dichroic
mirror, reflecting only the selected wavelength. These
devices are designed for normal incidence, and shift in
wavelength to shorter wavelengths if tilted.

Need

The visible spectrum is spread over 3700Å (3800Å to 7500Å) and there are occasions,
when we need only a small portion of this spectrum. If the required spectrum is of bandwidth
500Å, then coloured glasses or absorbing dyes can be used to filter out this spectrum from the
visible spectrum. However, when the required bandwidth Δλ is 100Å or less (centred around a
chosen wavelength λ), the coloured glasses and absorbing dyes cannot serve the purpose. Then
we need to use Interference filter, the device developed by Walter Geffeken in 1939.

Construction

An interference filter, shown in Fig.2 is similar to Fabry-Perot interferometer. A and B

are two thin glass plates, on their inner surfaces, thin film of a reflecting silver film is
deposited. In between the glass plates, a thin layer of dielectric material, like Magnesium
Fluoride (MgF2) or quartz having thickness of the order of wavelength of light is placed.

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Working

When a ray of light SP is incident, due to multiple internal reflections, a number of

transmitted parallel rays are produced. The path difference between each successive pairs of
rays is

δ=2μtcosi

where μ is the refractive index of the sandwiched dielectric medium, t is its thickness.
For near normal incidence cosi is nearly equal to 1, then δ=2μt. The emergent rays are all in
phase, when 2μt is equal to one wavelength λ or its integral multiple, i.e.

2μt = nλ ;n=1,2,3,....

Therefore the wavelength λ will get reinforced, i.e., constructive interference will take place.

When the light is incident, constructive interference will take place for a particular wavelength
which satisfies 2μt = nλ. Therefore, in the transmitted beam, predominantly only a particular
wavelength will be present. Thus, it is possible to filter only a particular wavelength from the
incident white light.

Example

If t = 5000Å and supposing μ = 1, then

2 𝑋 1 𝑋 5000
𝜆= or 10000, 5000, 3333Å....... as n =1,2,3,....
𝑛

Clearly, only wavelength of 5000Å lies in the visible spectrum and so if white light is incident,
only the wavelength of 5000Å will be present in the transmitted beam. By making suitable
choice of t and μ, any value of λ in the visible spectrum can be obtained.

Applications

Interference filters are used in spectroscopic work for studying the spectra in a narrow range of
wavelengths.

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