Chapter 1

INTERFERENCE OF LIGHT WAVES

OBJECTIVES
• To understand the principles of interference.
• To explain the intensity distribution in interference under
various conditions.
• To explain the interference from thin films.

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Wave optics (Physical Optics): The study of interference, diffraction, and
polarization of light. These phenomena cannot be adequately explained with the ray
optics.

Young’s Double-Slit Experiment

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To observe interference of waves from two sources, the following conditions must be
met:
• The sources must be coherent; that is, they must maintain a constant phase with
respect to each other.
• The sources should be monochromatic; that is, they should be of a single
wavelength.

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 Analysis Model: Waves in Interference

Path difference   r2  r1  d sin 

Condition for constructive interference, at point P is,

d sin  bright  m m  0,  1,  2, ... The number m is called the order number.

Condition for destructive interference, at point P is,

 1
d sin  dark   m   m  0,  1,  2, ...
 2
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Linear positions of bright and dark fringes:

From the triangle OPQ,

y
tan  
L

ybright  L tan  bright

m
ybright L (small angles)
d

ydark  L tan  dark

 1
 m  
 L 
2
ydark (small angles)
d

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Intensity Distribution of the Double-Slit Interference Pattern
Consider two coherent sources of sinusoidal waves such that they have same angular
frequency  and phase difference .

E1  E0 sin t and E2  E0 sin t   

2 2
  d sin 
 

EP  E1  E2  E0 sin t  sin t   

   
E P  2 E0 cos   sin  t  
2  2

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Intensity of a wave is proportional to the square of the resultant electric field
magnitude at that point.

   
I  EP2  4 E02 cos 2  sin 2   t  
2  2
Most light-detecting instruments measure time-averaged light intensity, and the time
averaged value of sin 2  t    over one cycle is ½.
 2
 
I  I max cos2  
2

 d sin  
I  I max cos2  
  

y
Alternatively, since sin  
L
for small values of  , we can write;

d 
I  I max cos 2  y
 L 
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 INTENSITY IN DOUBLE SLIT INTERFERENCE
 Electric field components at P
due to S1 and S2 are,

E1= E0 sin ωt &

E2= E0 sin (ωt + ) respectively.

 Resultant field E = E1 + E2

 Resultant field can be obtained

by phasor method.

 Phasor  Rotating vector

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 INTENSITY IN DOUBLE SLIT INTERFERENCE
ADDITION OF TWO VECTORS USING PHASORS
Let two vectors be, E1= E0 sin ωt & E2= E0 sin (ωt + )

Resultant field E = E1 + E2

E2 E0

E0
E1

ωt + 
ωt

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 INTENSITY IN DOUBLE SLIT INTERFERENCE
From phasor diagram,

E = E1 + E 2

= E sin(t + )
E0
= 2E0 cos  sin(t + ) E2 
E 
But  = /2. So the above
E
equation can be written as,  E0

E = 2 E0 cos(/2) sin(wt+/2) E1
ωt

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 INTENSITY IN DOUBLE SLIT INTERFERENCE

 E = 2 E0 cos(/2) sin(wt+/2)

 So intensity at an arbitrary point P on the screen due to

interference of two sources having phase difference ;


I  4 E cos  
2
0
2

2

  4  0 cos2  
2
where  0  E2 is intensity due to single source
0

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 INTENSITY IN DOUBLE SLIT INTERFERENCE
Since   (2  d sin )/,

2 d sin  
  4  0 cos  
  
From above equation,
At maxima :   2 m  or d sin   m

At minima :   ( 2 m  1)  or d sin   (m  1 ) 
2
where m  0,  1,  2, . . .

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Change of Phase Due to Reflection

Lloyd’s mirror. The reflected ray undergoes a

phase change of 180°.

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Interference in Thin Films

Consider a film of uniform thickness t and index of refraction n. Assume light rays
traveling in air are nearly normal to the two surfaces of the film. If  is the wavelength
of the light in free space and n is the index of refraction of the film material, then the
wavelength of light in the film is n  
n
The condition for constructive interference
in thin films is,
 1
2t   m  n (m  0, 1, 2, ...)
 2
 1
2nt   m   (m  0, 1, 2, ...)
 2
The condition for destructive interference
in thin films is,

2nt  m (m  0, 1, 2, ...)

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Newton’s Rings
Expressions for radii of the dark rings:

Consider the dark rings (destructive interference)

2nt  m , m  0, 1, 2, 3...
For air film, n  1
 2t  m
From the above figure, t  R  R 2  r 2
12
 r  
2

t  R  R 1    
  R  

Binomial theorem is, 1  y n  1  ny  n(n 1) y 2  .......

2!
If r / R  1,
 1  r 2  r2
t  R  R 1     ........  rdark  mR (m  0, 1, 2, ...)
 2  R   2 R

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Michelson Interferometer

The interferometer, invented by A. A. Michelson,

splits a light beam into two parts and then
recombines the parts to form an interference pattern.
The interference condition for the two rays is
determined by the difference in their path length.
When the two mirrors are exactly perpendicular to
each other, the interference pattern is a target pattern
of bright and dark circular fringes.
If a dark circle appears at the center of the target
pattern and M1 is then moved a distance /4 toward
M0, the path difference changes by /2. This replaces
dark circle at center by bright circle. Therefore, the
fringe pattern shifts by one-half fringe each time M1 is
moved a distance /4.
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A viewing screen is separated from a double slit by 4.80 m.
The distance between the two slits is 0.0300 mm.
Monochromatic light is directed toward the double slit and
forms an interference pattern on the screen. The first dark
fringe is 4.50 cm from the center line on the screen. (A)
Determine the wavelength of the light. (B) Calculate the
distance between adjacent bright fringes.

Ans: 562 nm and 9 cm

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A light source emits visible light of two wavelengths:  = 430
nm and / = 510 nm. The source is used in a double-slit
interference experiment in which L = 1.50 m and d = 0.025 0
mm. Find the separation distance between the third-order
bright fringes for the two wavelengths.

Ans: 1.44 cm

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A Young’s interference experiment is performed with
monochromatic light. The separation between the slits is
0.500 mm, and the interference pattern on a screen 3.30 m
away shows the first side maximum 3.40 mm from the center
of the pattern. What is the wavelength?

Ans: 515 nm

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In a Young’s interference experiment, the two slits are
separated by 0.150 mm and the incident light includes two
wavelengths: 1 = 540 nm (green) and
2 = 450 nm (blue). The overlapping interference patterns are
observed on a screen 1.40 m from the slits. Calculate the
minimum distance from the center of the screen to a point
where a bright fringe of the green light coincides with a bright
fringe of the blue light.

Ans: 2.5 cm
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In a double slit experiment, let L = 120 cm and d = 0.250 cm.
The slits are illuminated with coherent 600-nm light. Calculate
the distance y above the central maximum for which the
average intensity on the screen is 75.0% of the maximum.

Ans: 48 micrometer

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Solar cells—devices that generate electricity when exposed to
sunlight—are often coated with a transparent, thin film of
silicon monoxide (SiO, n = 1.45) to minimize reflective losses
from the surface. Suppose a silicon solar cell (n = 3.5) is coated
with a thin film of silicon monoxide for this purpose.
Determine the minimum film thickness that produces the
least reflection at a wavelength of 550 nm, near the center of
the visible spectrum.

Ans: 95 nm
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An oil film (n = 1.45) floating on water (n = 1.33) is illuminated
by white light at normal incidence. The film is 280 nm thick.
Find (a) the wavelength and color of the light in the visible
spectrum most strongly reflected and (b) the wavelength and
color of the light in the spectrum most strongly transmitted.
Explain your reasoning.

Ans: 541 nm and 406 nm

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In a Newton’s-rings experiment, a plano-convex glass
(n = 1.52) lens having radius r = 5.00 cm is placed on a flat
plate as shown in Figure. When light of wavelength
650 nm is incident normally, 55 bright rings are observed,
with the last one precisely on the edge of the lens. What is the
radius R of curvature of the convex surface of the lens?

Ans: 70.5 m

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Mirror M1 in the Figure is moved
through a displacement L.
During this displacement, 250
fringe reversals (formation of
successive dark or bright bands)
are counted. The light being used
has a wavelength of 632.8 nm.
Calculate the displacement L.

Ans: 39.6 micrometer

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