FRESNEL DIFFRACTION ga. DIFFRACTION can be heard even if there is a big obstacle between the source and the listener ae ight cannot be seen against any obstacle. wie due 10 the fact that sound waves can bend more Helo the corners of the obstacle, Infact, ifthe light jpposed to travel in the form of waves, it should giso be able to bend round the comers of an obstacle. sy qudy this phenomenon of light, from a source allowed to pass through 2 narrow slit (Fig. 3.1) ip ig on aperture in a shutter and CD represents the Jeometrical projection of 48 on a screen. Ifrectilinear propagation of light holds strictly then it requires that, Fig. 3.1 (q) in erea CD. the intensity of light everywhere should be same asin the absence of the limiting shutter. (p) outside the area CD, the intensity everywhere should be zero, ‘The observed intensity variation on the screen is shown on the right of Fig. 3.1. Here we find that outside the geometrical projection CD, the intensity does not fall to zero abruptly, but decreases gradually. We also find that just inside the area CD near s, the intensity shows some fluctuations (fringes) and then further inwards the intensity becomes uniform. This experiment shows that light bends round the edges of the aperture 4B to reach the areas outside CD. It also bends in some fluctuating way, inwards, to cause fringes inside CD. This phenomenon of bending of light round the sharp corners and spreading oflight waves into the geometrical shadow region of an object is called diffraction. Intensity variation 3.2. FRESNEL AND FRAUNHOFFER DIFFRACTION This diffraction phenomenon is generally divided into two classes: (a) Fresnel Diffraction (6) Fraunhoffer Diffraction. (a) Fresnel Diffraction. (/) In Fresnel diffraction either the source or the screen or both are at finite distances from the diffracting element, /.., aperture or obstacle. (ii) No lenses are used to make the rays parallel or convergent. (iii) The incident wave front is not plane but is either cylindrical or spherical. (is) The phase of secondary waves is not same at all the points in the plane of the aperture or the obstacle.88 Coururee ProoRaMMind THERMODYNAMICS AND Orticy 4 any point on the screen is obtaineg interference of secondary waves from different elements of expq.¥ ity nt wavefront. . ir of (vi) In this class of diffraction distances are important and not the any, lar inclinations. a an (vii) This class of diffraction is studied with approximation only, i hoffer diffraction, the source of; ffer Diffraction. (i) In Fraunl it yey vtinfinite distance from the aperture or the obstacie, Mang © (ii) A-convex lens is used to make the light from the source parallel befor i fat the aperture and another convex lens is used to focus the light after gigg@*® i on the sereen. This arrangement makes the source and screen etc (v) The resultant amplitude at infinity from the obstacle. The incident wavefront is plane and, therefore, the secondary waves ori ; ina; avefront are in the same phase at every poiny 8 (iii i OFnt inthe from the exposed part of Wi lane of the aperture. : , TThe diffraction is produced by interference between diffracted Parallel ay which are brought to focus with a convex lens. ; In this class of diffraction, angular inclinations are important and not iy @) Q) distances. : ' ; (*#) This class of diffraction can be discussed with more accuracy in mathematica terms. . ot (vif) It has a great importance on practical applications. 3.3. FRESNEL DIFFRACTION IEwe accept the wave nature of light, then according to Huygen’s wave theory, when a \wavefront originating from a source of light is incident on an aperture AB, every point in the aperture 4B becomes a source of secondary wavelets and the disturbances should reach outside the limits AC and BD toa great extent. But the experimental study shows only a small region in which light enters. To explain this, Young was the first to apply wave theory for explaining the bending of light round the comers but his argument was not convincing and later on Fresnel gave a sound mathematical treatment of this phenomenon by using Huygen’s principle. He showed that (i) the Huygen’s secondary wavelets outside the region AC and BD (Fig. 3.1) nearly cancel out each other, (i) the Huygen's wavelets within the region AC and BD produce nearly full intensity, and 3 (iii) near the edges AC and BD there are deviations from intensity value expected from the laws of geometrical optics, i.e, rectilinear propagation of light. We shall now explain Fresnel’s technique of Half-Period Zones to explain the above phenomenon. 3.4, FRESNEL’S ASSUMPTIONS To exoplain the phenomenon of Fresnel diffraction, Fresnel made the following assumuptions: () A wave-front can be divided into a large numbre of each element of a wave-front emits secondary waiyy 5 The resultant amplitude of the diffracted light at any point is determined by (i combining the effects of all the secondary waves reaching there. ‘The effect of any element on the wave-front is maximum along a direction Mena to it and decreases as the angle a of inclination increases. [ In Fig- 3.2, the effect produced by the In ondary waves staring from O is $ 3 Pp est along OP and less along OO. The { Set along any direction is proportional l] 1 (1 + cos 0) where Gis the angle which (0 rection makes with OP. Freswet. Dirreaction ae (i Ke p, 9-= 0° and cos @= I, therefore, Fig.3.2 the effect is, (I 1)=24€, maximum. In the direction OS, @= 180° and cos 8 } 1. Therefore, the effect is (1 ~ 1)= 0. This property ofthe secondary waves | ne difficulty of Huygen’s principle that the secondary waves spread eliminates one dif ‘i : iyo each point on primary wave-front in the forward as well as backward i ou 1 rections. As the amplitude ofthe backward waves er, therefore, there will eno backward Wave. FRESNEL'S HALF-PERIOD ZONES (ELEMENTS) 35 Jane wavefront ABCD perpendicular to the plane ofthe paper and advancing ider a P) +. Conse apointP as shown in Fig. 3.3). Let OP ~ bandis the perpendicular distance (or he wave front. Fig. 3.3 According to Huygen’s principle, every point on the wavefront becomes a source ofsecondary wavelets reaching at P to produce some intensity of light. The secondary la from O travels the shortest distance 6 to reach P. All other waves from the wave- col have to travel a longer distance to reach P, the distance becoming greater and = ba Proceed on the wave-front away from O. For simplicity Fresnel divided fo Png front into zones of increasing radii such that the mean distance of a zone creases uniformly in steps of 2/2, where A is the wavelength of light and i }os 90 Coxmuren PRookAMix THERMODYNAMICS AND OPtics hence the change of phase at P in going from one zoné to the next is 7. Fresne half-period elements (h.p.e’s). These are obj calteg these, as half-period zones or tained follows: s . a 2a, 3A 4 With P as centre and radii equal to b+ 7 b+ oF +77 + draw concentric Citcles on the wave-front as shown in Fig, 3.3. (a) and (6)- Let the radii of concentric circles be 7) = OMy "2 = OMy, ry = OMy: O as centre. The area enclosed by the first circle is called as first hp.e. the area enclosed benween the second and first circle is called the second h.p.e., and so on as shown in Fig. 3.4. The mean distance of all the point on the first h.p.e. from P is evidently a babes TE ee bes nese i: 4 and that of second h.p.e. is pr daoea 2 fo es 4 _— a : oA Which is greater than the fist by , that ofthe third [Link]. is b+7~ whichis agin greater than the second by 4 and so on. Now let +4 x 4 Fee 4 2 and ok =x+/,... and so on. Now the displacement at P due to waves coming from first h.p.e. can be written as ot 31 =a; sin F (Wx) =a sin (wt 9) Gul) where a, is the amplitude at P due to the waves coming from first h.p.c. vis velocity of the wave 2nv 7 and ¢= * x= phase difference between the vibrations at O and P. ‘The displacement at P due to waves starting from the second h.p.e. is given byFreswet. Dirrracnon n . Then the resultant amplitude 4’ will be, ‘thus, ifwe place an obstacle at O such that it covers half of the area of first h.p.€. the light reaching at P will be completely cut off and intensity will be zero. From the aMeve itis clear that the radius of the obstacle should be less than the radius of she fist he: CC bd [as r7,= nbd ot F = bd or r, = JbA J, Since / is very small,-the the obstacle is also very small. ize of or example, if 2= 5896 A and b= 100m ai r= ¥B2 = 0.08 cm approximately. Hence, a tiny obstacle of radius less than 0.08 cm is able to cut off light completely _ ‘n case of sound, wavelength 2 is very large. For example, if wavelength of sound js 100 cm and 6 = 100 cm, the radius of first h.p.e. will be Jo = (100x100 = 100 mas compared to 0.08 cm in case of light. This shows why bending of sound round the corners could be easily detected whereas this effect was not easily detected in case of light. Itis interesting to note that if the size of the obstacle is increased so as to cover the whole of the first h.p.e., the intensity of light at P will be almost the same as that without the obstacle. It is because, now the new amplitude will become as 2 2 city Pic Alice Be whi =: The interisity 1” + oA Ds, a plate behaves like a convex lens but having a number of focal lengths a. poe 559 Like a lens, a zone plate gives rise to an image of a point object and a formula connecting the object and image distances can be d plate also. Ifa parallel beam of white light is incident on the zone plate, focused at different points on the line OP. 3.7.. ACTION OF A ZONE PLATE FOR SPHERICAL WAVEFRONT Let XY be the section of a zone plate perpendicular tothe plane of the paper. is apy source of monochromatic light giving out spherical waves of wavelength j ts a distance ‘a’ from the zone plate. A screen is placed at a distance ‘B’ from the on plate such that at a point P on the screen, a bright image of the source is obtained as shown in Fig. 3.9. The points Sand P are said to be conjugate points. In case of spherical wavefront, SO = SM, = SM, ... = Let r) = OM, r, = OM, ry = OM, etc. be the radii of the Ist, 2nd, 3rd, ete half period zones. The position of the screen is such that from one zone to the next zon, there is an increasing path difference of 1/2. 4, Placed on tg a letived for g oa different colours Fig. 3.9FResvet. Dirrraction oT oe SO+ OP = a+b pence ft hy SM + MP at bs & 2 6.9) SM, + MP = a+ b+ & and 50 on com ASM,O. Li SM, = [SO + (OMY! = (a2 AE similery, from A OM\P ; MP = (COP) + (OMY = 2+ 2)! patting the value of SM, and M,P in eqn. (3.9), we have (at ry? + (P+?) = 0454 _ aye aye if a . oft i] siftetl) corned Expanding by Binomial theorem and neglecting higher order terms, we have 2 a ¥ 7 a 14 salts #)- tb+= | : #] By 2 a 7 n 2 atthe td cgaged P Saligp me Da (teh) a4 or 2\ab) 2 afl, R(+42] = or a ( 3) =4 similarly for r,, £¢., the radius of nth zone, this relation can be written as of 1 i) i“ t4tlen al; b 1.1)_m Lala 24 3.10 or G i) " ee Gil) Eqo. (3.10) is similar to a lens equation {141 _1)) with a and b as object and uv image distances and f, the focal length. Thus, a zone plate behaves as a converging lens. e From eqn. (3.10), r is given by 2_ _ab 22 ong a4b Putting # = 1, 2, 3 etc. we can get radii of first, second, third ...h.p. zones. (3.12)a umber of foci between the po} nts 98, Coupurrt PROGRAMMING THERMODYNAMICS AXD Opricy In case of a zone plate, there are Fig. 3.9, Each focus corresponds to the position of P with reference ig dp number of half period elements are constructed on each zone. As the se, Which, Noda towards the zone plate, area of the corresponding half period elements a” Moye ‘more half period elements are accommodated in each zone. If P, be the Sang the image when (2m ~ 1) half period elements are present on each rong” focal length of the zone is given by t 2 Pn (2m = 1nd G1 where m= 1,2, 3... ‘The possible focal lengths ofa zone plate are given by putting m=, > 5 : 3,.., eh gfe ma’ PW a Gans ‘The intensity of the image, however, decreases as the focal length decreases 3.8, DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ZONE PLATE AND CONVex LENS (i The focal length of a lens is given by 1 ed tee eye Tee G where jt, Ry, Ry have their usual meaning and the focal length of zone pate given by = nm (ii) The focal length of a lens is inversely proportional to the refractive index of the lens material or directly proportional to the wavelength and hence greater for red rays than for violet rays. The focal length of a zone plate is inversely proportional to the wavelength and hence is greater for violet rays than for re ays (i) Light passing through the lens takes the same time to go from S to P through any’part of the lens whereas in a zone plate diffracted rays take different time to reach the focus from different points on the plate. (iv) Image is formed due to refraction in case of a lens and image is formed due to diffraction in a zone plate. (v) Fora fixed distance of the object, a lens produces only one image whereas a zone plate produces a number of images, i.e., zone plate has multiple foci. The various foci in zone plate are given by he 3.9. DIFFRACTION AT A STRAIGHT EDGE Let a monochromatic light of wave length A, be incident through a narrow slit 5,0" a straight sharp edge AB and is seen on a screen placed at a distance b, from the edgey Feesnet Dirrracrion 99 are perpendicular to the plane of the paper) Fig. 3.10. In accordance eometrical optics, we expect an abrupt illumination above P in the i the ind a complete darkness below P on the screen. But in practice it eae ws 0 “ih i ection al oo served that: oe : : isabseri above P there are alternate dark and bright bands of unequal width and {| (a) Jus intensity, parallel tothe straight edge. These bands become closer and { 2 distinct, as we further move (upward) away from P and ultimately they ti ‘reappear, giviNE an uniform illumination, Fig, 3.14. elow Pin geometrical shadow region, the intensity falls of continuously and ©) pialy ntl complete darkness is reached a short distance below P Fig. 3.14. sanation of Dittraction Bands Pe jin the diffraction pattem due t0 a To ee et us consider a section XY of x arsaht wave front spreading out from are cpg slit as its axis, when it just ) Miffracting edge at A (SA = a). reaches to find the intensity at a point P on In Gaba AP = b) Fig. 3.10, we divide the $ ae sree Me front into Fresne’s half period b—a incident rs, draw a straight line joining P Vadieular to the screen, intersecting and S por ont at A, So that 4 is the pole with Y ae "p P. Now with P as centre and radii as \ hh i Screen ij bap ot 2 bt a> 2 Fig. 3.10 He we draw ares intersecting the section XY in different points. Through these points | ines are drawn parallel to the edge. The wave front is thus divided to half period aoe Fig. 3-11. From the Fig. it is clear that there are two similar half period zone ‘ole wave front, one above 4 (AM, MyMz, MzM; ...) and the srangements on the whi er (MY, My" Mh, My’ MG’) below A. Fig. 3.11PROGRAMMING THERMODYAASUCS AND Oprieg 100 Commu (i) Intensity at point P For the point P on the screen with 4 as pole, only upper half wave front AY is exposed to it, where as lower half wave front AY has been blocked by the edge AB. To calculate the intensity at P, we proceed as in Art 3.5. So let ay, a @ .. 4, be the amplitudes at P due to the waves coming fiom first, second, third Ea . nth. half period zones of exposed f ae) AX wave front. Keeping in view that, a ul successive waves are opposite in phase, 8 Ser the resulta tude at P. (Eq. 3.5 en resultant amplitude (Eq. 3.5) Fig. 3412 due to all the waves will be A=a,~ a) + 45-444, R Thus intensity P at will be (ii) Intensity at a point just above P Now consider a point P, on the screen just above P (Fig. 3.12). To calculate t intensity at Py due to the wave-fiont XY, we join Sto P, intersecting the wave fone at C so that C is the new pole with respect to P, and thus construct new half period strips. Let P, be at a distance x, from P such that only one h.p. strip of wave front a is exposed. Therefore resultant amplitude 4, at P, will equal to the sum of resultant amplitude 4 due to upper half of the wave front CX and that of the first hp. strip of lower half CA ie iz and intensity = af ie. IMAXIMA If we move the point on the screen such that now along with the upper half wave euite hop. strips of lower half are exposed in C and A, then resultant amplitude at *» Will be, and intensity ie, I MINIMA.y Frrsxet, Dirinacrion tol -e CA contains three or four h.p. strips, resultant amplitude and if i gil jntesities wil be spon oie. Ay= > tM~ arta = 3a, Y be (3-2 +a) ie. MAXIMA of 4 Aya aya + asa «(34a +a-0) => a, +, ~ ay i.e. I] MINIMA. clear that intensity at a point, above P will be um if the number of h.p. strips enclosed between C and 4 is odd and ris tus wr the number of hp. strips enclosed are even which gives rise to { Maxim es jnimu! (i action Bands ori ot axia goes on decreasing wheres that of mining goes on (8 xing with thelr order. ay en the pinton the sercen isa far distance from P, the entire upper 6) Migeave front CX and a large number of half period strips of the lower half nalffont CY will be conebuting tit and the resultant amplitude will be a 4 444 =a, 2.2 andthe resultant intensity is h=ay ence diffraction bands finally merge into uniform illumination, 25 J (Fig. 3.14). positions of Maxima and Minima Mathematically the condition of maxima and minima, interms of path difference canbe expressed as PA PC=(2n-1) 2 For Maxima and P,A-~PC= and For Minima where n=1,2,3, let SA =a, AP =band PP, =x Then path difference will be given as = AP, -CP,102 Cowuren ProcRAMsinne THERMODYNAMICS AND Opricg = (6? +x°7)'? ~ (SP, - SC) = (8+ 2)!2- (aro te +a) ne eo = Af orl] ta Ok ing Binomial expansion and neglectin, Since ~ , or ap Sh making Binot Pi electing the, hi, - order terms, we get 2 b)1+—*_ (at | wan] a a = 54 --* 4+ = bt at) ta Pil 1 |e fares. | lige © 2 b(a+5) xt a or 2 b(a+5) For Maxima 2 a Sf Ly 5 2 b(a+b) 2 p= Hata 1,1) a / nae = ED Oy = 1) G4) a or Xnax © YQn=1) Hence, the distance between the consecutive bright bands goes on decreasing. Similarly for Minima bax BA we can write Sag ft, G.15) - pees or nin Vi Hence, the distance between the consecutive dark bands goes on decreasing. Intensity inside the Geometrical Shadow. Now we want to find the intensity at P', » distance x, below P in the geometrical shadow on the screen.(Fig, 3.13) For this again join SP” intersecting the waveftont XV at C. Now, Cis the pole of the pare el eee a peat My og be goed i, he geometrical shadow,Fersxe. Dirrractios: is posed upper half x ortion VC of the se the half period + are obstructed and on AS we MOVE 4c are cut off © cise rqdually will fall. intensity T ometrical shadow, inthe Sijually decreases ity ne position of P and upon t3.13. The intensity y due Fenniie Fig. 3.13 a e/ yefront aoe istribution on the screen due to the straight edge is shown in a era ed portion PL alternate bright and dark bands of gradually 1A re back ground of intensity Iq will be observed and in the £8 ine indo IN the intensity falls off gradually. Hence, according to the wave ieee sma oduced by obstacles nthe path of ight are not sharp and hence Ae SP of light is only approximately true 200 ag propae™! eine _ d ! E & iE i ‘Screen jo |P jo. s A Tomrin-R\]s | —— Aysueyu . 3 a - 85 N Fig. 3.14 snenwe use a source of white light, coloured bands will be observed and bands afshorter wavelengths are near the point P. seemnination of wavelength of light length of light by diffraction at a straight edge, a narrow slit sonumed vertically in one of the uprights of the optical bench. In another upright, pedae or razor blade is mounted with its straight edge parallel tothe slit, which is dinunated with monochromatic light. Diffraction bands are observed by a micrometer ioe, The positions of the first maxima and most distant clearly visible (say mth sz) are noted. We have by using Eq. 3.14, Todetermine the wav'Coupurtx PRocRANNING THERNODINAMECS AND Orcs 104 oat BA —_—_—=—~—~—~—™ fv, Ib(a + b)(20 — IA ) Fikmhmaxioa’ eg l(a + b)A var sen peg (Ordo ‘Thus knowing the values of &, %y @ and by the value of wave length 4 0, be calculated. 3.10. DIFFRACTION AT A RECTANGULAR SLIT (APERTURp, Consider a narrow slit S illuminated by a monochromatic source of jighy perpendicular tothe plane of the paper with rectangular aperture 4B parallel ig aie shown in Fig, 3.15, Leta screen be placed perpendicular to the plane of pv snd P bea pint on the screen such that SOP is perpendicular tothe screen. Let fe the cylindrical wave-front incident on the aperture AB. be ‘According to the law of geometrical optics the edges A and B of the aperture will cast the geometrical shadow above £ and below F and there should be brightness i the region EF on the screen. The diffraction pattern will depend on the actual wid ® of the aperture as in the following cases: Fig. 3.15 (i)Wide Aperture Diffraction Pattern: Inti : ern: In this case we obtain unequally diffraction bands parallel edges of the ay it penure with poor contrast near E and F with in the region EF anda uniform illumination ir ‘ ie, above Eandbelow ieee ofthe region EF. In the geometrical shadow region 10 [Link]. 3.16 (yest ofillumination fall's off gradually and rapidly Explanation* *To discuss it at len th, a detailed discussion as given in Art 3.9 3.9 must be given.Freswri. Ditrracrion 05 RES 1 sve 00 1B is equival THe Wiqd another Ps sina trough B 10 two parallel strai diffraction at a sgt se aberate ann fore straight edge, w m ote aie ally spaced diffr on fraction ond 3 eo ike the dges of the aperture with vith Poor contrast near E and E and F with i in the fore per allel 10 the © b 7 For the same region the i i intensity of i 7 ‘cal shadow above E and below ad of illumination rapi go arrow ACETATE : pidly falls to zero in th he ern: In case of ase of narrow aper aperture, the illuminati ation at P, i ie, centre ae prac tio Patt saximum or a minil a minim num. Near and F withi within the regi region EF, we Pi pe ff te Siig spaced ditt fia ce ae a re , there at hice ro equally spaced difaction bane of decrees ‘ion bands of ci decreasing ig vest pleat” tion at p. According to F1 as faire spies treatment, let the ofthe wave front corres AB contains correspondin, 2 t0 P, ian etait strips 0! eat oF EF of the se The point P will have a 7 ave a re ewer 2a — ay + a3 ~ 04+ 05) sultant amplitude contains four half period strips of each half of the wave fr ve front corresponding pp the resultant al wich plitude at P will be A=2(a,-4; + a3-a,) imum. mum or minimut m accordit ording as aperture AB contait jins odd or even d strips of each half of thewave fr front. Pp Hence. seer of half perio F Fig. 3.16 (a) P Fig. 3.16 (b)106 Conmurer ProoRastnana THERMODYNAMICS AD Optieg Diffraction bands near E and F Let aperture 4B contains five half period strips of each hai it p) of corresponding to P. As the point of observation (P’) moves from pot” Poult May TP towards 5° oy screen with pole as 0” the number of strips exposed by the aperture AB docy ety eases si the upper half (0’A) and increases for the lower half (0B) of the Wave a point P” the number of half period of strips be four and six respect tM La minimum, For another point let the number of strips allowed be three ,°3* ep get a maximum, Thus near £ (or near F), we get altemate maxima ang md SSH, y2 Tt can also be shown that as in case of diftaction ata straight edge, and minima are unequally spaced having a poor contrast, ; © fron inj hima, ese ma Diffraction Bands in Geometric Shadow Let us now consider a point P” in region of geometric shadow (Fig. 3 O” willbe te pole ofthe wave front with respect to point P”. The inten. £2 8 depend upon the number of half period strips between AB. The upper hare: Wil front above O” will not contribute any illumination and also the most effeen period strips between O” and 4 are also cutoff. Ne hal Further at P”, only a few half period strips of lower half wave front (those ) 0 in AB out of O"B) will be contributing. Thus P” will show a maximum or Tint according as AB allows odd or even number of half-period strips, Fig. 3.16 (by imum, Mathematically, the path difference. A BP" - AP’ = 2n-1) > (For Maxingy 54 and BP" —AP"=2n'> (For Minima) ‘As in the case of Young’s double slit experiment, it can be shown that ad BP’ AP’ = — D where x is distance of P” from P dis width of aperture AB and D is distance of screen from AB. Hence xed a “Dz or Thus the spacing between two consecutive minima or maxima i.e. fringe width will be (3.16) Hence it is independent of n, Further minima (or maxima) are equally spaced. This spacing between the bands increases, if the aperture width AB decreases. 7FRESNEL Dirrraction 107 gi Very Narrow Aperture iu the width of aperture is very narrow (less than the Hae orless than one, half period elements in each half of the wavefront with respect to the point P on screen, then there will be a broad flat maxima and no diffraction atten will be observed in the region EF. In the geometrical shadow region above E orbelow F, the number of half period elements e; r of ha xposed by AB may be more than one and intensity at that point will be maximum or minimum depending on the number of hese half period elements to be odd or even. Thus, we get equally spaced dark and bright fringes as already explained. wavelength of light) and comprisesFRAUNHOFFER DiFFRACTION pRAUNHOFFER DIFFRACTION AT A SINGLE SLIT Fraunhoffer diffraction of monochromatic light due to a narrow slit. fam of monochromatic light be incident normally on an opaque plate ow slit in it. metrical optics, the .J beam, at the screen, should have sjumination of the same cross-section | if tof the slit, as in Fig. (4.1). wa zon, when thedifacted beam is = or al vero pa vate a tong narrow © wie ding (0 yconside allel bei Dark itt Cross ~ oo : ipy a Fens on the screen, we observe a aaa ora terion pattern. It consists of «if intense central bright band, much very i : a yerthan the slit width, in the direction of incidence. : : i) Aset of dark and subsidiary maxima of a (il decreasing intensity, on either side of a central bright band. : «i The central bright maxima is called Central Maxima and its angular width is i vice as great at that of subsidiary maximas called Secondary Maximas. oobtain a Fraunhoffer class of diffraction due toa sit, the incident plane wavefront ssined by using a convex lens in such a way that source lies in the focal plane she lens, The diffracted light from the sit is again focussed on the screen with the tipo convex lens, s0 that effectively the source and sereen are at infinite distances fom the obstacle. The experimental arrangement is shown in Fig.4.2. Sis a source of monochromatic ight of wavelength 2, L, is a collimating lens and AB is a narrow slit of width a. Wis plane wavefront incident on the slit AB and each point on this wavefront isasource of secondary disturbance. The diffracted secondary waves are focused on the screen MN with the help of a convex lens L>. The waves reaching the point O, jist opposite the middle of the slit, form a bright central image. This is because the secondary waves from points equidistant from C and situated in the upper and lower halves Cd and CB of the wavefront travel the same distances in reaching O and hence thepath difference is zero. The secondary waves thus reinforce each other and O will ‘ea point of maximum intensity. Dark