Interference

Dr. Radhakrishnan A N
Assistant Professor of Physics
T J M Govt. College, Manimalakunnu

BSc. Physics Semester 3 : Optics, Laser & Fiber Optics (Module 1)

 Light

• Light is a form of energy which produces the sensation of vision

• Major Phenomena of light include:

1. Rectilinear propagation of light

2. Reflection
3. Refraction
4. Dispersion
5. Interference
6. Diffraction
7. Polarization
8. Photoelectric effect

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Theories of Nature of Light

• Newton’s Corpuscular theory

• Huygen's Wave theory

• Maxwell’s electromagnetic wave theory

• Planck’s Quantum theory

• Dual Nature of Light

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Newton’s Corpuscular theory

• Newton proposed that a source of light emits many minute, elastic,

rigid and massless particles called corpuscles.

• These particles travel through a transparent medium at very high

speed in all direction along straight lines

• This theory was able to explain rectilinear motion, refraction and

reflection.

• But the theory failed to explain interference, polarization and

diffraction

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Huygen’s Wave theory

• Huygens developed a new idea that a source of light emits light in the form of
waves

• Light waves are like sound waves which are longitudinal in nature

• Light waves travel through vacuum due to the presence of a hypothetical medium
called ether.

• Different colours of light are due to different wavelengths of light waves.

• Light waves move with constant speed in a homogeneous medium.

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Huygen’s Wave theory

• The experiments of Young and Fresnel on interference could be successfully

explained by the wave theory

• Young was able to measure the wavelength of light waves

• Fresnel was able to prove the rectilinear propagation of light

• Huygen’s Wave theory could explain reflection , refraction, interference,

diffraction etc.

• But this theory failed to explain polarization and Photoelectric effect

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Maxwell’s electromagnetic wave theory
• Maxwell suggested that light is propagated as electromagnetic waves

• Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves

• According to electromagnetic wave theory, when electrically charged particles

move with acceleration, alternating electric and magnetic fields are produced and
transmitted.
• Changing electric field produces a time and space varying magnetic field and a
changing magnetic field produces a time and space varying electric field.

• The changing electric and magnetic fields result in the propagation of

electromagnetic waves (or light waves) even in vacuum.

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Maxwell’s electromagnetic wave theory
• EM waves always travel at speed of light = 3×108 m/s

• EM waves consists of mutually perpendicular time varying electric and magnetic

fields.

• In 1887, Hertz produced and detected electromagnetic waves of wavelength in the

range 5mm to 25mm.

• Electromagnetic theory can explain reflection, refraction, Interference,

Diffraction, Polarization etc.

• Electromagnetic theory failed to explain photoelectric effect

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Planck’s Quantum theory

• According to Quantum theory, light is emitted or absorbed in the form of

discrete packets of energy called quanta

• The energy of the radiation (E) absorbed or emitted is directly proportional

to the frequency (𝝂) of the radiation.

• 𝑬 = 𝒉𝝂 where h is called Planck’s constant

• Einstein explained photoelectric effect using quantum theory of light

• The quanta of light is called photons

• Crompton effect further confirmed the particle (photon) nature of light

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Dual Nature of Light

• Light has both particle nature and wave nature. This is called dual nature of
light

• Light propagation can be explained using electromagnetic theory

• But interaction of light with matter in the process of emission and absorption
is a corpuscular phenomenon

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Basics of Interference

• The phenomenon of interference has proved the validity of wave theory of

light

• The phenomenon of interference is due to the superposition of two waves

• Superposition principle : When two or more waves travel simultaneously

through a medium, the resultant displacement at each point in the medium
at any instant is equal to the vector sum of displacements produced by each
wave

• 1n 1802, Thomas Young successfully demonstrated an experiment on

Interference of light

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Basics of Interference
• When two light waves of approximately equal amplitude and same frequency
travel simultaneously in the same direction, due to their superposition. The
resultant intensity at any point in the space is different from the sum of
intensities of the two waves.

• At some points, the resultant intensity is maximum and it is called constructive

interference.
• At some points, the resultant intensity is minimum and it is called destructive
interference.
• The redistribution of light intensity due to the superposition of two waves is
called interference of light

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Coherent Sources
• Coherent sources of light are those sources which emit light waves having the
same frequency, wavelength and in the same phase, or they have a constant phase
difference.

• It is difficult to have two sources which are coherent

• For experimental purposes, two virtual sources formed from a single source act as
coherent sources

• In order to observe inference, the two sources must be narrow and close to each
other

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Phase difference and Path difference
• The phase difference is the difference in the phase angle of the two waves.

• Path difference is the difference in the path traversed by the two waves.

• If the path difference o two waves is wavelength (), then the phase difference
is 2

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)

 Phase difference and Path difference

𝟐𝝅
• Phase difference = × (path difference)
𝝀
• Let for a path difference 𝒙, the phase difference is 𝜹
𝟐𝝅
• 𝜹= 𝒙 = 𝐤𝐱
𝝀

𝟐𝝅
Where 𝒌 = is called wave vector or propagation constant
𝝀

Two propagating waves of same frequency, but a phase difference of 𝜹 are represented as

𝒀𝟏 = sin(wt +kx)

𝒀𝟐 = 𝒂𝟐 sin[ (wt+kx) + 𝜹]

Where 𝒂𝟏 and 𝒂𝟐 are amplitudes of the waves

BSc. Physics Semester 1 : Methodology and Perspectives of Physics (Module 1)