Fraunhofer Diffraction

Spreading out of wave when it passes through small opening of size comparable to wavelength is known as diffraction.

Categories:
1. Fresnel diffraction
The source of light and screen is in general at a finite distance from the diffracting aperture.

2. Fraunhofer diffraction
The source of light and screen are at infinite distance from the aperture. This is easily achieved by placing the source on the focal plane of convex lens and placing screen on the focal plane of another convex lens.

Diffraction and Interference inseparable :

Fraunhofer Diffraction:
Single-Slit diffraction pattern:

b Now,
b=n ,

And

Conditions for maxima and minima:

Secondary Maxima
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 Secondary Maxima

Double-Slit diffraction pattern:

Field due to 2 silts,

At point p,

b d P

b Interference part

Diffraction part Conditions for maxima and minima: Minima(=0)

Or

Maxima

Or

N-Slit diffraction pattern:

Field at point P,

Where,

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Interference part

Diffraction part

Conditions for maxima and minima: Maxima

Where,

Such maxima are called Principle maxima. At these maxima the fields produced by each of the slits are in phase and, therefore they add up and the resultant field is N times the field produced by each of the slits. Minima(=0)

or

Between 2 principle maxima we have (N-1) minima. Thus between 2 such consecutive minima the intensity has to have a maximum; known as Secondary Maxima.

Missing Orders:

And Or

Width of Principle Maxima :

Is known as angular half -width. Of mth order principal maximum.

For large value of N,

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 Which shows that the principal maximum becomes sharper as N increases.

Diffraction Grating:

d= grating element (opacity +transparency)

Dispersive Power:

Circular diffraction:
Angular spread of the beam is approx. given by:

Resolving Power:
Resolving power refers to the power of distinguishing two nearby spectral lines. Rayleigh Criterion:
If the principal maximum corresponding to the wavelength falls on the first minimum (on the either side of the principal maximum) of another wavelength , the 2 wavelengths are said to be just resolved.

And
Thus,

Compiled By: Ashir Mittal (Student) Mechanical Dept. Thapar University, Patiala

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