Submitted By:- Submitted To:-

SriKrishna Das Prof Kanad Ray

B. TECH.(FOOD TECHNOLOGY)
BATCH:- 2022-2026
Diffractio
n
Basics of diffraction
Introduction

• Diffraction, the spreading of waves around obstacles.

Diffraction takes place with sound; with 
electromagnetic radiation, such as light, X-rays, and 
gamma rays; and with very small moving particles such
as atoms, neutrons, and electrons, which show wavelike
properties.
• Italian scientist Francesco Maria Grimaldi coined the
word diffraction and was the first to record accurate
observations of the phenomenon in 1660.
 Huygens–Fresnel principle 
• In classical physics, the diffraction phenomenon is described
by the Huygens–Fresnel principle that treats each point in a
propagating wavefront as a collection of individual spherical 
wavelets.[3] The characteristic bending pattern is most
pronounced when a wave from a coherent source (such as a
laser) encounters a slit/aperture that is comparable in size to
its wavelength, as shown in the inserted image. This is due to
the addition, or interference, of different points on the
wavefront (or, equivalently, each wavelet) that travel by paths
of different lengths to the registering surface. If there are
multiple, closely spaced openings (e.g., a diffraction grating), a
complex pattern of varying intensity can result.
 Types of
Diffraction
There are two types of diffraction

[i] Fraunhofer diffraction ,and

[ii] Fresnel diffraction

.
[i] Fraunhofer Diffraction

• This class of diffraction is characterized by a linear variation of

the phases of the Huygens secondary waves with distance
across the wavefront, as they arrive at a given point on the
observing screen. At the instant that the incident plane wave
occupies the plane of the diffracting screen, it may be regarded
as sending out, from each element of its surface, a multitude of
secondary waves, the joint effect of which is to be evaluated in
the focal plane of the lens L2. The analysis of these secondary
waves involves taking account of both their amplitudes and
their phases. The simplest way to do this is to use a graphical
method, the method of the vibration curve, which can readily be
extended to cases of Fresnel diffraction.
[ii] Fresnel Diffraction
• The diffraction effects obtained when the source of light or the
observing screen are at a finite distance from the diffracting
aperture or obstacle come under the classification of Fresnel
diffraction. This type of diffraction requires for its observation
only a point source, a diffracting screen of some sort, and an
observing screen. The latter is often advantageously replaced by a
magnifier or a low-power microscope. The observed diffraction
patterns generally differ according to the radius of curvature of the
wave and the distance of the point of observation behind the
screen. If the diffracting screen has circular symmetry, such as
that of an opaque disk or a round hole, a point source of light
must be used. If it has straight, parallel edges, it is desirable from
the standpoint of brightness to use an illuminated slit parallel to
these edges. In the latter case, it is possible to regard the wave
emanating from the slit as a cylindrical one. For the purpose of
deriving the vibration curve, the appropriate way of dividing the
wavefront into infinitesimal elements is to use annular rings in the
first case, and strips parallel to the axis of the cylinder in the
second case.
Thank
you