Diffraction 1 (7-9) Flashcards
(39 cards)
Diffraction is a change in ________NOT due to _________or________.
direction of propagation of light
reflection or refraction.
Snells law?
reflection or refraction.
Can we use Snell’s law to predict diffraction?
If rays travel in straight lines, then the shadow pattern should have sharp edges,
but they don’t! Blurring of the edges is a sign of diffraction at work.
Phenomenon of diffraction -
The deviation from rectilinear propagation
that occurs when light advances beyond an
obstruction
THE HUYGENS PRINCIPLE.
All points on a wavefront can be considered as point sources for the production of spherical secondary
wavelets, and at any later time the new wavefront position is the envelope (or surface of tangency) to these
secondary wavelets.”
Single-Slit Diffraction
Wavelength of source equal to or larger than width of the slit (λ > a), forms diffraction pattern.
Fresnel (Near field) Diffraction
In the Fresnel diffraction, the source of light and the
screen are at a finite distance from the diffraction
aperture.
Fraunhofer (Far-field) Diffraction
In the Frauhofer diffraction, the source of light and the
screen are at a infinite distance from the diffraction
aperture.
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
‘Near-field diffraction’
Fresnel
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
Finite distance (slit to screen)
Fresnel
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
Plane wave
Fraunhofer
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
‘Far-field diffraction’
Fraunhofer
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
Difficult to observe & calculate
Fresnel
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
Infinite distance (slit to screen)
Fraunhofer
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
Converging or Diverging wave
Fresnel
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
Diffraction patterns vary with distance
Slit to screen
Fresnel
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
Easy to observe & calculate
Fraunhofer
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
Insensitive to distance changes
(maintains same angular relationship
Fraunhofer
Fresnel Diffraction or Fraunhofer Diffraction?
Poisson spot – Bright in the center of a
shadow (Argo spot or Fresnel’s bright spot)
Ex. Floaters in eye
Fresnel
Combined effect of 2-slits and single-slit interference
With 2-slits, not only you will see diffraction patterns due to individual single-slits
but also interference patterns due to the waves coming from different slits.
Rayleigh’s criterion states :
that the two point resolution limit occurs when the first minimum (the boundary of
Airy’s disk) of one diffraction pattern coincides with the center maximum of the other diffraction limited pattern.
The diffraction pattern formed on a distant screen resulting from a uniformlyilluminated
circular aperture has a bright region in the center, known as _____________
Airy’s disk.
The central disk plus the surrounding series of concentric bright rings is called the _________
Airy
pattern.
Diffraction places a limit on the ability of the system to form ________
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