WAVE OPTICS

e-Content –L-1 : Coherent Sources, Interference in Uniform Thin Films, Necessity of

Extended Sources

1
 Self-Declaration

It is hereby declared that the e-content “L-1 Coherent Sources, Interference in Uniform Thin Films,
Necessity of Extended Sources” for B.Tech. Information Technology Sem.-I (2020-21),
is exclusively meant for academic purposes and for enhancing the teaching and
learning. Any other use for economic/commercial purpose is strictly prohibited. The
users of the content shall not distribute, disseminate, or share it with anyone else
and its use is restricted to the advancement of individual knowledge. The content,
being related to teaching and learning of graduation/ post-graduation courses are
prepared with the help of existing literature available in different forms in offline or
online modes. The contents of the course are authentic and best as per my
knowledge.

Compiled by:
Dr. C P Singh
Department of Applied Sciences
Sir Chhotu Ram Institute of
Engineering and Technology Ch. Charan
Singh University, Meerut
Mobile: 9411818153
Email: c.ps.0051@gmail.com

2
Coherent Sources, Interference in Uniform Thin Films, Necessity of Extended Sources

▪ COHERENT SOURCES :
The two sources that emit continuous light waves of the same
frequency (or wavelength), with nearly same amplitude, propagating in the
same direction and having well defined time-independent phase-difference,
are known as coherent sources. Practically it is impossible to get two perfect
coherent sources.

• How to produce Coherent sources :

The devices for creating coherent sources of light are as follows-
i) Young's Double slit: In this device, two narrow slits S1 and S2 receive
light from the same narrow slit S. Thus S1 and S2 act as coherent
sources of light (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1
ii) Lloyd's Mirror: In this device, a slit S and its virtual images S1
formed by reflection at a mirror, are the coherent sources. (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2

3
iii) Fresnel's Double Mirror : In this device two virtual images S1 and S2
of single slit S, formed by reflection at two plane mirrors M1 and M2
inclined at a small angle to each other, are the coherent sources (Fig.
3).

Fig. 3
iv) Fresnel's Biprism: In this device, S1 and S2 are virtual image of a slit
S formed by refraction through a biprism, act as coherent sources, (Fig.
4).

Fig. 4
v) Michelson's Interferometer: In this device a single beam is broken
into two light waves ⊥ to each other, one by reflection and other by
refraction. The two beams when reunite produce interference fringes
and act as coherent sources.

4
▪ INTERFERENCE IN UNIFORM THIN FILMS

A parallel - surfaced transparent thin film of thickness t and refractive

index  (  1) is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5

A ray SA of monochromatic light, incident at an angle  i, is partly

reflected and partly refracted at points A, B, C, D,....

Colors produced by a thin film of oil on the surface of water and also by
thin film of soap bubble are the result of interference phenomenon in thin
films, due to reflected as well as transmitted system of light rays (waves). Let
us first consider interference due to reflected system of rays.

• Reflected System Of Rays:

The reflected rays (Fig. 5). AR1 and CR2 are in condition of interference.
The path difference between these rays AR1 and CR2 (Fig. 5) is
Path - difference = path ABC in film – path AN in air

=   AB + BC  − AN [ Path in air =   path in medium]

MB t
From Fig. 5, AB = BC = =
cos r cos r

5
And, AN = AC sin i = 2 AM sin i

sin i
= 2MB tan r sin i = 2t. .sin r
cos r

[ AM=MC as  AMB   BCM]

sin 2 r sin i
AN = 2t. [ = Snell's law]
cos r sin r

Thus, use of these values makes the

2t 2t.sin 2 r 2t

Path - difference = − = 1 − sin 2 r  = 2ut.cos r
cos r cos r cos r 

So, path- difference = 2t cos r (1)

Now, according to the Stokes treatment, the ray AR1 reflected from the

surface of a denser medium undergoes a phase change of 𝜋 (path- diff. of ).
2
So, the effective path- difference between the rays AR1 and CR2 is

Path- difference = 2  t.cos r + (2)
2

• Condition Of Maxima And Minima:

For Maxima (Constructive interference),


Path- difference = 2n  = n
2


Or, 2t cos+ = n , n = 0,1, 2....
2


Or, 2  t cos r = ( 2n − 1) (3)
2

The left side of Eq. (3) is always +ve, so, n takes n = 1, 2,3.....

Eq. (3) represents the condition for maxima and the thin film will appear
bright in the reflected light. For destructive interference the path- difference
(minima) is

6
  
2 t cos r + = ( 2n + 1) , n = 0,1, 2,....
2 2

Or, 2t cos.r = n (4)

Eq. (4) represents the condition of minima and the film will appear
dark in the reflected light.

• Transmitted System Of Rays :

The path difference between transmitted rays BT1 and DT2 is identical
to that in the reflected system as in Fig. 5.

Path- difference =  ( BC + CD ) − BL = 2t cos r (5)

In this case, there is no additional path- difference as the reflection

takes place at the surfaces of the rarer medium.

➢ Condition Of Maxima And Minima:

For destructive interference, the path- difference in the transmitted

system is


2t cos r = ( 2n + 1) , n = 0,1, 2,.... (7)
2

Thus, Eq. (7) represents the condition of bright fringe (i.e. minima).

For constructive interference, the path- difference in the transmitted

system is


2t cos r = ( 2n + 1) , n = 0,1, 2,.... (8)
2

Thus, Eq. (8) represents the condition of dark fringe (i.e. maxima).

Clearly, the conditions of maxima and minima are just reverse to each
other in the two systems of reflected and transmitted rays.

▪ NECESSITY OF EXTENDED LIGHT SOURCE

7
 If we use a point source then we observe that different parts of
reflected light cannot reach the eye due to small size of the pupil, as
shown in Fig. 6(a).

Fig. 6
The reflected rays only from a small portion of the film can enter the
eye. Hence, the whole of the film cannot be seen by the eye placed in a fixed
position. However if a broad source of light is used to illuminate a thin film,
the light reflected from each part of the film reaches the eye placed in a fixed
position, as shown in Fig. 6(b). Hence, one can see the entire film
simultaneously by employing an extended source of light. So, there is
necessity of an extended source of light to observe the whole film at a time.