Department of Physics, Weber State University

PHYS 3190, Applied Optics Lab

Experiment #10

Diffraction
Revised 11/05/09

Goals: Gain some experience with a diffraction grating and the concept of resolution. Experiment with Fresnel (pronounced FRA nel) and Fraunhofer diffraction from a slit. Including an opportunity to observe the transition from one type of diffraction to the other. Study Fraunhofer diffraction for various apertures. Explore Babinet's principle and study Fraunhofer diffraction from an obstruction. Equipment: diode laser (wavelength = 650 nm or 635 nm) fluorescent lamp in fixture cheap diffraction grating in cardboard frame Research grade grating 2400/mm, vis, 25X25mm Hg spectral tube and power supply "Diffraction Plate" (various multiple slits) Plate with holes drilled into it

small steel ball on post hair (supply your own, I ran out) 2 razor blades Spreadsheet file: N-Slit Diffraction lenses for beam expanding precision rotation stage

Handling and Safety Notes: Standard comments about laser safety. It is your responsibility to control all reflections. The diffraction gratings are very sensitive. Under no circumstances should you ever touch the surface of a diffraction grating. You cannot clean a grating either. Once it has been touched it will never perform as well again, period. These diffraction gratings cost $125 apiece. Please be careful. Procedure: Part 1a, Spectroscopy In this part of the laboratory we will observe the visible lines in the mercury spectrum using a diffraction grating. The wavelengths of the brighter lines in the mercury spectrum are: 435.8 nm, 546.1 nm, 577.0 nm, 579.1 nm. Hold the diffraction grating close to your eye (almost touching) and look at the slit opening of the Hg source. If the colors dont go out to either side then you need to rotate the grating by 90E. Take a minute to look at the colors. Go somewhere where there are fluorescent lights and look at those with the grating. Now take the single fluorescent lamp in a fixture and look at it with the grating from a large distance away. Compare those colors with the Hg source. You should see a pattern that matches between the two. Return to looking at your Hg source. Make sure you look well off to the sides of your field of view through the grating. You should see at least two orders of diffraction to both sides. The resolution, R, of a diffraction grating is given by

where m is the diffraction order and N is the number of lines being illuminated on the grating. Notice the
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orange-yellow line in the Hg spectrum. In the first diffraction order there is a single line, in the second order you can cleanly resolve two close lines (called a doublet). The wavelengths of these lines are: 577.0 nm and 579.1 nm. Question 1: Why can you only see one line in the first order but two in the second order? Part 1b, Precision Spectroscopy In this part of the laboratory we will observe the visible lines in the mercury spectrum using a better diffraction grating. This is a reflection grating rather than a transmission grating. I have not yet figured out how we are going to mount it. So this part of the lab will be figured out on the fly. What I want you to look at for today is the difference in the quality and appearance of the spectra. This is 1. a better grating, 2. a higher number of lines grating and 3. a reflection grating. Question 2: Discuss the differences in the appearance of the spectra between the two gratings. Part 2, N-Slit Diffraction Figure 1. Viewing spectral lines with a For single slit diffraction we find that the irradiance pattern reflection diffraction grating. is defined by

where the slit width(i.e. the size of the opening) is defined by b which is related to and by

The angle is defined as the angle from the optical axis (i.e. the central fringe) to the point in question on the screen. Recall that for two slit diffraction the intensity is described by

where

The slit separation is denoted by a. Recall also that if the ratio of the slit separation to slit width, a/b, is an integer, then there will be missing fringes. The pattern is the same for N-slits, it just becomes sharper. As we did in class, you can use simple trigonometry to determine the screen position of the fringes, , where the b, a stuff means that you can use either b or a depending on whether you are interested in slit spacing or slit width results and m is the order. Remember that slit spacing data results in bright fringes and width data results in dark fringes for this equation.

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PHYS 3190, Diffraction

In this part of the experiment we will use a spreadsheet to calculate the fringe intensity using the above equations and then to plot it. Actually, I have already done this for you, what you will need to do is run it. You will experimentally observe the diffraction pattern and then compare it with the results of the program. Turn on the computer and open the file N-Slit Diffraction which is on the desktop. Please do not Save this file. You will be changing numerical values in the obvious blocks in the spreadsheet and observing the resulting change in the interference fringe intensity. SLIT SEPARATION = a W idth = b Number of (mm) (mm) slits Using the diode laser (= 635 nm) shine the laser beam through the single slits A, A .04 1 B and C on the DIFFRACTION B .08 1 PLATE. The dimensions are listed in Table I. For each slit listed in Table I you C .16 1 should observe and compare both the actual D .125 .04 2 diffraction pattern and the calculated diffraction pattern. Locate the screen as far E .250 .04 2 away as you can, 2 meters is marginal, 4 F .250 .08 2 meters or more is best. Create a data table that lists the G .250 .06 # 10 predicted position of at least 3 or 4 of the Table I. Dimensions provided by the manufacturer for dark fringes of the single slit diffraction selected slits on the Diffraction Plate. Note that these pattern for each of the three single slits (A, values may be too large due to shrinkage of the B and C) and also the observed positions. photographic film. You can either calculate the positions yourself or you can just read it off the graph from the spreadsheet. Calculate the percent error being careful not to lose the signs. Remember that percent error is obtained from . Thus when your measured value is lower then expected you get a negative percent error. This allows you to look for and detect systematic errors as opposed to random errors. Now, do this again but for slits D, E, F and G. This time, make a data table for the bright spots. (Measure at least 3 or 4 of the spots.) In the spreadsheet one of the graphs shows the irradiance as a linear scale and one shows a logarithmic scale. Carefully compare the perceived brightness by your eye and the plotted brightness shown in the graphs in the spreadsheet. Notice the progression of the values and the ratio of values of a and b for the slits. Look for the effects of that progression on the diffraction patterns. First you maintain the slit width but double the spacing. Then you maintain the spacing but double the slit width. Next you are increasing the number of slits with the other dimensions roughly constant. In the final case you have a ratio of almost exactly 4. Question 3: How accurately can you read the predicted value off of the computer screen? How well do the results predicted by the computer agree with what you see? Do they agree within the accuracy of your measurement? (That is, do your predicted and measured values overlap within the various uncertainties?) Did you have any cases with missing orders (i.e., missing fringes)? Question 4: Do your eyes have a linear response or a logarithmic response curve? Part 3, Fresnel and Fraunhofer Diffraction. We will start with Fraunhofer diffraction and an un-expanded laser beam. The relationship for dark fringes in Fraunhofer diffraction is
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where m is the fringe number, Z is the distance between the object and the screen, ym is the distance on the screen from the zeroth fringe (the central bright maximum) to the mth dark fringe, and a is the spacing of the slits. The difference between Fresnel (near field) and Fraunhofer (far field) diffraction is the distance to the screen (and the uniformity of the beam at the aperture, which we will ignore for the sake of time). In general, Fresnel diffraction occurs inside the "shadow" of an aperture or obstruction and Fraunhofer occurs outside of the "shadow." In other words, Fresnel diffraction tends to be close to the edge of the geometrical shadow and Fraunhofer diffraction tends to cover a much larger area. A rough rule of thumb for determining the regions of near and far field is

where A is the area of the aperture. Note: For each case below, describe your observations carefully. Take digital camera images, if you can, rather than trying to describe/sketch the patterns. (Taking pictures is actually harder than it looks and often doesnt do as good a job as a simple sketch.) Make sure that you explain what you see! Make notes on the pictures pointing out and explaining key points. Procedure (of course you will want to remove one item prior to inserting the next): Using the DIFFRACTION PLATE that was used above, insert slit B into the laser beam. Look at the pattern closely and just remember what it looks like. Now we will switch an obstruction for an opening. Pick a hair from one of your heads and figure out some method of mounting it in front of the unexpanded laser beam. Notice that the diffraction pattern looks the same for an opening or an obstruction! The fact that you can use the same equation and get the same diffraction patterns for either openings or obstructions is called Babinet's principle. Measure the fringes and determine the width of the hair. (Measure several of the fringes, not just one. Get a good estimate for the size the hair by taking an average.) Questions 5: Is the center of the hair's shadow'' light or dark? Why? The remaining steps will be done using an expanded laser beam, see Figure 2. To expand the laser beam use two lenses that have different focal Figure 2. Two different methods for expanding a laser beam. The second method works best for lower lengths maybe in the ballpark of 24.5 mm and power laser beams. When the focal points of the +300 mm. lenses overlap the output beam will be parallel. In Place a single razor blade in front of the beam practice it is easiest to get it close then adjust the spacing until the output beam size (spot) doesnt such that about half of the beam is blocked and change much as you move away from the lens.
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observe the diffraction pattern. Move the screen near and far. This is Fresnel diffraction. Try to determine where the shadow would start at if light was NOT a wave but actually obeyed geometrical optics. NB: This next step (two razor blades) is important for you to observe closely. This shows a lot of detail and there is a lot to understand in the diffraction pattern. Mount two razor blades on the magnetic strips on one of the U stands or in some other way clamp them together. The two razors are to be mounted with a wedge or V between them where the angle of the V should be about 20o, see Figure 2. Insert this V such that the expanded laser beam is illuminating as much of the V as possible, including the apex. This will demonstrate both Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction. Make a photo or very careful sketch of the resulting diffraction pattern. Explain the major features of your image, label your photo/sketch carefully. Make sure you identify which areas are undergoing Fresnel and Fraunhofer type diffraction. (Note: there is an article in the appendix Figure 3. V geometry of this lab manual about this situation.) of the two razors. Finally, observe Arago's spot. (Poisson's folly if you will.) Insert the steel ball bearing (it is mounted on a post) into the expanded beam. Move the screen in and out while observing the patterns carefully. Record your observations. Question 6: Is the center of the pattern from the ball bearing bright or dark? Explain what is happening.

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