Optics Diffraction

2.3.04-00 Diffraction intensity of multiple slits and grids

What you can learn about

 Huygens principle
 Interference
 Fraunhofer und Fresnel
diffraction
 Coherence
 Laser

Principle:
Multiple slits which all have the
same width and the same distance
among each other, as well as trans-
mission grids with different grid con-
stants, are submitted to laser light.
The corresponding diffraction pat-
terns are measured according to
their position and intensity, by
means of a photo diode which can be
shifted.

What you need:

Laser, He-Ne 1.0 mW, 220 V AC 08181.93 1
Universal measuring amplifier 13626.93 1
Optical profile bench l = 150 cm 08281.00 1
Base f. opt. profile-bench, adjust. 08284.00 2
Slide mount f. opt. pr.-bench, h = 30 mm 08286.01 5
Slide device, horizontal 08713.00 1
Lens holder 08012.00 2
Object holder, 55 cm 08041.00 1
Lens, mounted, f = +20 mm 08018.01 1
Lens, mounted, f = +100 mm 08021.01 1
Photoelement f. opt. base plt. 08734.00 1
Diaphragm, 3 single slits 08522.00 1
Diaphragm, 4 multiple slits 08526.00 1
Diffraction grating, 4 lines/mm 08532.00 1
Diffraction grating, 8 lines/mm 08534.00 1
Diffraction grating, 10 lines/mm 08540.00 1
Diffraction grating, 50 lines/mm 08543.00 1 Diffraction intensity I as a function of the position x for a threefold slit,
Digital multimeter 07122.00 1 b1 = 0.1 mm and g = 0.25 mm. Distance between threefold slit and photo-
Connecting cord, l = 750 mm, red 07362.01 1 cell: L = 107 cm. For comparison, the intensity distribution of a single slit,
b = 0.1 mm, is entered as a dotted line.
Connecting cord, l = 750 mm, blue 07362.04 1

Complete Equipment Set, Manual on CD-ROM included Tasks:

Diffraction intensity 1. The position of the first intensity determined. The intensity relations
of multiple slits and grids P2230400 minimum due to a single slit is of the central peaks are to be
determined, and the value is used assessed.
to calculate the width of the slit. 3. For transmission grids with differ-
2. The intensity distribution of the ent lattice constants, the position
diffraction patterns of a three- of the peaks of several orders of
fold, fourfold and even a fivefold diffraction is to be determined,
slit, where the slits all have the and the found value used to cal-
same widths and the same dis- culate the wavelength of the laser
tance among each other, is to be light.

100 Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG D - 37070 Gttingen
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Diffraction intensity of multiple slits and grids 2.3.04
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Related topics Diffraction grating, 50 lines/mm 08543.00 1

Huyghens principle, interference, Fraunhofer- und Fresnel-dif- Digital multimeter 07122.00 1
fraction, coherence, laser. Connecting cord, l = 750 mm, red 07362.01 1
Connecting cord, l = 750 mm, blue 07362.04 1

Principle
Tasks
Multiple slits which all have the same width and the same dis-
1. The position of the first intensity minimum due to a single
tance among each other, as well as transmission grids with
slit is determined, and the value is used to calculate the
different grid constants, are submitted to laser light. The cor-
width of the slit.
responding diffraction patterns are measured according to
their position and intensity, by means of a photo diode which 2. The intensity distribution of the diffraction patterns of a
can be shifted. threefold, fourfold and even a fivefold slit, where the slits all
have the same widths and the same distance among each
other, is to be determined. The intensity relations of the cen-
Equipment tral peaks are to be assessed.
Laser, He-Ne 1.0 mW, 220 V AC 08181.93 1 3. For transmission grids with different lattice constants, the
Universal measuring amplifier 13626.93 1 position of the peaks of several orders of diffraction is to be
Optical profile bench l = 150 cm 08281.00 1 determined, and the found value used to calculate the
Base f. opt. profile-bench, adjust. 08284.00 2 wavelength of the laser light.
Slide mount f. opt. pr.-bench, h = 30 mm 08286.01 5
Slide device, horizontal 08713.00 1
Lens holder 08012.00 2
Object holder, 55 cm 08041.00 1 Set-up and procedure
Lens, mounted, f = +20 mm 08018.01 1 Experimental set-up is shown in fig. 1. With the assistance of
Lens, mounted, f = +100 mm 08021.01 1 the f = 20 mm and f = 100 mm lenses, a widened and parallel
Photoelement f. opt. base plt. 08734.00 1 laser beam is generated, which must impinge centrally on the
Diaphragm, 3 single slits 08522.00 1 photocell with the slit aperture, the photocell being situated
Diaphragm, 4 multiple slits 08526.00 1 approximately at the centre of its shifting range. The diffract-
Diffraction grating, 4 lines/mm 08532.00 1 ing objects are set in the object holder. It must be made sure
Diffraction grating, 8 lines/mm 08534.00 1 the diffraction objects which are to be investigated are set ver-
Diffraction grating, 10 lines/mm 08540.00 1 tically in the object holder, and uniformly illuminated.

Caution: Never look directly into a non attenuated laser beam

Fig. 1: Experimental set-up to investigate the diffraction intensity of multiple slits and grids. (Positions of the components on
the optical bench: laser = 2.5 cm; f/20 mm lens = 14.5 cm; f/100 mm lens = 27.5 mm; diffracting objects = 33 cm; slide
mount lateral adjustm., calibr. = 147. 5 cm).

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2.3.04 Diffraction intensity of multiple slits and grids
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The laser and the measuring amplifier should warm up for According to Fraunhofer, the minima and the peaks of a single
about 15 minutes before starting measurements, in order to slit are called 1st class interferences, whereas the interaction
avoid undesirable intensity fluctuations. The photocell is con- of several slits yields 2nd class interferences.
nected to the 104 input of the measuring amplifier (amplifica- Observing only a single slit (1st factor), this yields a minimum
tion factor 103 105). When the amplification factor is intensity when the numerator becomes zero. In this case, the
changed, the zero point of the measurement amplifier must be following is valid:
checked while the photocell is covered, and corrected if nec- kl
essary. sinwk  ; (k = 1, 2, 3) (2)
The diffraction intensity values are determined for the multiple b
slits by shifting the photocell in steps of 0.1 mm 0.2 mm. For
the transmission grids, the positions of diffraction peaks must The angular position of the 1st class peaks is given approxi-
be determined so as to be able to calculate the wavelength of mately through:
the laser light. For the 50 lines/mm transmission grid, the sec- 2k*  1 l
ondary peaks are outside the shifting range of the photocell, sinwk*  ; (k* = 1, 2, 3) (3)
2 b
so that in this case the position of the diffraction reflexes must
be marked on a sheet of paper and their distance measured If several slits act together, the minima of the single slits
with a ruler. always remain. Supplementary 2nd class minima appear when
the 2nd factor also becomes zero.
Theory and evaluation For a double slit (p = 2), the zero points can be easily calculat-
If monochromatic light of wavelength M impinges on a system ed by simple transformation of the 2nd factor. Equation (1) then
of parallel and equidistant slits, the following will be true for yields:
the light intensity I of beams deflected by an angle X:
4 cos2 a g sinw b  1
p
(4)
l
pp
sin2 a b sinw b sin2 a g sinw b
p
l l This expression becomes zero for
I1w2 r b2 2
(1)
a b sinw b sin2 a g sinw b
p p
l l 2h  1 l
sinwh  ; (h = 0, 1, 2, 3) (5)
2 g
(b = width of slit; g = distance between slits; p = number of slits)

Fig. 2: Diffraction intensity * as a function of the position x for

a threefold slit, b1 = 0.1 mm and g = 0.25 mm. Distance
between threefold slit and photocell: L = 107 cm. For
comparison, the intensity distribution of a single slit, Fig. 3: Diffraction intensity * as a function of the position x for
b = 0.1 mm, is entered as a dotted line. a fourfold slit with b1 = 0.1 mm and g = 0.25 mm.

2 22304-00 PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen
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Diffraction intensity of multiple slits and grids 2.3.04
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Fig. 4: Reciprocal distance of the diffraction peaks up to the Fig. 3 shows the diffraction figure of a fourfold slit. In this case,
3rd order of diffraction (K = 3) as a function of the lat- the number of 2nd class peaks is (p - 2) = 2. In the same way,
tice constant. diffraction through a fivefold slit (no figure) yields (p - 2) = 5-2nd
class secondary peaks.
Table 1 gives the intensity values of the central peaks of the
diffracting objects with p = 3 till p = 5, as well as the relative
values determined empirically and according to (6).

Table 1
exp. theor.
I05 (p=5) = 720 Skt.
I04 (p=4) = 500 Skt. I05 / I04 = 1.44 (5/4)2 = 1.56
I03 (p=3) = 300 Skt. I05 / I03 = 2.40 (5/3)2 = 2.78

Fig. 4 shows the distances between diffraction peaks meas-

ured for 4 different transmitting grids up to the 3rd order (K = 3)
as a function of the lattice constant g. With (7), fig. 4 yields
M = 635 nm as an average value for the wavelength of the used
laser light.

The following is valid for the intensity I of the main 2nd class
peaks:

I _ p2 (6)

The main 2nd class peaks thus become more prominent as the
number of slits increases. There still are (p - 2) secondary 2nd
class peaks between the main peaks.
When light is diffracted through transmission grids with lattice
constant g, the diffraction angle X of the main peaks fulfils the
following relation:

kl
sinwk  ; (k = 0,1,2,3) (7)
g

Fig. 2 shows the diffraction intensity I for a threefold slit as a

function of the position x of the photocell (distance between
the diffracting object and the photocell; L = 107 cm). For com-
parison, the diffraction pattern of a single slit is entered as an
envelope, with an adapted ordinate scale.
The minima of the single slit also remain in presence of corre-
sponding multiple slits. For these, one obtains d = 0.095 mm
from (2), with the distance 2 %x =14 mm between the two 1st
class minima (sinX  tan X, L = 107 cm, M = 632.8 nm). The
number of secondary 2nd class peaks of the threefold slit is
(p - 2) = 1.

PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen 22304-00 3
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2.3.04 Diffraction intensity of multiple slits and grids
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4 22304-00 PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Gttingen