light interference formula

Interference of light is an interactive phenomenon that produces a stripe pattern when multiple light waves meet. The interference formula is: d sin(θ) = m λ, where d is the light source distance, θ is the angle between the fringes, m is the fringe number, and λ is the wavelength. This formula is used to analyze the width and position of interference fringes and is widely used in the fields of measurement, materials research and optics.

Interference formula of light

What is the interference of light?

Light interference is a phenomenon of light wave interaction. When two or more light waves from different light sources meet, they will be superimposed according to their phase difference, resulting in a light and dark stripe pattern.

The interference formula of light

The interference formula of light describes the width and position of the interference fringe. Its expression is:

<code>d * sin(θ) = m * λ</code>

where:

• d: The distance between two coherent light sources
• θ: The angle between the interference fringe and the light wave propagation direction
• m: The interference fringe number, m=0 is the central stripe, m=1, 2, 3... are other stripes
• λ: wavelength of light wave

Formula derivation

The interference formula of light can be derived from the Huygens-Fresnel principle. According to this principle, the wavefront of each interfering light wave can be regarded as a secondary wave source, and the waves emitted from these secondary wave sources are superimposed on each other to produce interference phenomena.

When the phase difference between two coherent light waves is 2πm (m is an integer), they superpose at adjacent wave peaks to produce constructive interference, forming bright stripes. When the phase difference is (2πm π), superposition produces destructive interference, forming dark stripes.

Application

The interference formula of light is widely used in the fields of optical measurement, material property research and image processing, for example:

• Measuring the wavelength of light waves
• Determining film thickness
• Micrometer displacement detection
• Manufacturing of gratings and diffractive optical elements

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