Thin Film Interference and reflection

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of thin film interference, specifically focusing on determining the thinnest film of a coating with a refractive index of 1.43 on glass (with a refractive index of 1.52) that allows for destructive interference of red light (660 nm) reflected from the film.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the relationship between film thickness and wavelength, questioning how the refractive index affects the wavelength of light within the film. There is an attempt to understand the conditions for destructive interference and the significance of the 1/4 wavelength condition.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights into the relationship between the thickness of the film and the wavelength of light, suggesting that the thickness should be 1/4 of the wavelength within the coating. Others express confusion about the concepts involved and seek further clarification.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the challenge of understanding the problem and the definitions involved, indicating a need for clearer explanations of the underlying principles of thin film interference.

pconn5
Messages
6
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


What is the thinnest film of a coating with n = 1.43 on glass (n=1.52) for which destructive interference of the red component (660 nm) of an incident white light beam in air can take place by reflection?


Homework Equations


2t = m*lambda?


The Attempt at a Solution


There really is none. Honestly I have been reading through the book for like an hour and trying to figure out what everything means but I just don't understand what to do at all. Any help at all is really appreciated. This just doesn't make sense to me :confused:
 
Physics news on Phys.org
pconn5 said:

Homework Statement


What is the thinnest film of a coating with n = 1.43 on glass (n=1.52) for which destructive interference of the red component (660 nm) of an incident white light beam in air can take place by reflection?

Homework Equations


2t = m*lambda?

The Attempt at a Solution


There really is none. Honestly I have been reading through the book for like an hour and trying to figure out what everything means but I just don't understand what to do at all. Any help at all is really appreciated. This just doesn't make sense to me :confused:
The purpose of the coating is to create two reflecting surfaces separated by a small distance (some light will always reflect when it passes from one medium into another with a different index of refraction). If this distance is 1/4 of a wavelength of the incident light, the light reflecting off the coating/lens surface destructively interferes with the light reflecting off the air/coating surface (ie the wave reflected from the coating/glass boundary is a 1/2 wavelength out of phase with the light reflecting from the air/coating boundary). This reduces light reflection and increases the amount of light passing through the lens.

So you have to create a layer of thickness equal to 1/4 of the wavelength of the light.

AM
 
The thickness of the coating should be 1/4 of the wavelength inside the layer. The wavelength changes when the light enters from air to an other material with refractive index n. If the wavelength of the incident light is \lambda_0, that in the material is \lambda=\lambda_0/n. So the thickness of the antireflecting coating should be d=\lambda_0/(4n).

ehild
 
Thank you very much. That helped me out a lot. I couldn't not figure that out at all.

Thanks again.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 35 ·
2
Replies
35
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
6K
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
951
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
4K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
3K
Replies
2
Views
4K