Young's double slit experiment using polarised light

In summary, the Fringe system in a Young's double slit experiment is affected by the addition of polarising sheets (P1 and P2) before each slit (S1 and S2) with parallel transmission directions (1). The effect is further altered if the transmission lines are mutually orthogonal (2). In situation 3, an analyzer (A) is added between the slits and the observation screen, with a transmitting direction of \pi /4 to those of P1 and P2 (3). Additionally, in situation 4, a polariser (P) is added between the light source (S) and P1 and P2, and the orientation of P determines the maximum contrast (4). It should be noted that
  • #1
Reshma
749
6
How will the Fringe system in a Young's double slit experiment affected if,
1] a pair of polarising sheets P1 and P2, one before each of the slits S1 and S2, such that their transmission directions are parallel.

2] what will be the effect if the transmission lines are mutually orthogonal

3] in addition to the situation 2] above, one adds an analyzer A between the slits and the observation screen whose transmitting direction is at [itex]\pi /4[/itex] to those of P1 and P2

4] in addition to the situation in 3] one adds polariser P between light source S and P1 and P2. In what orientation of P the contrast is maximum?
 
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  • #2
Sounds like a College Homework Question.
in [1], do the polarizers do anything?
in [2] and later, are you presuming that
each slit does not re-polarize the transmitted light?
it seems that the only reason to have 2 slits here
is to coverge different polarizations.
Might be better to use 2 half-lenses.
 
  • #3

1] If a pair of polarising sheets P1 and P2 are placed before each of the slits S1 and S2 in the Young's double slit experiment, with their transmission directions parallel, the fringe system will be affected by the reduction in the intensity of the light passing through the slits. This is because the polarising sheets will only allow light with a specific polarisation direction to pass through, reducing the overall intensity of the light reaching the observation screen. As a result, the fringe pattern will appear dimmer compared to when no polarising sheets were present.

2] If the transmission lines of the polarising sheets P1 and P2 are mutually orthogonal, the fringe system will be affected by the complete elimination of light passing through the slits. This is because the orthogonal transmission lines will block all light passing through the slits, resulting in a complete absence of fringes on the observation screen.

3] In addition to the situation in 2], if an analyzer A is placed between the slits and the observation screen with its transmission direction at \pi /4 to those of P1 and P2, the fringe system will be affected by the appearance of a new set of fringes. This is because the analyzer will allow only a specific polarisation direction of light to pass through, resulting in a new interference pattern on the observation screen.

4] In addition to the situation in 3], if a polariser P is placed between the light source S and the polarising sheets P1 and P2, the contrast in the fringe system will be maximum when the polariser P is oriented at \pi /4 to the transmission directions of P1 and P2. This is because the polariser P will allow only a specific polarisation direction of light to pass through, which will be further filtered by the polarising sheets P1 and P2 before reaching the observation screen. This will result in a higher contrast between the bright and dark fringes on the observation screen.
 

1. What is the Young's double slit experiment using polarised light?

The Young's double slit experiment using polarised light is an optical experiment that demonstrates the wave nature of light. It involves passing a beam of light through two closely spaced slits and observing the resulting interference pattern on a screen.

2. How does polarised light affect the interference pattern in the experiment?

Polarised light has a specific direction of oscillation, which can be either vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. When polarised light is used in the Young's double slit experiment, the resulting interference pattern will only be visible in the direction of the polarisation of the light.

3. What is the significance of using polarised light in this experiment?

Using polarised light allows for better control and observation of the interference pattern. It also helps to eliminate any unwanted reflections or diffraction that may occur in the experiment.

4. How does the distance between the slits affect the interference pattern in this experiment?

The distance between the slits determines the spacing of the interference fringes on the screen. A smaller distance between the slits will result in a wider spacing of the fringes, while a larger distance will result in a narrower spacing.

5. Can the Young's double slit experiment using polarised light be used to measure the wavelength of light?

Yes, the experiment can be used to measure the wavelength of light by changing the distance between the slits and observing the corresponding changes in the interference pattern. By using the equation d*sin(theta) = m*lambda, where d is the slit distance, theta is the angle of the fringe, m is the order of the fringe, and lambda is the wavelength of light, the wavelength can be calculated.

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