University of Calgary
Winter semester 2008
PHYS 471: Optics
Homework assignment 5
Due Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Problem 5.1. A Fabry-Perot cavity is formed by two mirrors of reflectivity r2 =
99% placed at distance l = 15 cm from each other. Find the FSR, FWHM (full
width at half-maximum) linewidth, and the finesse of the cavity in terms of the
optical frequency . Will this cavity be able to distinguish two = 790 nm
laser lines situated = 0.0001 nm apart?
Problem 5.2. A Fabry-Perot cavity is formed by two mirrors of reflectivity r2
(such that 1 r2 1) placed at distance l from each other. Inside the cavity,
there is an attenuator with intensity absorption L 1. Find the FWHM
linewidth of the cavity in terms of the optical frequency = 2 as well as the
minimum and maximum cavity transmission coefficients. Plot them using the
data from the previous problem. Hint: an absorber can be modeled as a beam
splitter with transmission L and reflectivity 1 L.
Problem 5.3. Show that the optical intensity in the focal plane of a convex lens
is a scaled, squared Fourier transform of the field incident on the lens:
I(x0 , y 0 ) |E(x 0
, y 0 )|2 , (1)
where
Z
+ Z
+
x , ky ) = 1
E(k E(x, y)eikx x+iky y dx dy, (2)
(2)2
(x, y) and (x0 , y 0 ) denote coordinates in the plane of the lens and the focal plane
of the lens, respectively. Find if the focal length is f and the wavelength is
. Hint: note that each Fourier component (kx , ky ) of the incident field is a
plane wave and will be focused into a single point in the focal plane of the lens
(Problem 3.1).
Problem 5.4. Calculate, as a function of the transverse position, the Fraunhofer
diffraction intensity pattern from
a) three vertical slits of width b = 0.1 mm with centers positioned at (a, 0),
(0, 0), and (a, 0) with a = 0.5 mm. The length of each slit is c = 1 mm;
b) a round hole of a a = 0.3 mm diameter surrounded by a concentric, ring-
shaped hole of b = 0.4 mm and c = 0.5 mm inner and outer diameters,
respectively
1
on a wall located L = 10 m away. Plot the cross-section of the pattern at y 0 = 0.
The initial laser is a plane wave; the wavelength is = 532 nm.
c c a
a
b b
Problem 5.5. What will happen to the Fraunhofer diffraction intensity distribu-
tion if the diffracting screen
a) shifts by distance d in the negative x direction;
b) its x-dimension shrinks, and its y-dimension extends by a factor of 2?
The initial laser is a plane wave.
Problem 5.6. A geometric image obtained with a camera obscura (pinhole cam-
era) becomes clearer when the pinhole diameter is reduced. On the other hand,
if the pinhole is too small, ray divergence due to diffraction will compromise the
clarity and brightness. Estimate the optimal diameter of the objective pinhole
in a camera obscura of a L = 1 m depth.
Problem 5.7. Using the considerations similar to those in the previous problem,
estimate the optimal size of the input slit of a visible light spectrometer which
utilizes a grating of a D = 10 cm width. The collimating lens has a focal length
of L = 1 m. Show that the optimal width of the slit is such that the light
incident on this slit will generate a diffraction pattern of width D. Estimate the
resolution and the resolving power R of this spectrometer.
Problem 5.8. In the previous problem, the grating is replaced by an equilateral
prism of D = 10 cm side length. Estimate the minimum resolved wavelength
and the resolving power of this spectrometer. To determine the dispersion,
use the following data: the index of refraction of flint glass equals 1.7076 at a
wavelength of 656.3 nm (red) and 1.7328 at 486.1 nm (blue).
Problem 5.9. A one-dimensional phase grating consists of alternating blocks of
glass of indices n1 and n2 , thickness a and width d/2. Find the ratio between
the intensities in the first and zeroth diffraction orders. Neglect reflection.
