Skip to main content
Mod Moved Comments To Chat
added 1 character in body
Source Link

I do not understand the question, because it starts with a wrong statement:

A superposition of two electromagnetic waves with different frequencies will never produce visible interference patterns.

This statement is clearly false. Take, for example, the diffraction pattern from a double slit with a single frequency:

Double slit diffraction pattern with a single wavelength

If you take a wavelength that is 10% longer you get a slightly wider spacing:

Double slit diffraction pattern with a longer wavelength

When you superpose the two wavelength, the intensity that you get is simply the sum of the two. The result still has a very clear diffraction pattern, showing interference:

Double slit diffraction pattern with two wavelengths

It is easy to prove that the intensities of the two waves with different wavelength are simply added. Let us say that the first wave is: $$ \varphi_1 = \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} $$ and the second: $$ \varphi_2 = \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} $$ The square modulus of the superposition is: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left| \varphi_1 + \varphi_2 \right|^2 $$ Substituting: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left| \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right|^2 $$ This is equal to: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left( \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right) \left( \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right)^* $$ The four terms are: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} \psi_1(x)^* e^{-i \omega_1 t} + \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} \psi_2(x)^* e^{-i \omega_2 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \psi_1(x)^* e^{-i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \psi_2(x)^* e^{-i \omega_2 t} $$ Some of the exponential cancel out: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \psi_1(x) \psi_1(x)^* + \psi_2(x) \psi_2(x)^* + 2 Re \left( \psi_1(x) \psi_2(x)^* e^{i (\omega_1-\omega_2) t} \right) $$ Calculating the intensity, the last term on the right averages to 0: $$ I = \psi_1(x) \psi_1(x)^* + \psi_2(x) \psi_2(x)^* = I_1 + I_2 $$

So, from the superposition of two diffraction patterns at different wavelengths you simply get the sum of the intensities. Normally, the diffractioninterference will still be visible.

I do not understand the question, because it starts with a wrong statement:

A superposition of two electromagnetic waves with different frequencies will never produce visible interference patterns.

This statement is clearly false. Take, for example, the diffraction pattern from a double slit with a single frequency:

Double slit diffraction pattern with a single wavelength

If you take a wavelength that is 10% longer you get a slightly wider spacing:

Double slit diffraction pattern with a longer wavelength

When you superpose the two wavelength, the intensity that you get is simply the sum of the two. The result still has a very clear diffraction pattern, showing interference:

Double slit diffraction pattern with two wavelengths

It is easy to prove that the intensities of the two waves with different wavelength are simply added. Let us say that the first wave is: $$ \varphi_1 = \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} $$ and the second: $$ \varphi_2 = \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} $$ The square modulus of the superposition is: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left| \varphi_1 + \varphi_2 \right|^2 $$ Substituting: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left| \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right|^2 $$ This is equal to: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left( \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right) \left( \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right)^* $$ The four terms are: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} \psi_1(x)^* e^{-i \omega_1 t} + \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} \psi_2(x)^* e^{-i \omega_2 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \psi_1(x)^* e^{-i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \psi_2(x)^* e^{-i \omega_2 t} $$ Some of the exponential cancel out: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \psi_1(x) \psi_1(x)^* + \psi_2(x) \psi_2(x)^* + 2 Re \left( \psi_1(x) \psi_2(x)^* e^{i (\omega_1-\omega_2) t} \right) $$ Calculating the intensity, the last term on the right averages to 0: $$ I = \psi_1(x) \psi_1(x)^* + \psi_2(x) \psi_2(x)^* = I_1 + I_2 $$

So, from the superposition of two diffraction patterns at different wavelengths you simply get the sum of the intensities. Normally, the diffraction will still be visible.

I do not understand the question, because it starts with a wrong statement:

A superposition of two electromagnetic waves with different frequencies will never produce visible interference patterns.

This statement is clearly false. Take, for example, the diffraction pattern from a double slit with a single frequency:

Double slit diffraction pattern with a single wavelength

If you take a wavelength that is 10% longer you get a slightly wider spacing:

Double slit diffraction pattern with a longer wavelength

When you superpose the two wavelength, the intensity that you get is simply the sum of the two. The result still has a very clear diffraction pattern, showing interference:

Double slit diffraction pattern with two wavelengths

It is easy to prove that the intensities of the two waves with different wavelength are simply added. Let us say that the first wave is: $$ \varphi_1 = \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} $$ and the second: $$ \varphi_2 = \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} $$ The square modulus of the superposition is: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left| \varphi_1 + \varphi_2 \right|^2 $$ Substituting: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left| \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right|^2 $$ This is equal to: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left( \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right) \left( \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right)^* $$ The four terms are: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} \psi_1(x)^* e^{-i \omega_1 t} + \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} \psi_2(x)^* e^{-i \omega_2 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \psi_1(x)^* e^{-i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \psi_2(x)^* e^{-i \omega_2 t} $$ Some of the exponential cancel out: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \psi_1(x) \psi_1(x)^* + \psi_2(x) \psi_2(x)^* + 2 Re \left( \psi_1(x) \psi_2(x)^* e^{i (\omega_1-\omega_2) t} \right) $$ Calculating the intensity, the last term on the right averages to 0: $$ I = \psi_1(x) \psi_1(x)^* + \psi_2(x) \psi_2(x)^* = I_1 + I_2 $$

So, from the superposition of two diffraction patterns at different wavelengths you simply get the sum of the intensities. Normally, the interference will still be visible.

Source Link

I do not understand the question, because it starts with a wrong statement:

A superposition of two electromagnetic waves with different frequencies will never produce visible interference patterns.

This statement is clearly false. Take, for example, the diffraction pattern from a double slit with a single frequency:

Double slit diffraction pattern with a single wavelength

If you take a wavelength that is 10% longer you get a slightly wider spacing:

Double slit diffraction pattern with a longer wavelength

When you superpose the two wavelength, the intensity that you get is simply the sum of the two. The result still has a very clear diffraction pattern, showing interference:

Double slit diffraction pattern with two wavelengths

It is easy to prove that the intensities of the two waves with different wavelength are simply added. Let us say that the first wave is: $$ \varphi_1 = \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} $$ and the second: $$ \varphi_2 = \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} $$ The square modulus of the superposition is: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left| \varphi_1 + \varphi_2 \right|^2 $$ Substituting: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left| \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right|^2 $$ This is equal to: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \left( \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right) \left( \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \right)^* $$ The four terms are: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} \psi_1(x)^* e^{-i \omega_1 t} + \psi_1(x) e^{i \omega_1 t} \psi_2(x)^* e^{-i \omega_2 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \psi_1(x)^* e^{-i \omega_1 t} + \psi_2(x) e^{i \omega_2 t} \psi_2(x)^* e^{-i \omega_2 t} $$ Some of the exponential cancel out: $$ |\varphi|^2 = \psi_1(x) \psi_1(x)^* + \psi_2(x) \psi_2(x)^* + 2 Re \left( \psi_1(x) \psi_2(x)^* e^{i (\omega_1-\omega_2) t} \right) $$ Calculating the intensity, the last term on the right averages to 0: $$ I = \psi_1(x) \psi_1(x)^* + \psi_2(x) \psi_2(x)^* = I_1 + I_2 $$

So, from the superposition of two diffraction patterns at different wavelengths you simply get the sum of the intensities. Normally, the diffraction will still be visible.