Huygens Optics | Directional coherent wave source @HuygensOptics | Uploaded January 2024 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
This short shows a directional wave source that is made by spacing omnidirectional wave emitters in a very specific configuration. The animations were created using the wave simulation code made by @DiffractionLimited
As for the question at the end of the video about being able to spot how destructive interference comes about: this is basically impossible to see in the animation. So the answer to the question is NO.
However, there are few ways that you can look at how the phenomenon comes about:
1) When moving away in the horizontal direction of a row of emitters, for every point there is an equal amount of emitters that has a particular phase, compared to the emitters that have a phase 180 degrees shifted. So, when adding up these 2 contributions for all the emitters together in a row, this results in a wave amplitude that is almost zero in this direction.
2) An alternative way to look at this is the following: because of the spatial separation of exactly 1 lambda in the vertical direction, a standing wave arises in the array that has almost equal field strength in the horizontal direction within the array. And because the sources are moving in phase with the standing wave, they cannot transfer energy into the surrounding field in the horizontal direction. This also explains why a low intensity in the horizontal direction exists.
Both views are in my opinion valid, but I think the second one is a bit more intuitive.
Simulation code supplied by @DiffractionLimited
The image files for the simulation can be downloaded here:
huygensoptics.com/2D_wave_sims/coherent_source_detail.png
huygensoptics.com/2D_wave_sims/coherent_emitter_vertical_100.png
#light #physics #optics #short
This short shows a directional wave source that is made by spacing omnidirectional wave emitters in a very specific configuration. The animations were created using the wave simulation code made by @DiffractionLimited
As for the question at the end of the video about being able to spot how destructive interference comes about: this is basically impossible to see in the animation. So the answer to the question is NO.
However, there are few ways that you can look at how the phenomenon comes about:
1) When moving away in the horizontal direction of a row of emitters, for every point there is an equal amount of emitters that has a particular phase, compared to the emitters that have a phase 180 degrees shifted. So, when adding up these 2 contributions for all the emitters together in a row, this results in a wave amplitude that is almost zero in this direction.
2) An alternative way to look at this is the following: because of the spatial separation of exactly 1 lambda in the vertical direction, a standing wave arises in the array that has almost equal field strength in the horizontal direction within the array. And because the sources are moving in phase with the standing wave, they cannot transfer energy into the surrounding field in the horizontal direction. This also explains why a low intensity in the horizontal direction exists.
Both views are in my opinion valid, but I think the second one is a bit more intuitive.
Simulation code supplied by @DiffractionLimited
The image files for the simulation can be downloaded here:
huygensoptics.com/2D_wave_sims/coherent_source_detail.png
huygensoptics.com/2D_wave_sims/coherent_emitter_vertical_100.png
#light #physics #optics #short
