In this paper a new approach is presented to explain the formation of Talbot’s bands by using the model of tilted pulse fronts. Numerical calculations of this model are presented. Another interpretation of Talbot’s original paper is also given and explained. Simple experiments, suitable for students’ laboratory practice, have been used to carefully study the dependence of the visibility of the bands on different properties of the plate: thickness, refractive index, dispersion. Photos of Talbot’s bands are also presented.
REFERENCES
1.
H. F.
Talbot
, “An Experiment on the Interference of Light
,” Philos. Mag.
10
, 364
(1837
).2.
D. Brewster, “On a New Property of Light,” Br. Ass. Rep. Notice Abstracts 12–13 (1837).
3.
G. B.
Airy
, “The Bakerian Lecture—On the Theoretical Explanation of an Apparent New Polarity in Light
,” Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London
130
, 225
–244
(1840
).4.
G. B.
Airy
, “Supplement to a Paper ‘On the Theoretical Explanation of an Apparent New Polarity in Light,’
” Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London
130
, 1
–10
(1840
).5.
Lord Rayleigh, Encyclopedia Britannica (1888), pp. 123–127
6.
Arthur
Schuster
, “A Simple Explanation of Talbot’s Bands
,” Philos. Mag. J. Sci.
6
(7
), 1
–8
(1904
).7.
Arthur Schuster, An Introduction to the Theory of Optics (London, 1909), 2nd ed., pp. 119–121.
8.
James
Walker
, “A Note on Talbot’s Lines
,” Philos. Mag. J. Sci.
6
(11
), 531
–534
(1906
).9.
Robert W. Wood, Physical Optics (Cushing Co.-Berwick & Smith Co., Norwood, MA, 1924), pp. 254–261.
10.
11.
S.
Pancharatnam
, “Partial Polarisation, Partial Coherence and Their Spectral Description for Polychromatic Light—Part II
,” Proc.-Indian Acad. Sci., Sect. A
57
(4
), 231
–243
(1963
).12.
M.
Parker Givens
, “Talbot’s Bands
,” Am. J. Phys.
61
(7
), 601
–605
(1993
).13.
Max Born and Emil Wolf, Principles of Optics (Pergamon, Elmsford, NY, 1989), 6th (corrected) ed., pp. 393–395.
14.
Z.
Bor
and B.
Rácz
, “Group Velocity Dispersion in Prisms and Its Application to Pulse Compression and Travelling-Wave Excitation
,” Opt. Commun.
54
, 165
–170
(1985
).15.
Zs.
Benkö
, Z.
Gogolák
, Zs.
Bor
, and G.
Szabó
, “Pulse Front Distortion Measurements in Prisms Measured by Time-of-Flight Interferometry
,” Exp. Tech. Phys. (Berlin)
39
(4/5
), 447
–449
(1991
).16.
Z. L.
Horváth
, Zs.
Benkö
, A. P.
Kovács
, H. A.
Hazim
, and Zs.
Bor
, “Propagation of femtosecond pulses through lenses, gratings, and slits
,” Opt. Eng.
32
(10
), 2491
–2500
(1993
).17.
Z.
Bor
, B.
Rácz
, G.
Szabó
, M.
Hilbert
, and H. A.
Hazim
, “Femtosecond pulse front tilt caused by angular dispersion
,” Opt. Eng.
32
(10
), 2501
–2504
(1993
).18.
Oscar Eduardo
Martinez
, “Pulse distortions in tilted pulse schemes for ultrashort pulses
,” Opt. Commun.
59
, 229
–232
(1986
).19.
J.
Hebling
, “Derivation of the pulse front tilt caused by angular dispersion
,” Opt. Quantum Electron.
28
, 1759
–1763
(1996
).
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2000 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2000
American Association of Physics Teachers
AAPT members receive access to the American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher as a member benefit. To learn more about this member benefit and becoming an AAPT member, visit the Joining AAPT page.
