Open main menu

Coherent

Revision as of 11:22, 17 May 2024 by NRJC (talk | contribs)

Contents

Key Stage 5

Meaning

Two sources of waves are coherent if they emit waves with a constant phase difference.

About Coherence

  • Coherent sources produce waves that are in sync, having a constant phase relationship.
  • Necessary for producing clear interference patterns.
  • Coherent waves are typically monochromatic and have the same frequency.
  • Essential in applications like lasers, holography, and interferometry.
  • Coherence can be temporal (constant phase difference over time) or spatial (constant phase difference

across space).

  • The degree of coherence affects the visibility and contrast of interference fringes.
  • Achieving coherence often involves stabilizing the frequency and phase of the wave sources.

Examples

Laser light is coherent and can produce clear interference and diffraction patterns.

In a double-slit experiment, coherent light sources create distinct and stable interference fringes.