Thin film interference

Interactive simulation of interference in thin films, allowing you to explore how wavelength, angle of incidence, film thickness, and refractive indices change the reflected and transmitted beams.

The color observed in thin films (such as in soap bubbles or oil slicks) arises from the interference between light reflected at the upper and lower surfaces of the film: depending on the thickness and the wavelength, the optical path difference produces constructive or destructive interference for each color, and a possible phase inversion of π upon reflection must also be taken into account.

Bruno O. Rufatto, Marco P. M. de Souza