170
3. DIFFRACTION
arrangement. The diffraction pattern is described by the product of the diffraction
and interference factors
P
periodic
{[sin(πd sin θ/λ)]/[(πd sin θ/λ)]}
2
·{[sin(πNa sin θ/λ)]/[(N sin(πasin θ/λ)]}
2
. (3.70)
As discussed in the chapter on interference, the interference factor will average
to a constant when the change to the random array of apertures is done and we
are left only with the diffraction factor
P
random
{[sin(πd sin θ/λ)]/[(πd sin θ/λ)]}
2
. (3.71)
The random array of many openings of width d will give us the diffraction pattern
of a slit at the observation screen.
In FileFig 3.16 we have a one-dimensional calculation. The first graph shows
the interference diffraction pattern of a grating, and the second graph shows what
is left if the interference factor disappears. In FileFig 3.17 we show the diffraction
pattern of a 2-D grating as a 2-D contour plot. The first graph showsthe diffraction
pattern of the periodic arrangement and the second graph shows the diffraction
pattern of the random arrangement.This is schematically shownin Figure 3.25 for
periodic and random arrangements of square apertures.The periodic arrangement
shows the interference diffraction pattern, and the random arrangement appears
as the superposition of the intensity diffraction pattern of squares.
FileFig 3.16 (D16FAGRRANS)
The product P 1 of a diffraction and interference factor for a one-dimensional
grating is shown. When changing the periodic arrangement of the apertures to
a random arrangement, the interference factor is a constant and P 2 shows the
remaining diffraction pattern.
D16FAGRRANS is only on the CD.
FIGURE 3.25 (a) Diffraction pattern of a periodic array of rectangles; (b) diffration pattern of a
random array of rectangles. The resulting pattern is the superposition of the intensity diffraction
pattern of rectangles.