Phasor analysis of binary diffraction gratings with different fill factors

In this work, we present a simple analysis of binary diffraction gratings with different slit widths relative to the grating period. The analysis is based on a simple phasor technique directly derived from the Huygens principle. By introducing a slit phasor and a grating phasor, the intensity of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of physics 2007-09, Vol.28 (5), p.805-816
Main Authors: Martínez, Antonio, Sánchez-López, Ma del Mar, Moreno, Ignacio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
College Science
Communication, education, history, and philosophy
Exact sciences and technology
General physics
Laboratory Experiments
Mathematical Formulas
Physics
Physics literature and publications
Science Experiments
Science Instruction
Science Laboratories
Surveys and tutorial papers, resource letters
Undergraduate Study
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Summary:In this work, we present a simple analysis of binary diffraction gratings with different slit widths relative to the grating period. The analysis is based on a simple phasor technique directly derived from the Huygens principle. By introducing a slit phasor and a grating phasor, the intensity of the diffracted orders and the grating's resolving power can be easily obtained without applying the usual Fourier transform operations required for these calculations. The proposed phasor technique is mathematically equivalent to the Fourier transform calculation of the diffraction order amplitude, and it can be useful to explain binary diffraction gratings in a simple manner in introductory physics courses. This theoretical analysis is illustrated with experimental results using a liquid crystal device to display diffraction gratings with different fill factors. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)
ISSN:0143-0807
1361-6404
DOI:10.1088/0143-0807/28/5/004