Revealing the blaze angle: A simple experiment for visualizing diffraction effects using microscopic and macroscopic gratings

We describe a diffraction grating experiment for visible and microwave optics. The groove spacing for the visible-optics grating is determined through atomic force microscopy, so that an additional feature, the blaze angle, is revealed. From the blaze angle, students calculate the theoretical shift...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of physics 2006-07, Vol.74 (7), p.649-651
Main Authors: Vandervoort, K. G., Adams, S. L., Hyder, A. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Diffraction
Microscopy
Optics
Physics
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Summary:We describe a diffraction grating experiment for visible and microwave optics. The groove spacing for the visible-optics grating is determined through atomic force microscopy, so that an additional feature, the blaze angle, is revealed. From the blaze angle, students calculate the theoretical shift in the diffraction pattern and are then able to visualize this shift through measurements of a microwave diffraction pattern produced using a macroscopic grating. The experiment demonstrates the utility of an atomic force microscope in an engineering application and allows separation of diffraction pattern effects associated with slit width and slit spacing.
ISSN:0002-9505
1943-2909
DOI:10.1119/1.2198890