Grating View
Physical grating structure (top view)
Diffraction Pattern
Intensity distribution vs angle
Parameters
Presets
Display Options
Animation
Animation speed: 1.0x
Theory
Diffraction Grating Equation
d·sin(θ) = m·λ
Where d = slit spacing, θ = diffraction angle, m = order (0, ±1, ±2, ...), λ = wavelength
Intensity Distribution
I(θ) = I₀ · [sinc(β)]² · [sin(Nα)/sin(α)]²
Where β = (π·a·sinθ)/λ, α = (π·d·sinθ)/λ, N = number of slits, a = slit width
Key Principles
- Geometric Constraint: Equally spaced slits create interference pattern
- Single Slit Envelope: Modulates overall intensity (sinc² function)
- Multi-Slit Interference: Creates sharp principal maxima
- Principal Maxima: Occur at angles where path difference = m·λ
- Secondary Maxima: N-2 smaller peaks between principal maxima
Applications
- Spectroscopy - separating light into component wavelengths
- Wavelength measurement - precise determination of light properties
- Optical communications - wavelength division multiplexing
- Laser systems - beam shaping and filtering
Measurements
First Order Angle:
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Angular Separation:
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Resolving Power:
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Dispersion:
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