Abstract

The diffraction of laser light from a straight edge has been investigated so as to detect any possible effect of the diffracting edge parameters. An experimental method has been created to this end: boundary wave holography (BWH). About 3000 of the first 3500 fringes were thus analyzed, and experimental evidence of the effect of geometry and material of the diffracting edge was obtained. The influence of the polarization state of the incident wave was also explored. Finally, the experimental results are compared with theory.

© 1977 Optical Society of America

Test of the Effect of Edge Parameters on Small-Angle Fresnel Diffraction of Light at a Straight Edge

J. Dean Barnett and Franklin S. Harris
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 52(6) 637-643 (1962)

Bragg diffraction of a Gaussian beam by a crossed-Gaussian volume grating*

A. E. Siegman
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 67(4) 545-550 (1977)

Diffraction of Gaussian beams by a periodically modulated layer*

R. S. Chu, J. A. Kong, and T. Tamir
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 67(11) 1555-1561 (1977)

White-light Fresnel diffraction by a circular aperture

Ronald Bergsten and Susan Huberty
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 67(5) 643-647 (1977)

Improved contrast for acousto-optical modulators by using spatial filtering

G. B. Brandt, M. Gottlieb, and J. J. Conroy
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 67(9) 1269-1273 (1977)