Lecture Demonstration of Fresnel Diffraction by a Slit and Half-Plane

In the present work, lecture demonstration of Fresnel diffraction by a slit and half-plane with the use of modern scientific means of optical experimentation is described. The developed software allows light diffraction to be modeled on a personal computer depending on the wavelength, slit width, and distance from the slit (half-plane) to the screen and simultaneously a graphic method of calculating the field amplitude with the help of the Cornu spiral to be demonstrated. A photodetector system built around a video camera controlled by a personal computer is used to register an actual diffraction pattern. The experimental intensity distributions are compared with the theory. The integrated approach allows the efficiency of comprehension of complex diffraction phenomena in wave optics to be increased. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 9–15, June, 2005.