2.. THE PHYSICS OF DIFFRACTION GRATINGS（2 . .）.pdf

2. THE PHYSICS OF DIFFRACTION 2. GRATINGS 2.1. THE GRATING EQUATION When monochromatic light is incident on a grating surface, it is diffracted into discrete directions. We can picture each grating groove as being a very small, slit-shaped source of diffracted light. The light diffracted by each groove combines to form set of diffracted wavefronts . The usefulness of a grating depends on the fact that there exists a unique set of discrete angles along which, for a given spacing d between grooves, the diffracted light from each facet is in phase with the light diffracted from any other facet, leading to constructive interference. Diffraction by a grating can be visualized from the geometry in Figure 2-1, which shows a light ray of wavelength l incident at an angle a and diffracted by a grating (of groove spacing d, also called thepitch ) along at set of angles {bm }. These angles are measured from the grating normal, which is shown as the dashed line perpendicular to the grating surface at its center. The sign con- vention for these angles depends on whether the light is diffracted on the same side or the opposite side of the grating as the incident light. In diagram (a), which shows a reflection grating, the angles a 0 and b 0 (since they are 1 measured counter-clockwise from the grating normal) while the angles b 0 and 0 b– 1 0 (since they are measured clockwise from the grating normal). Diagram (b) shows the case for a transmission grating . By convention, angles of incidence and diffraction are measured from the grating normal to the beam. This is shown by arrows