AN EXACTLY SOLUBLE FRESNEL DIFFRACTION MODEL OF TWO-SLIT INTERFERENCE

摘要

Using the formalism of Fresnel diffraction, we examine the diffraction and interference of two initially widely separated parallel Gaussian light beams. This two-beam configuration is a version of Young's two-slit interference problem that is free of the mathematical complexity that occurs in most Fresnel diffraction calculations. As a result, it clearly and simply illustrates the transition from ray optics to wave interference. (C) 1996 American Association of Physics Teachers. [References: 14]