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Wave Optics

Diffraction, interference, and the wave nature of light.

Jun 12, 2026··Fork (sign in)Last verified: Jun 12, 2026

Young's double-slit, single-slit diffraction, and the diffraction limit.

#optics#waves#electromagnetism

Wave Optics

Double-Slit Interference

I(θ)=I0cos⁡2(πdsin⁡θλ)I(\theta) = I_0 \cos^2\left(\frac{\pi d \sin\theta}{\lambda}\right)I(θ)=I0​cos2(λπ
d
sin
θ
​
)

Bright fringes at dsin⁡θ=mλd\sin\theta = m\lambdadsinθ=mλ, m∈Zm \in \mathbb{Z}m∈Z.

Single-Slit Diffraction

I(θ)=I0(sin⁡ββ)2,β=πasin⁡θλI(\theta) = I_0 \left(\frac{\sin\beta}{\beta}\right)^2, \quad \beta = \frac{\pi a \sin\theta}{\lambda}I(θ)=I0​(βsinβ​)2,β=λπasinθ​

See the wave superposition animation: anim-wave-superposition.