Diffraction, Amplitude and Phase

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between amplitude and phase in the context of diffraction patterns produced by various optical masks. Participants explore the implications of these properties in the far field, particularly focusing on the Fourier transform of different aperture shapes and the resulting intensity distributions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the phase and amplitude on the screen in the far field of a mask with a hole are similar, seeking clarification on this point.
  • Another participant explains that the FFT of a centered rectangular slit is real, leading to phase values of either 0 or π, depending on the sign of the sinc function.
  • A request is made for resources that provide amplitude and phase information for various masks, including specific examples like one slit, two slits, and circular apertures.
  • One participant suggests using MATLAB to experiment with different functions, indicating that practical exploration may yield insights into amplitude and phase relationships.
  • A later reply emphasizes that if a mask has a phase component, the amplitude and phase of the far-field diffraction will vary, which may affect the intensity pattern.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between amplitude and phase, particularly in cases where masks have both amplitude and phase components. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the generality of the initial claim about their similarity.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations related to the availability of comprehensive resources that explicitly detail amplitude and phase for various masks, as well as the dependency on the specific characteristics of the masks being discussed.

LmdL
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Hi,
Today I was told that phase and amplitude on the screen in a far field of a mask consisting of hole are more or less the same. So, I wanted to check myself, but didn't find any resource for this. All the resources are, as usual, talk about intensity distribution in the Fourier domain, but not phase.
I'll give an example:
Lets say I have a mask with 1 small hole. The Fourier transform will give me a SINC. So the amplitude is SINC function, but what a phase is? I need both amplitude and phase in order to FFT again and reconstruct the initial image.
Can someone provide me a link or suggest a book, where I can view amplitude and phase after FFT for different masks? Like:
One slit: Amplitude - Sinc(...), Phase - ...
Two slits: Amplitude - Sinc(...)*Cos(...), Phase - ...
Circular aperture: Amplitude - Jinc(...), Phase - ...

Thanks!
 
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The FFT of a centered rectangular slit is real because the slit describes an even function. Therefore, the phase of the FFT is either 0 or ##\pi## - it's zero at points where the sinc function is positive, and ##\pi## where the sinc drops below zero.
 
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So, for slit amplitude and phase are like this:
ikr4DwE.jpg


Is there any book that lists such amplitude+phase graphs for different masks?
 
LmdL said:
Is there any book that lists such amplitude+phase graphs for different masks?
May be there are a few out there, but I have never seen myself. If you are familiar with matlab, I suggest that you use this software because you can try whatever function you want.
 
Ok, thanks a lot!
 
LmdL said:
Hi,
Today I was told that phase and amplitude on the screen in a far field of a mask consisting of hole are more or less the same.

It depends- if your mask is amplitude only, then as blue_leaf77 notes, the imaginary component of the Fourier Transform is trivial. However, if your mask has a phase component (constant or otherwise), the amplitude and phase of the far-field diffraction will vary (the intensity pattern may or may not change). Goodman's book "Introduction to Fourier Optics" works out the cases of an amplitude grating and a phase grating to show this.
 
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