Diffraction through a transparent aperture?

[Gobil]

hi All,

I got to thinking recently about diffraction; through an opaque slit for example, causes a normal diffraction pattern which is well described in texts. However, what happens when you have slit transparent to the light which is going through it. Obviously, the light passes through the solid part of the slit is just transmitted, and the lights through the middle of the slit is transmitted. But at the edges of the slit what happens? it causes diffraction also does it not? what is going on at the edge?

any thoughts welcome

gobil

 

[Andy Resnick]

I'm having trouble understanding your question- are you perhaps referring to diffraction from a phase aperture rather than an amplitude aperture?

 

[Gobil]

I'm having trouble understanding your question- are you perhaps referring to diffraction from a phase aperture rather than an amplitude aperture?

I guess so. The scenario is as follows, you have an opaque slit normally like metal, for example, to use in a spectrometer. then you just replace this slit with glass, which is transparent to the light in question. what happens at the edges? I´m not so concerned obout what kind of pattern you get, I´m just not sure what will happen at the edges.

Thanks!