# Homework Help: Is electric field decomposable when detected by CCD?

1. Apr 21, 2014

### genxium

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data

I'm learning light interference and confused by the concepts. Like the figure I attached below, while computing the "interference" of the intersection point on the CCD, I used to do this ($E$ represents the electric field):

$E_{CCD}=E_1 \cdot e^{i (\omega t + \frac{2 \pi}{\lambda} l)} + E_2 \cdot e^{i (\omega t + \frac{2 \pi}{\lambda} (l+d \cdot sin \alpha))}$

I know this is wrong because electric field is directional and I should decompose it so that only components in the same direction add up -- yet I'm not sure how to do it. Does a CCD detector respect the direction of fields?

2. Relevant equations
Described above.

3. The attempt at a solution
Described above.

#### Attached Files:

• ###### Screen Shot 2014-04-22 at 10.10.00 am.png
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2. Apr 22, 2014

### rude man

I don't know why you can't use traditional ray optics with the CCD at the location of the real image. You need to focus on a CCD just like on a screen or film. But perhaps I'm way off base here.