N-slit interferometric equation

Quantum mechanics was first applied to optics, and interference in particular, by Paul Dirac.[1] Richard Feynman, in his Lectures on Physics, uses Dirac's notation to describe thought experiments on double-slit interference of electrons.[2] Feynman's approach was extended to N-slit interferometers for either single-photon illumination, or narrow-linewidth laser illumination, that is, illumination by indistinguishable photons, by Frank Duarte.[3][4] The N-slit interferometer was first applied in the generation and measurement of complex interference patterns.[3][4]

In this article the generalized N-slit interferometric equation, derived via Dirac's notation, is described. Although originally derived to reproduce and predict N-slit interferograms,[3][4] this equation also has applications to other areas of optics.

  1. ^ Dirac, P. A. M. (1978). The Principles of Quantum Mechanics (4th ed.). London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-851208-0.[page needed]
  2. ^ Feynman, R. P.; Leighton, R. B.; Sands, M. (1965). The Feynman Lectures on Physics. Vol. III. Reading: Addison Wesley.[page needed]
  3. ^ a b c Duarte, F. J.; Paine, D. J. (1989). Sze, R. C.; Duarte, F. J. (eds.). "Quantum mechanical description of N-slit interference phenomena". Lasers '88; Proceedings of the International Conference. McLean, VA: STS: 42–47. Bibcode:1989lase.conf...42D.
  4. ^ a b c Duarte, F. J. (1991). "Chapter 2. Dispersive dye lasers". In Duarte, F. J. (ed.). High Power Dye Lasers. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-540-54066-3.