Holophotography with a diffraction grating

Diffraction from a moving grating

A first-principles tutorial account is given for the diffraction of either light or free, non-relativistic, massive particles from a moving grating. Discussion on the properties of the moving grating including non-reciprocity is followed by considering both Raman-Nath (thin grating) diffraction and Bragg (thick grating) diffraction in either transmission or reflection geometry. Use of four-mome...

Polarizing diffraction-grating triplicators.

We report experimental results with a reflective continuous anisotropic polarizing diffraction-grating beam splitter that produces three diffraction orders. The diffraction efficiencies and polarizations of the diffracted orders are controlled through the incoming polarization state and by use of a wave plate with arbitrary orientation located between the grating and a mirror. In particular, we...

The Diffraction Grating

One-way diffraction grating.

Diffraction gratings are elementary tools for much of optics and spectroscopy. Here, at microwave frequencies, we provide a new perspective on these fundamental structures. A transmission diffraction grating is presented that has diffracted beams emanating from one surface only. It can thus function either as a transmission grating with no reflected orders (other than zero) or, in the reverse c...

Kapitza-Dirac diffraction without standing waves: diffraction without a grating?

We discuss electron diffraction from two counterpropagating light waves with two different frequencies. We show that, even though these waves do not form a standing wave, electron diffraction similar to the conventional Kapitza-Dirac effect, i.e., scattering on a standing wave, is still possible. The nonlinear response of the electron to the laser fields creates a stationary diffraction grating...