Refraction and reflection of diffusion fronts.

Diffusion waves form the basis of several measurement technologies in materials science as well as in biological systems. They are, however, so heavily damped that their observation is a real challenge to the experimentalist. We show that accurate information about the refraction-like and reflection-like behavior of diffusion waves can be obtained by studying diffusion fronts. For this we use hydrogen in a metal as a model system and visualize its 2D migration with an optical indicator. The similarities between classical optics and diffusion, in particular, the applicability of Snell's law to diffusive systems are discussed. Our measurements are in good agreement with numerical simulations.