Nonlinear magneto-optical diffraction from periodically structured samples has been studied using magnetization-induced second harmonic generation ~MSHG!. Several orders of diffraction were clearly observable in MSHG, along with a strong dependence on the magnetization. Sizeable asymmetry between the MSHG signal measured in positive and negative diffraction peaks, especially visible in second o...

Free-space propagation can be described as a shearing of the Wigner distribution function in the spatial coordinate; this shearing is linear in paraxial approximation but assumes a more complex shape for wide-angle propagation. Integration in the frequency domain allows the determination of near-field diffraction, leading to the well known Fresnel diffraction when small angles are considered an...

Light diffraction by volume Fresnel zone plates (VFZPs) is simulated by the Hankel transform beam propagation method (Hankel BPM). The method utilizes circularly symmetric geometry and small step propagation to calculate the diffracted wave fields by VFZP layers. It is shown that fast and accurate diffraction results can be obtained with the Hankel BPM. The results show an excellent agreement w...

We present an analysis of Fourier-transform arrayed waveguide gratings in the Fresnel diffraction regime. We report a distinct spatial modulation of the interference pattern referred to as the Moiré-Talbot effect. The effect and its influence in a FT AWG device is explained by deriving an original analytical expression for the modulated field, and is also confirmed by numerical simulations usin...

Low-Fresnel number optical systems exhibit significant diffraction effects that cause a shift in the peaks of on-axis irradiance away from the geometric focal point. This is currently interpreted as a change of the focal length of an optical system, leading optical system designers to compensate for the effect by assuming the image plane is coincident with the peak of on-axis irradiance. While ...

A high-density dielectric rectangular grating is designed for color separation in a Fresnel diffraction field. The Fresnel field distribution is analyzed and the optimization conditions for color separation are given. The process of the modes propagating and energy exchanging with the diffraction orders are expressed by modal method. The color separation for different polarizations can be reali...

Since the dimensions of many of the objects/surfaces encountered in our daily lives are within an order of magnitude of the wavelength of audible sounds, diffraction is an elementary means of sound propagation. Despite its importance in the real-world, diffraction effects are often overlooked by acoustical modeling methods leading to a degredation in immersion or presence. This paper describes ...

The Huygens-Fresnel diffraction integral has been formulated for incident spherical waves with use of the Kirchhoff obliquity factor and the wave front as the surface of integration instead of the aperture plane. Accurate numerical integration calculations were used to investigate very-near-field (a few aperture diameters or less) diffraction for the well-established case of a circular aperture...

We present a method for simulating multiple diffraction in imaging systems based on the Huygens-Fresnel principle. The method accounts for the effects of both aberrations and diffraction and is entirely performed using Monte Carlo ray tracing. We compare the results of this method to those of reference simulations for field propagation through optical systems and for the calculation of point sp...