Knife-edge diffraction pattern as an interference phenomenon: An experimental reality

This paper demonstrates that a knife-edge diffraction pattern is, indeed, due to the interference of two superimposing waves: the geometrical wave and the boundary diffraction wave. Within the framework of boundary diffraction wave theory it is shown that this diffraction pattern can easily be broadened in such a manner that a single fringe covers the whole field of view. At this point the system converges to a schlieren diffraction interferometer and could be used for the study of phase objects using diffraction-limited optics. Experimental observations show that the method bears a similarity to that of any known two-beam interferometer, e.g. Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The experimental details have been presented and the results are compared with a two-beam holographic interferometer and a point diffraction interferometer. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.