7A60.24 Optical Analog of X-ray Diffraction (Optical Transform Kit)
Concepts
Diffraction experiments
Overview
Specially made diffraction gratings use optical laser light to illustrate how wave-based material characterization techniques work, such as X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, and neutron diffraction. Individual gratings explore the following themes:
- Diffraction in 2D patterns resembling simple cubic, FCC, and HCP lattices
- Diffraction patterns with sample geometry scaling along Cartesian axes
- Diffraction patterns with scaling of bond angles in triatomic molecules
- Glide symmetries, which can extinguish dots in diffraction patterns
Details
Equipment
- [1] Laser pointer
- [1] Set of slides
Important Notes
- Lasers can cause blindness. Use with caution.
Script
- Aim the laser at the desired patterns in sequence.
Additional Resources
References
- PIRA 7A60.24, 6D20.XX
Disclaimer
- Don't attempt this at home!
- SFU is not affiliated with any external sites linked here and is not responsible for their content.
Last revised
- 2025
Technicals
- Original construction: purchased from the Institute for Chemical Education.
- The green laser tends to work better with the slides.
Related AV
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If you have any questions about the demos or notes you would like to add to this page, contact Ricky Chu at ricky_chu AT sfu DOT ca.