Open AccessGeneralised Cornu spirals: an experimental study using hard x-rays
Author(s) -
Freda Werdiger,
Marcus J. Kitchen,
David M. Paganin
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.24.010620
Subject(s) - monochromatic color , diffraction , optics , physics , spiral (railway) , fresnel diffraction , cylinder , conformable matrix , plane (geometry) , plane wave , geometry , mathematics , mathematical analysis , quantum mechanics
The Cornu spiral is a graphical aid that has been used historically to evaluate Fresnel integrals. It is also the Argand-plane mapping of a monochromatic complex scalar plane wave diffracted by a hard edge. We have successfully reconstructed a Cornu spiral due to diffraction of hard x-rays from a piece of Kapton tape. Additionally, we have explored the generalisation of the Cornu spiral by observing the Argand-plane mapping of complex scalar electromagnetic fields diffracted by a cylinder and a sphere embedded within a cylinder.