Diffraction Angle Calculator

The defining characteristic of diffraction gratings is the periodicity of their structure which, as predicted by Fourier theory, causes incident light to be split into a discrete set of orders, both in transmission and reflection. How many of these propagating orders there are, as well as the deflection angle of each of them, depends on the wavelength of the radiation, the refractive indices of the media in front of and behind the grating, the period of the structure, and the angle of incidence. This dependence is mathematically encoded in the grating equation. In this use case we present the Diffraction Angle Calculator of VirtualLab Fusion, a convenient tool for calculations involving the grating equation.