Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

$Interference and Diffraction$ 02:18

Interference and Diffraction

Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.

Determination of Crystal Structures

Determination of Crystal Structures

In the late 1800s, the revelation that light extended beyond visible wavelengths led to the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen. Recognized as high-energy electromagnetic radiation with short wavelengths, X-rays prompted exploration into their interaction with crystals. Max von Laue proposed in 1912 that the periodic arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in crystals would cause them to diffract X-rays, a hypothesis confirmed through experiments with copper sulfate and zinc sulfide...

X-ray Crystallography

X-ray Crystallography

The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...

$X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples$ 01:10

X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples

X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
According to Bragg's law, when X-rays strike the sample positioned on a stage, the rays are scattered by the electron clouds around the sample atoms. The X-ray diffraction or scattering is caused by constructive interference of the X-ray waves that reflect off the internal crystal...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Nonlinear techniques in optical pattern recognition: introduction by the feature editors.

Applied optics·2010

Same author

Rotating-kernel min-max algorithms for straight-line feature enhancement.

Applied optics·2010

Same author

Comparison of diffraction efficiencies for single-exposure and unity-contrast multiple-exposure holograms.

Applied optics·2010

Same author

From the editor in chief.

Applied optics·2010

Same author

From the editor in chief.

Applied optics·2010

Same author

From the editor in chief.

Applied optics·2010

Same journal

Multifunctional reconfigurable terahertz metasurface based on vanadium dioxide phase transition: achieving broadband absorption and efficient polarization conversion.

Applied optics·2026

Same journal

High-Q-factor electromagnetically induced transparency utilizing quasi-bound states in the continuum in an all-dielectric terahertz metasurface.

Applied optics·2026

Same journal

Automated stitching interferometry for high-precision metrology of X-ray mirrors.

Applied optics·2026

Same journal

Experimental demonstration of an approach to designing a metal-dielectric DBR resonant cavity structure.

Applied optics·2026

Same journal

High-precision wavefront reconstruction from a single-shot interferogram using a physics-driven hybrid feature calibration network.

Applied optics·2026

Same journal

Ultra-high-Q Fano resonance based on coupled topological corner states in Kagome photonic crystals.

Applied optics·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 7, 2026

$Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene$

Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene

Published on: August 22, 2017

Diffraction efficiency of random binary-amplitude diffracting screens.

W T Rhodes, M S McMeekin

|October 22, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study shows that random binary-amplitude diffracting screens achieve maximum diffraction efficiency when 50% of the screen has a transmittance of 1. This maximal efficiency is 1/4, regardless of other screen characteristics.

More Related Videos

Measurement of X-ray Beam Coherence along Multiple Directions Using 2-D Checkerboard Phase Grating

Measurement of X-ray Beam Coherence along Multiple Directions Using 2-D Checkerboard Phase Grating

Published on: October 11, 2016

In situ Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering on Roll-To-Roll Coating of Organic Solar Cells with Laboratory X-ray Instrumentation

In situ Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering on Roll-To-Roll Coating of Organic Solar Cells with Laboratory X-ray Instrumentation

Published on: March 2, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 7, 2026

$Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene$

Measurements of Long-range Electronic Correlations During Femtosecond Diffraction Experiments Performed on Nanocrystals of Buckminsterfullerene

Published on: August 22, 2017

Measurement of X-ray Beam Coherence along Multiple Directions Using 2-D Checkerboard Phase Grating

Measurement of X-ray Beam Coherence along Multiple Directions Using 2-D Checkerboard Phase Grating

Published on: October 11, 2016

In situ Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering on Roll-To-Roll Coating of Organic Solar Cells with Laboratory X-ray Instrumentation

In situ Grazing Incidence Small Angle X-ray Scattering on Roll-To-Roll Coating of Organic Solar Cells with Laboratory X-ray Instrumentation

Published on: March 2, 2021

Area of Science:

Optics and Photonics
Wave Phenomena
Materials Science

Background:

Diffracting screens are crucial optical components.
Understanding the diffraction efficiency of random binary-amplitude screens is essential for optimizing optical system performance.
Previous research has explored various screen designs, but optimal configurations for random binary screens remain an area of interest.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the diffraction characteristics of random binary-amplitude diffracting screens.
To determine the conditions for maximizing the diffraction efficiency of such screens.
To establish the theoretical maximum diffraction efficiency achievable.

Main Methods:

Theoretical analysis of random binary-amplitude diffracting screens.
Mathematical modeling of complex amplitude transmittance (t=0 or 1).
Investigation of stationary binary random processes for screen modeling.

Main Results:

Diffraction efficiency is maximized when exactly 50% of the screen has a transmittance of 1.
The maximum diffraction efficiency is determined to be 1/4.
This result is independent of other screen characteristics, provided the screen is modeled by a stationary binary random process.

Conclusions:

A specific screen configuration (50% transmittance at t=1) optimizes diffraction efficiency for random binary screens.
The theoretical maximum diffraction efficiency of 1/4 provides a benchmark for practical applications.
The findings are contingent on the screen being adequately modeled as a stationary binary random process.