(a) Estimate the diffraction-limited angular resolution of the eye when reading in…

PHYSICS · Subjective · Fermi University Physics · Optics & Photonics · Interference and diffraction · Interference and diffraction

Optics and Photonics, Ch Fraunhofer diffraction from apertures and gratings

Problem

(a) Estimate the diffraction-limited angular resolution of the eye when reading in bright light, so that the pupil has contracted to a diameter of

2.0\ \text{mm}

, using

\lambda = 550\ \text{nm}

and the Rayleigh criterion. Hence estimate the smallest separation between two dots that the eye can resolve on a page held at the near point,

25\ \text{cm}

away. (b) A compact disc is tilted in white light and a viewer sees the red component (

650\ \text{nm}

) diffracted into its first-order rainbow at

24^\circ

from the normal, with the disc acting as a reflection grating. Estimate the spacing between adjacent tracks (the pitch) of the disc. Take the light as incident along the normal to the disc.

Related theory

Interference and diffraction

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