Diffraction

In General > s.a. scattering; wave phenomena.
* Idea: The spreading of a wave interacting with a scatterer or slit; In the context of semiclassical mechanics, it describes the manner in which quantum mechanics smooths over discontinuities in classical mechanics.
* History: In the 1660s, Grimaldi observed an alteration of color in shadows.

Special Effects > s.a. radiation; Talbot Effect.
* Kapitza-Dirac effect: The diffraction of a well-collimated particle beam by a standing wave of light; There are plans to use it to build an electron interferometer 10,000 times more sensitive than ones based on light.
@ Kapitza-Dirac effect: Batelaan CP(00)qp; Freimund et al Nat(01)sep; Marshall FP(06)qp/04 [for atoms, interpretation]; Batelaan RMP(07) [two-color version].
@ Rayleigh limit: Rueckner & Papaliolios AJP(02)jun [demo]; Tamburini et al PRL(06)ap [overcoming, light orbital angular momentum].
@ Reducing diffracton: Firstenberg et al PRL(09) + Novikova Phy(09).
@ Anomalous photon diffraction: Cardone et al PLA(04) [non-Lorentzian].

Diffraction in Time > s.a. dissipation.
@ References: Godoy PRA(02), PRA(03).

References
@ General: Nye et al PRS(95) [by half-plane]; Hannay PRS(95) [path interpretation]; Kälbermann JPA(01)qp/00, qp/00 [wave packet]; De Micheli et al RVMP(00)mp/02 [and Riemannian geometry]; Marklund JPA(05)ap [radiation in diffractive media].
@ Of atoms: Gould et al PRL(86) [by light].
@ In nuclear physics: Arkhipov PPN(07)phy/05 [Glauber theory rev].
@ By random point sets: Baake a0803; Baake & Grimm a0810 [distinguishing order from disorder].
@ In high-energy physics: Gottfried yr(72); {& Goulianos, Colloquium 1.10.1981}; Hebecker PRP(00) [deep inelastic scattering]; issue NPPS(05)146.
@ Of other systems: Hegerfeldt & Köhler qp/97 [composite systems – atomic vs molecular]; > s.a. neutrons.

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