College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
7A60.24 - X-ray Diffraction - Optical Analog
An optical analog of x-ray diffraction is to use the slides that have crystal pattern reductions and a laser. Different crystal structures will give different Fraunhofer diffraction patterns.
You can also make your own slides by using a piece of cellophane tape and Lycopodium powder, or letting some microspheres dry on a microscope slide and then hitting them with a laser.
- F. Logiurato, L.M. Gratton, and S. Oss, "Optical Simulation of Debye-Scherrer Crystal Diffraction", TPT, Vol. 46, # 2, Feb. 2008, p. 109.
- Cyril Isenberg, "Laser Diffraction Experiments with Pseudoliquids and Pseudosolids", TPT, Vol. 38, # 7, Oct. 2000, p. 411.
- Se-yuen Mak, "Gratings for Simulation of Laue Crystal Diffraction", TPT, Vol. 32, # 9, Dec. 1994, p. 539.
- Sir Lawrence Bragg, "The History of X-Ray Analysis", TPT, Vol. 3, # 7, Oct. 1965, p. 295.
- Peter Russo, Alfred D. Brothers, "Powder Diffraction Patterns on the Tel-X-Ometer 80", AJP, Vol. 50, # 1, p. 89, Jan. 1982.
- Kathryn D. Burch et al., "Optical Simulation of Low-Energy Electron Diffraction Patterns", Am. J. Phys, 237, Vol. 53, No. 3, March 1985.
- George R. Mitchell, "The Reciprocal Lattice - A Demonstration", AJP, Vol. 46, # 5, May 1978, p. 574.
- Ronald Bergsten, "Optical Crystals", AJP, Vol. 42, #2, Feb. 1974, p. 91.
- Johanna Miller, "Femtosecond Snapshots Capture Atomic Motion in a Powdered Solid", Physics Today, Sept. 2010, p. 13.
- Qun Shen, Quan Hao, and Sol M. Gruner, "Macromolecular Phasing", Physics Today, March 2006, p. 46.
- "Optical Transform Kit", Institute for Chemical Education, University of Wisconsin - Madison.
- Ellis, Geselbracht et al., Teaching General Chemistry: A Materials Science Companion, "Chapter 4: Determination of Structure Using Diffraction Data,", p. 77.
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