This first model consisted of a wire mesh acting as multiple thin slits. Physicist Joseph von Fraunhofer then developed the diffraction grating in 1821. Scientists acknowledged the significance of the dispersion and the study of spectroscopy flourished. He showed that when focused sunlight is incident upon a glass prism, the light emerges different colors at different angles. In 1666, Sir Isaac Newton proved that white light is comprised of multiple wavelengths correlating to the visible light spectrum. The field of spectroscopy emerged from the study of light dispersion by a prism. This allows for applications in a much broader wavelength spectrum. Soon, an entire field of science – called Spectrography – was born. Diffraction gratings are the tool of choice over the glass prisms in light-splitting experiments because they do not absorb UV or infrared radiation. The ability to dissect light into its constituent components opened up new avenues for understanding the composition of materials by studying their characteristic absorption/emission spectra. Later t he infamous double-slit experiment stunned the scientific world by demonstrating that light could have both particle and wave-like properties. ![]() The ability of light to diffract was first observed and studied by Francesco Maria Grimaldi in 17th century. Their working principle is hinged upon the fundamental properties of light, and specifically on its ability to diffract when stumbled upon narrow slits or grooves. Introduction to Diffraction Gratingsĭiffraction gratings are optical components that diffract and separate light into several beams at different angles by wavelength. Diffraction gratings can separate white light by its wavelength components to create a spectrum of color.
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