scalar diffraction theory

Scalar diffraction theory describes how waves, such as light, spread out when they encounter obstacles or openings. Instead of treating these waves as complex waveforms, this theory simplifies them to a single function representing their amplitude. This approach helps predict how waves will behave as they pass through small apertures or around edges, leading to patterns of light and dark known as diffraction patterns. Although more detailed theories exist, scalar diffraction provides a useful approximation for many practical applications in optics, like understanding how lenses work or analyzing patterns produced by lasers.