Talk:N-slit interferometer

Remove Notice
I have removed the notice

since it no longer applies.

Needs diagram
Needs a diagram of the interferometer. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.238.69.21 (talk) 06:27, 10 November 2011 (UTC)

First image is wrong
The first image seems missing. If it's not a problem of my browser, can anyone fix it? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 93.71.82.254 (talk) 17:55, 28 December 2011 (UTC)

Merge with N-slit interferometric equation
These two articles cover the same material - shouldn't they be merged Epzcaw (talk) 16:44, 4 October 2013 (UTC)

N-slit interferometer - diffraction grating
Could someone explain what the difference is between a N-slit interferometer and a diffraction grating?

If they are the same, why is this not part of the |Diffraction grating| article? Epzcaw (talk) 18:51, 5 October 2013 (UTC)

As explained previously in a June discussion: a diffraction grating is a passive optical element which is only one of the many components on an N-slit interferometer. The N-slit interferometer is not a passive optical element but an active electro-optical instrument. In reference 9 of the article in question an N-slit interferometer with an intra interferometric distance of 527 m is described. By contrast, the physical dimensions of the grating used in such experiment are in the millimeter range. Corrigendas (talk) 01:46, 6 October 2013 (UTC)
 * So an N-slit interferometer is a diffraction grating illuminated by an expanded laser beam. This really needs to be explained in the actual article (June discussion is no longer visible).  And it needs to be explained what it is about this arrangement that enables the applications discussed to be done
 * The article provides very little information - it appears that the only way it can be properly understood is to read the referenced book ro artices. This is not what Wikipedia is about - it is meant to be an encyclopaedia which is self contained. Epzcaw (talk) 14:29, 8 October 2013 (UTC)


 * Essential to the N-slit interferometer are (1) expanded single-transverse-mode, and narrow-linewidth, laser beam, (2) N-slit array (diffraction grating), (3) intra interferometric propagation distance, and (4) digital detector. I agree that this should be better explained and plan to do so shortly.  Thanks for your criticism. Corrigendas (talk) 23:41, 8 October 2013 (UTC)


 * "So an N-slit interferometer is a diffraction grating illuminated by an expanded laser beam. This really needs to be explained in the actual article": this is already explained in Section 1 of the article and in the interferometer's diagram.  The illumination of N-slits, via an expanded beam, to generate interferometric characters, is central to the applications described.Corrigendas (talk) 03:03, 10 October 2013 (UTC)

N-Slit interferometer = equation ?
It has been suggested that the N-slit interferometer article be merged with the article on the N-slit interferometric equation. This article is about a physical electro-optical instrument whose propagation characteristics can be described by the interferometric equation. As such, this is only one of the several applications of the interferometric equation. The merger suggestion, although well intentioned, would confuse the divide between technological instruments and the theory devised to describe them.Corrigendas (talk) 02:43, 6 October 2013 (UTC)