Abstract
Theoretical considerations, simulations and experiments have been carried out to distinguish between Fresnel and the Fraunhofer diffraction regarding the formation of interference patterns by a conventional Young's double-pinhole arrangement with variable separation, which is illuminated by a coherent plane wave. We show that the optical path difference introduced by this setup fits the Fresnel's phase difference between the pinholes. Consequently, it is possible to determine the number of Fresnel zones subtended by a circle centered on one of the pinholes and with radius equals to the pinhole separation. Then, we propose a criterion for distinguishing between Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction based on this number of Fresnel zones, which is applicable for diffracting apertures with any shape.
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