Experimental and theoretical study of rays diffracted by a sharp obstacle

Using a laser beam incident upon the edge of a razor blade, a single cone of diffracted rays was generated in order to study its properties. These cones of diffracted light are basic to geometrical theory of diffraction. However, the boundary-diffraction-wave theory was used to calculate the diffracted field. All the properties and geometrical laws associated with the diffracted rays were derived analytically. The experimental results were found to be in complete agreement with the theoretical predictions.