Quantum mechanical description of N-slit interference phenomena

The use of Dirac's notation is described in order to establish a generalized interference equation which is then applied to the calculation of the intensity pattern resulting from the interaction of laser light diffracted at a one-dimensional array of N slits. It is found that Dirac's notation is particularly suitable for incorporating the additional complexity found in transmission gratings of practical interest. All the complexity is incorporated via the wave functions, which, in turn, depend on the physical parameters associated with the slits.