Talbot effect with a grating of period 1 μm

Abstract

Under coherent plane wave illumination, the classical Talbot effect yields exact replica of the periodic input pattern in planes periodically distributed in the free propagation direction (paraxial regime). But when the period of the object is comparable with the wavelength, the Talbot phenomenon is considered to enter its non-paraxial regime(non-paraxial Talbot effect). In this contribution an experimental and theoretical report of this phenomenon is presented at non-paraxial regime with a amplitude grating of period 1μm, using a plane wave with wavelength of 616nm. The experimental self-images are registered by a confocal microscope and these self-images are contrasted with those obtained by the theory of diffraction in representation of plane waves. Contrary to what was expected, the remarkable results obtained is that it does not present quasi-self-images phenomenon and a detailed discussion of this behavior is included.