Handbook of Biomedical Optics

548 Handbook of Biomedical Optics

interference of two planar coherent waves each described by a

wave vector of size k at angle ± to the optic axis.

According to the linearity of the Maxwell equations, which

implies that the sum of two amplitude distributions consti-

tutes also a solution of the Maxwell equations (alternatively the

d’Alembert equation), plane light waves can simply be added

(Figure 26.4). Hence the y-component of the electric eld is

written as

E E e E e

i k x z i k x

= +

−

− − ⋅ + ⋅ −

+

− ⋅ +

1 1

1

[ ( sin( ) cos( ) ) ] [ (sin( ) cos(α α φ α α)) ) ]⋅ −z φ

2

(26.7)

Here E

−1

and E

−2

are amplitudes of incident plane light waves,