diffraction grating

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 700+ words | Copyright

diffraction grating A surface on which are ruled very fine and evenly spaced straight grooves (typically 100–1000 per mm) which break light into a spectrum by diffraction; finer spacings give greater dispersion of the spectrum, although the resolution is ultimately limited by the size of the grating. There are two main types, transmission gratings and reflection gratings, both of which are used for astronomy. Unlike prisms, diffraction gratings produce several sets, or orders, of spectra which are arranged symmetrically either side of the main spectrum, becoming progressively fainter and more dispersed with distance. To minimize light loss, the surface grooves are normally cut asymmetrically, with a sawtooth cross‐section, so that most of the diffracted light is concentrated into a single spectral order; such a grating is said to be blazed.

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