One prominent experiment, foundational to quantum mechanics, that employed this phenomenon was Young's double slit experiment.
One finds the angular resolution, limited by this phenomenon, by setting the sine of the angular resolution equal to one point two two times the wavelength over the lens aperture diameter; that relation is the Rayleigh criterion. One feature resulting from this phenomenon is the (*) Airy disk. Models of this phenomenon include equations named for Fraunhofer and Fresnel for far and near field. One prominent experiment, foundational to quantum mechanics, that employed this phenomenon was Young's double slit experiment. For 10 points, name this process whereby light responds to encountering an obstacle by bending or spreading.
One finds the angular resolution, limited by this phenomenon, by setting the sine of the angular resolution equal to one point two two times the wavelength over the lens aperture diameter; that relation is the Rayleigh criterion.
{diffraction}