Comparison of Fresnel Diffraction Beams and Fraunhofer Diffraction Beams

This program is designed to simulate and compare the characteristics and effects of Fresnel diffraction beams and Fraunhofer diffraction beams. Fresnel diffraction and Fraunhofer diffraction are significant phenomena in optics, describing how light behaves when passing through an aperture or bending around an obstacle. Fresnel diffraction occurs when light diffracts through a small aperture, while Fraunhofer diffraction refers to the bending of light around large obstacles. The program implements numerical simulations using Fourier optics principles, typically employing Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithms to compute diffraction patterns. Key functions include wavefront propagation calculations, with Fresnel diffraction handled through the Fresnel diffraction integral and Fraunhofer diffraction approximated using the far-field diffraction formula. The simulation allows side-by-side comparison of beam profiles, intensity distributions, and phase variations between the two diffraction regimes.