Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-a-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2021/paper-2/section-b/b7/d/solution

Let the source remain at and let the observation point be . The paraxial approximation to the source-to-aperture-to-observer optical path length is
Completing the squares gives
The point is where the straight source-observer line intersects the aperture. Define the four dimensionless edge positions
On the Cornu spiral , draw the directed chord from to , and a second directed chord from to . Denote their complex differences by and . The complex amplitude is proportional to their product: multiply their lengths and add their arguments, including the common propagation phase factor.
More explicitly, normalize by the unobscured field at this same observation point. The constant wave phase from completing the square is then already included in , and
Each directed chord is a one-dimensional Fresnel diffraction factor. One must multiply the two factors, rather than add the chords or use just one chord length for the square aperture. Setting recovers and the on-axis answer.

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