Side maximum of a finite-width double-slit pattern
ID: side-maximum-of-a-finite-width-double-slit-pattern
The maxima of the full two-slit intensity need not lie at maxima of its cosine-squared interference factor, because the single-slit envelope has a nonzero slope. Differentiating its logarithm gives , where and . Solving this equation in the appropriate fringe gives the true maximum. The usual fringe-center estimate is useful when the envelope varies slowly across a fringe.
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