ABSTRACT
Interference is a phenomenon in which two waves superpose to form a resultant wave of higher or lower amplitude. Interference effects can be observed will all types of waves, for instance, electromagnetic waves, acoustic waves, surface waves, and matter waves. A crucial factor determining the interference result is the difference in phase between the involved waves. There are two types of interference: constructive and destructive interference. An interference fringe pattern is produced if two plane waves of the same frequency intersect at a non-zero angle. When a light beam is confronted with a periodic structure, it is split into several beams traveling in specific directions. This behavior is called diffraction. Any periodic structures can serve as an effective diffraction grating. The origin of X-ray diffraction is scattering by embedded-diffraction gratings atoms. Diffraction, caused by the wave nature of light, can be explained with the oscillator model.
