Abstract: Replacing the low-pressure sodium lamp with a laser significantly enhances the traditional single-slit diffraction experiment, which traditionally suffered from limitations such as the need for individual observations through a microscope eyepiece, a limited number of diffraction fringes, unclear effects of parameter adjustments on the diffraction patterns, challenging operation, and stringent environmental requirements. This improvement makes the experimental demonstrations more efficient, straightforward, and visually clear. A Matlab program has been developed to simulate the single-slit diffraction experiment, allowing students to adjust parameters and directly observe the diffraction phenomena themselves. Additionally, students can engage in hands-on exploration of singleslit diffraction using simply a laser pointer and white paper after class. By integrating simulation with hands-on experimental operations, controlled experiments are conducted on variables such as slit width, wavelength, and screen distance. The results from both experiments and simulations align well with theoretical predictions, which could enhance students' understanding of diffraction concepts.

Key words: single-slit diffraction, emulation, experiment, laser