Francesco Maria Grimaldi fue un matemático, físico y astrónomo italiano, profesor del colegio universitario Jesuita de la universidad de Bolonia. Fue el primer científico en estudiar la difracción de la luz, acuñando el nombre que denomina este fenómeno. Wikipedia
“Light propagates and spreads not only directly, through refraction, and reflection, but also by a fourth mode, diffraction.”
Lumen propagatur seu diffunditur non solum Directe, Refracte, ac Reflexe, sed etiam alio quodam quarto modo, Diffracte.
Physico-mathesis de lumine, coloribus, et iride, aliisque adnexis libri duo: opus posthumum, published in Bologna (1665), http://books.google.com/books?id=FzYVAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0#PPP27,M1 Proposition I.
“Occasionally, light added to itself may give obscure surfaces on a body that has already received light.”
Lumen aliquando per sui communicationem reddit obscuriorem superficiem corporis aliunde, ac prius illustratam.
also translated as "A body actually enlightened may become obscure by adding new light to that which it has already received." in The Penny cyclopaedia (1845), http://books.google.com/books?id=O4uLUvHTKGsC&pg=PA668 p. 668.
First account of an interference effect in Physico-mathesis de lumine, coloribus, et iride, aliisque adnexis libri duo: opus posthumum, published in Bologna (1665), http://books.google.com/books?id=FzYVAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0#PPP28,M1 Proposition XXII.
