| Fresnel diffraction | Fraunhofer diffraction |
|---|---|
| The source and the screen are at finite distance from the diffracting aperture | The source and the screen are at infinite distance from the diffracting aperture |
| For obtaining fresnel diffraction , zone plates are used | For this single double ae plane diffraction grating are used |
| The wavefronts are divergent either spherical and cylindrical | The wavefronts are plane which is released by using convex lens |
| No mirror or lenses are used for observation | Diffracted light is collected by lens as in telescope |