Abstract:The localized effect of light diffracted by a capillary wave is discovered by changing the wave amplitude. The localized range is related to the wave number and the amplitude. The dependence of the half maximum localized angle on the wave number and amplitude is analytically derived. Meanwhile, the analytic angular distribution of the diffraction light in the localized range is obtained. Experiments are carried out to achieve diffraction patterns to confirm the localized effect and to measure the angular distribution of the diffraction light intensity as well as to determine the localized range scales corresponding to different wave amplitudes. Theoretical curves of the light intensity angular distribution and localized interval widths related to surface acoustic wave amplitudes are compared with the experimental data. The experimental results agree well with the theoretical prediction.