diffraction grating can be studied at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffraction_grating
it can be either transmissive or reflective.

the effects that come from it are rainbows and other interesting effects.

there are clear camera lenses which are diffraction grating and when you look at
sun rays through them, they form rainbows around that item.

different effects can be obtained by rotating the diffraction grating (which
could be useful for videos).

I should think it could be implemented as a plane of VERY TINY [clear or highly
reflective] bars. I don't know whether to use square rods or triangle rods or
circle rods.  I should think square would make a more plane-like reflective
surface, while the circle rod would reduce the light, but work in any direction.
 triangle rods would switch images depending upon point of view (they use larger
ones in plastic kind of layer with an image on the back on kids toys).

so maybe having a choice is a good thing.  with the diffraction grating, the
rods are so small you cannot see them with the eye.  so working with floating
point may or may not present a problem - so use exponents for the
diameter/radius?

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