  We have observed the interference of optical diffraction radiation (ODR) and
optical transition radiation (OTR) produced by the interaction of a
relativistic electron beam with a micromesh foil and a mirror. The production
of forward directed ODR from electrons passing through the holes and wires of
the mesh and their separate interactions with backward OTR from the mirror are
analyzed with the help of a simulation code. By careful choice of the micromesh
properties, mesh-mirror spacing, observation wavelength and filter band pass,
the interference of the ODR produced from the unperturbed electrons passing
through the open spaces of the mesh and OTR from the mirror are observable
above a broad incoherent background from interaction of the heavily scattered
electrons passing through the mesh wires. These interferences (ODTRI) are
sensitive to the beam divergence and can be used to directly diagnose this
parameter. We compare experimental divergence values obtained using ODTRI,
conventional OTRI, for the case when front foil scattering is negligible, and
computed values obtained from transport code calculations and multiple screen
beam size measurements. We obtain good agreement in all cases.
