A displacement sensor employs an electromagnetic radiation source that generates a beam of electromagnetic radiation for measuring a feature of an object. The displacement sensor includes a displacement probe, a multi-dimensional diffraction grating and a plurality of photon detectors. A reflection surface, which is changed when the probe interacts with the object, interacts with the beam from the electromagnetic radiation source and reflects a beam from the reflection surface. The multi-dimensional diffraction grating interacts with the reflected beam and generates a pattern of diffracted beams. Each photon detector senses a different diffracted beam, thereby providing information about the state of the probe.