Sep 8 2014
Image Credits: magnetix/shutterstock.com
Wave optics, also referred to as physical optics, is the branch of optics that enables important phenomena such as interference, diffraction, and polarization to be understood.
The study of these phenomena is essential for the creation of devices and concepts such as holograms, interferometers, gratings, thin-film interference, polarizers, coatings for anti-reflection (AR) and high reflection (HR), quarter-wave plates, and laser beam divergence in the near and far field.
Wave optics treats light as a series of propagating electric and magnetic field oscillations.
The phenomena influenced by wave optics are briefly explained below:
- Interference – It occurs when two or more light waves pass via the same region and add to or subtract from each other
- Diffraction - It occurs when light waves pass via small openings or around obstacles and scatter
- Polarization - It occurs because of the transverse nature of the electric field vibration in propagating electromagnetic wave.
Scientist Christian Huygens formulated a process for propagating waves from one position to another, thereby determining the shapes of the developing wave fronts.
Applications
The key applications that use wave optics include:
- Enhancement of microscopy
- LCDs
- Spectrometers
- Michelson interferometers.
Sources and Further Reading