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Wave Optics

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Optics and Lasers

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Optical Sciences ((SSOS,volume 5))

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Abstract

In this chapter we discuss certain optical phenomena for which geometric or ray optics is insufficient. Primarily interference and diffraction, these phenomena arise because of the wave nature of light and often cause sharp departures from the rectilinear propagation assumed by geometric optics. For one thing, diffraction is responsible for limiting the theoretical resolution of a lens to a finite value. This is incomprehensible on the basis of ray optics.

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Suggested Reading Material

Chapter 4

  • Dainty, J. C. (ed.): Laser Speckle and Related Phenomena. Topics in Applied Physics, Vol. 9 (Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 1975)

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  • Ditchburn, R. W.: Light, 2nd ed. (Wiley-Interscience, New York 1963) Chaps. 1–6

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  • Jenkins, F. A., White, H. E.: Fundamentals of Optics, 4th ed. (McGraw-Hill, New York 1976) Chaps. 11–18

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  • Klein, M. V.: Optics (John Wiley and Sons, New York 1970) Chaps. 7–11

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© 1977 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Young, M. (1977). Wave Optics. In: Optics and Lasers. Springer Series in Optical Sciences, vol 5. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-15816-6_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-15816-6_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-15818-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-15816-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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