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"Optical" redirects here. For the musical artist, see Optical (artist). Optical is the pseudonym of Matt Quinn a renowned Drum and bass producer and DJ from England.
For the book by Sir Isaac Newton, see Opticks. Opticks is a book written by English physicist Isaac Newton that was released to the public in 1704.
Table of Opticks, 1728 Cyclopaedia
Table of Opticks, 1728 Cyclopaedia

Optics (ὀπτική appearance or look in Ancient Greek) is the science that describes the behavior and properties of light and the interaction of light with matter. Cyclopaedia or A Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences ( folio, 2 vols The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding Light, or visible light, is Electromagnetic radiation of a Wavelength that is visible to the Human eye (about 400–700 Matter is commonly defined as being anything that has mass and that takes up space. Optics explains optical phenomena. An optical phenomenon is any observable event which results from the interaction of Light and Matter.

The field of optics usually describes the behavior of visible, infrared, and ultraviolet light; however because light is an electromagnetic wave, similar phenomena occur in X-rays, microwaves, radio waves, and other forms of electromagnetic radiation and analogous phenomena occur with charged particle beams. Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of Ultraviolet ( UV) light is Electromagnetic radiation with a Wavelength shorter than that of Visible light, but longer than X-rays Electromagnetic radiation takes the form of self-propagating Waves in a Vacuum or in Matter. X-radiation (composed of X-rays) is a form of Electromagnetic radiation. Microwaves are electromagnetic waves with Wavelengths ranging from 1 mm to 1 m or frequencies between 0 Radio is the transmission of signals by Modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible Light. Electromagnetic radiation takes the form of self-propagating Waves in a Vacuum or in Matter. In Physics, a charged particle is a particle with an Electric charge. Optics can largely be regarded as a sub-field of electromagnetism. Electromagnetism is the Physics of the Electromagnetic field: a field which exerts a Force on particles that possess the property of Some optical phenomena depend on the quantum nature of light relating some areas of optics to quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics is the study of mechanical systems whose dimensions are close to the Atomic scale such as Molecules Atoms Electrons In practice, the vast majority of optical phenomena can be accounted for using the electromagnetic description of light, as described by Maxwell's Equations. In Classical electromagnetism, Maxwell's equations are a set of four Partial differential equations that describe the properties of the electric

The field of optics has its own identity, societies, and conferences. The pure science aspects of the field are often called optical science or optical physics. Optical physics, or optical science, is a subfield of Atomic molecular and optical physics. Applied optical sciences are often called optical engineering. Optical engineering is the field of study that focuses on applications of Optics. Applications of optical engineering related specifically to illumination systems are called illumination engineering. Lighting includes both artificial Light sources such as lamps and natural illumination of interiors from Daylight. Each of these disciplines tends to be quite different in its applications, technical skills, focus, and professional affiliations. More recent innovations in optical engineering are often categorized as photonics or optoelectronics. Photonics is the science of generating controlling and detecting Photons particularly in the visible and near Infra-red spectrum, but Optoelectronics is the study and application of electronic devices that source detect and control Light, usually considered a sub-field of Photonics. The boundaries between these fields and "optics" are often unclear, and the terms are used differently in different parts of the world and in different areas of industry.

Because of the wide application of the science of "light" to real-world applications, the areas of optical science and optical engineering tend to be very cross-disciplinary. Optical science is a part of many related disciplines including electrical engineering, physics, psychology, medicine (particularly ophthalmology and optometry), and others. Ophthalmology is the branch of Medicine which deals with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways including the Eye, Brain Optometry is a health care profession concerned with Eyes and related structures as well as vision, Visual systems and vision information Additionally, the most complete description of optical behavior, as known to physics, is unnecessarily complicated for most problems, so particular simplified models are used. These limited models adequately describe subsets of optical phenomena while ignoring behavior irrelevant and/or undetectable to the system of interest.

Contents

Classical optics

Before quantum optics became important, optics consisted mainly of the application of classical electromagnetism and its high frequency approximations to light. Quantum optics is a field of research in Physics, dealing with the application of Quantum mechanics to phenomena involving Light and its interactions A high frequency approximation (or "high energy approximation" for Scattering or other Wave propagation problems in Physics or Engineering Classical optics divides into two main branches: geometric optics and physical optics. In Physics, physical optics, or wave optics, is the branch of Optics which studies Interference, Diffraction, Polarization

Geometric optics, or ray optics, describes light propagation in terms of "rays". Light, or visible light, is Electromagnetic radiation of a Wavelength that is visible to the Human eye (about 400–700 Wave propagation is any of the ways in which waves travel through a Waveguide. In Optics, a ray is an idealized narrow Beam of light. Rays are used to model the propagation of Light through an optical system by dividing the real light Rays are bent at the interface between two dissimilar media, and may be curved in a medium in which the refractive index is a function of position. An optical medium is material through which Electromagnetic waves propagate The refractive index (or index of Refraction) of a medium is a measure for how much the speed of light (or other waves such as sound waves is reduced inside the medium The "ray" in geometric optics is an abstract object which is perpendicular to the wavefronts of the actual optical waves. For other uses see Abstract In Philosophy it is commonly considered that every object is either abstract or concrete In Optics and Physics, a wavefront is the locus (a line, or in a Wave propagating in 3 dimensions a Surface) of Geometric optics provides rules for propagating these rays through an optical system, which indicates how the actual wavefront will propagate. Note that this is a significant simplification of optics, and fails to account for many important optical effects such as diffraction and polarization. Diffraction is normally taken to refer to various phenomena which occur when a wave encounters an obstacle Polarization ( ''Brit'' polarisation) is a property of Waves that describes the orientation of their oscillations

Geometric optics is often simplified even further by making the paraxial approximation, or "small angle approximation. In Geometric optics, the paraxial approximation is an Approximation used in ray tracing of light through an optical system (such as a lens) " The mathematical behavior then becomes linear, allowing optical components and systems to be described by simple matrices. This leads to the techniques of Gaussian optics and paraxial raytracing, which are used to find first-order properties of optical systems, such as approximate image and object positions and magnifications. The cardinal points and the associated cardinal planes are a set of special points and planes in an optical system which help in the analysis Gaussian beam propagation is an expansion of paraxial optics that provides a more accurate model of coherent radiation like laser beams. In Optics, a Gaussian beam is a Beam of Electromagnetic radiation whose transverse Electric field and Intensity ( Irradiance A laser is a device that emits Light ( Electromagnetic radiation) through a process called Stimulated emission. While still using the paraxial approximation, this technique partially accounts for diffraction, allowing accurate calculations of the rate at which a laser beam expands with distance, and the minimum size to which the beam can be focused. Gaussian beam propagation thus bridges the gap between geometric and physical optics.

Physical optics or wave optics builds on Huygen's principle and models the propagation of complex wavefronts through optical systems, including both the amplitude and the phase of the wave. In Physics, physical optics, or wave optics, is the branch of Optics which studies Interference, Diffraction, Polarization In Physics, physical optics, or wave optics, is the branch of Optics which studies Interference, Diffraction, Polarization The Huygens–Fresnel principle (named for Dutch Physicist Christiaan Huygens, and French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel Amplitude is the magnitude of change in the oscillating variable with each Oscillation, within an oscillating system The phase of an oscillation or wave is the fraction of a complete cycle corresponding to an offset in the displacement from a specified reference point at time t = 0 This technique, which is usually applied numerically on a computer, can account for diffraction, interference, and polarization effects, as well as aberrations and other complex effects. In physics interference is the addition ( superposition) of two or more Waves that result in a new wave pattern Aberrations are departures of the performance of an optical system from the predictions of Paraxial optics. Approximations are still generally used, however, so this is not a full electromagnetic wave theory model of the propagation of light. Such a full model would (at present) be too computationally demanding to be useful for most problems, although some small-scale problems can be analyzed using complete wave models.

Topics related to classical optics

Conceptual animation of light dispersion in a prism.
Conceptual animation of light dispersion in a prism. In Optics, dispersion is the phenomenon in which the Phase velocity of a wave depends on its frequency In Optics, a prism is a transparent optical element with flat polished surfaces that refract Light.

Modern optics

Modern optics encompasses the areas of optical science and engineering that became popular in the 20th century. Aberrations are departures of the performance of an optical system from the predictions of Paraxial optics. In Physics, coherence is a property of waves that enables stationary (i Diffraction is normally taken to refer to various phenomena which occur when a wave encounters an obstacle In Optics, dispersion is the phenomenon in which the Phase velocity of a wave depends on its frequency A distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic of an object image sound waveform or other form of information or representation Optical fabrication and testing spans an enormous range of manufacturing procedures and In Optics, Fermat's principle or the principle of least time is the idea that the path taken between two points by a ray of light is the path that can be Huygens-Fresnel principle|geometrical optics Fourier optics is the study of classical optics using techniques involving Fourier transforms and can be seen A lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate Axial symmetry which transmits and refracts Light, converging or diverging A mirror is an object with a surface that has good Specular reflection; that is it is smooth enough to form an Image. An optical instrument either processes Light waves to enhance an image for viewing or analyzes light waves (or Photons to determine one of a number of characteristic In Optics, a prism is a transparent optical element with flat polished surfaces that refract Light. Gradient-index optics is the branch of Optics covering optical effects produced by a gradual variation of the Refractive index of a material Interferometry is the technique of using the pattern of Interference created by the superposition of two or more Waves to diagnose the properties of Optical lens design is the science/art of calculating the various lens construction parameters (variables that will meet or at least approach desired performance requirements Optical resolution describes the ability of an imaging system to resolve detail in the object that is being imaged Polarization ( ''Brit'' polarisation) is a property of Waves that describes the orientation of their oscillations In Optics, a ray is an idealized narrow Beam of light. Rays are used to model the propagation of Light through an optical system by dividing the real light In physics ray tracing is a method for calculating the path of Waves or Particles through a system with regions of varying propagation Velocity, absorption Reflection is the change in direction of a Wave front at an interface between two different media so that the wave front returns into the medium from which Refraction is the change in direction of a Wave due to a change in its Speed. Scattering is a general physical process whereby some forms of Radiation, such as Light, Sound or moving particles for example are forced to deviate from A spectrum (plural spectra or spectrums) is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. A wave is a disturbance that propagates through Space and Time, usually with transference of Energy. These areas of optical science typically relate to the electromagnetic or quantum properties of light but do include other topics.

Topics related to modern optics

Other optical fields

Everyday optics

Optics is part of everyday life. Adaptive optics (AO is a Technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effects of rapidly changing optical distortion Circular dichroism (CD is a form of Spectroscopy based on the differential absorption of left- and right-handed circularly polarized Light. Crystal optics is the branch of Optics that describes the behaviour of Light in Anisotropic media, that is media (such as Crystals Diffraction is normally taken to refer to various phenomena which occur when a wave encounters an obstacle An optical fiber (or fibre) is a Glass or Plastic fiber that carries Light along its length An optical waveguide is a physical structure that guides electromagnetic waves in the optical spectrum Holography (from the Greek, ὅλος - hólos whole + γραφή - grafē writing drawing is a technique that allows the A photonic integrated circuit ( PIC) or integrated optical circuit is a device that integrates multiple photonic functions and as such is analogous to an Electronic In Optics one can describe Polarization using the Jones calculus, invented by R A laser is a device that emits Light ( Electromagnetic radiation) through a process called Stimulated emission. Lens flare is the light scattered in lens systems through generally unwanted image formation mechanisms such as internal reflection and Scattering from Microlenses are small lenses, generally with Diameters less than a Millimetre (mm and often as small as 10 micrometres (µm Non-imaging optics is the branch of Optics concerned with the optimal transfer of Light radiation between a source and a target Nonlinear optics (NLO is the branch of Optics that describes the behaviour of Light in nonlinear media, that is media in which the dielectric polarization An optical computer is a computer that uses light instead of electricity (i An optical vortex (also known as a screw dislocation or phase singularity is a zero of an optical field a point of zero intensity This article deals with the usage of this term in Optics and Lighting. Photonics is the science of generating controlling and detecting Photons particularly in the visible and near Infra-red spectrum, but Quantum optics is a field of research in Physics, dealing with the application of Quantum mechanics to phenomena involving Light and its interactions In Optics, radiometry is the field that studies the Measurement of Electromagnetic radiation, including Visible light. Thin-film optics is the branch of Optics that deals with very thin structured layers of different materials X-ray optics is the branch of Optics which manipulates X-rays instead of Visible light. In Physics and Optics, the Abbe number, also known as the V-number or constringence of a transparent material is a measure Image processing is any form of Signal processing for which the input is an image such as photographs or frames of video the output of image processing can be either an image Information theory is a branch of Applied mathematics and Electrical engineering involving the quantification of Information. Lighting includes both artificial Light sources such as lamps and natural illumination of interiors from Daylight. Machine vision (MV System is the application of Computer vision to industry and manufacturing Optical communication is any form of Telecommunication that uses Light as the transmission medium An optical computer is a computer that uses light instead of electricity (i Optical feedback is the optical equivalent of Acoustic feedback. Pattern recognition is a sub-topic of Machine learning. It is "the act of taking in raw data and taking an action based on the category of the data" Science of photography refers to the use of science such as Chemistry and Physics, in all aspects of photography In radiative heat transfer, heat is transferred between bodies by electromagnetic radiation Thermal physics is the combined study of Thermodynamics, Statistical mechanics, and Kinetic theory. The visual system is the part of the Nervous system which allows organisms to see. Rainbows and mirages are examples of optical phenomena. A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of Light to appear in the Sky when the Sun A mirage is a naturally-occurring Optical phenomenon, in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky Many people benefit from eyeglasses or contact lenses, and optics are used in many consumer goods including cameras. Glasses, also called eyeglasses or spectacles, are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the Eyes normally for vision correction, A contact lens (also known simply as a contact) is a corrective, cosmetic, or therapeutic lens usually placed on the Cornea A camera is a device used to capture images either as still Photographs or as sequences of moving images ( Movies or Videos. Superimposition of periodic structures, for example transparent tissues with a grid structure, produces shapes known as moiré patterns. Superimposition of periodic transparent patterns comprising parallel opaque lines or curves produces line moiré patterns. Line moiré is one type of Moiré pattern; a pattern that appears when superposing two transparent layers containing correlated opaque patterns

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Dictionary

optics

-noun

  1. (physics) The physics of light and vision.
  2. The light-related aspects of a device.
  3. Plural form of optic.
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