1.1 INTRODUCTION - newagepublishers（1.1介绍- newagepublishers）.pdf

1.1 INTRODUCTION The field of optics (study of light) is divided into three kinds: (a) Geometrical optics (Macroscopic optics) which is concerned with the behaviour of light on a large scale (macro) and is treated by the method of light rays. (b) Physical optics (Microscopic optics) which is concerned with the study of the finer details of light and involves theory of waves. (c) Quantum optics which is concerned with the interaction of light with the matter and its treated by the method of quantum mechanics. Light is propagated (transported) in a straight line as long as there is no change of the medium or no change in the properties of the same medium and is called a ray. Actually it is not possible to seperate a ray from a light wave. As we are concerned with the physical optics, which is required to explain the finer details of light, we have to consider the wave picture of light. The light is considered to be transverse wave which is defined as: when a wave passes in a direction the particles move at right angles to the direction of the propagation of the wave. When particles move up and down in simple harmonic motion, a series of waves will be produced in which the displacement of the wave is proportional to the sine of the S.H.M. generating angle ‘’ i.e., y sin = a sin 2π = a sin λ Such waves are called sine waves and is shown in the Fig. 1.1. 2