Chapter 35

Serway & Jewett 6

th
Ed.
How to View Light
As a Particle
As a Ray
As a Wave
The limit of geometric (ray) optics, valid for lenses, mirrors, etc.
What happens to a plane wave passing through an aperture?
Point Source
Generates spherical
Waves
Surface of constant phase
For fixed t, when kx = constant
B
E
x
y
z
cos (kx - t)
{ }
E
o

B
o

1
n
1
=
2
n
2

Index of Refraction
o
n

n
vac
medium


When material absorbs light at a particular frequency,
the index of refraction can become smaller than 1!
Reflection and Refraction
Oct. 18, 2004
Fundamental Rules for
Reflection and Refraction
in the limit of Ray Optics
1. Huygenss Principle
2. Fermats Principle
3. Electromagnetic Wave Boundary
Conditions
Huygenss Principle
Fig 35-17a, p.1108
Huygenss Principle
All points on a wave front act as new sources
for the production of spherical secondary waves
k
Reflection According
to Huygens
Side-Side-Side
AAC ADC

1
=
1

Incoming ray Outgoing ray
Refraction
Fig 35-19, p.1109
v
1
= c in medium n
1
=1
and
v
2
= c/n
2
in medium n
2
> 1.
Show via Huygenss Principle Snells Law
Fundamental Rules for
Reflection and Refraction
in the limit of Ray Optics
Huygenss Principle
2. Fermats Principle
3. Electromagnetic Wave Boundary
Conditions
Fermats Principle and Reflection
A light ray traveling from one fixed point to another will follow
a path such that the time required is an extreme point either a
maximum or a minimum.
Fig 35-31, p.1115
n
1
sin
1
= n
2
sin
2

Snells Law
Rules for Reflection and Refraction
Optical Path Length (OPL)
When n constant, OPL = n geometric length.
n
vac

vac

L L
n > 1 n = 1
For n = 1.5,
OPL is
50% larger
than L

P
S
dx x n OPL ) (
S
P
Fermats Principle, Revisited
A ray of light in going from point S to point P
will travel an optical path (OPL) that minimizes
the OPL. That is, it is stationary with respect to
variations in the OPL.
Fundamental Rules for
Reflection and Refraction
in the limit of Ray Optics
Huygenss Principle
Fermats Principle
3. Electromagnetic Wave Boundary
Conditions
k
i
= (k
i,x
,k
i,y
) k
r
= (k
r,x
,k
r,y
) k
t
= (k
t,x
,k
t,y
)
Fig 35-22, p.1110
Fig 35-25, p.1111
Fig 35-24, p.1110
Fig 35-23, p.1110
Total Internal Reflection
Slide 56 Fig 35-27, p.1113
Total
Internal
Reflection
p.1114
p.1114
Fig 35-30, p.1114
Fig 35-29, p.1114