Geometric Optics

1. consider only speed and direction of a ray

2. take laws of reflection and refraction as facts
3. all dimensions in problems are >>
What can happen to a beam of light when it hits
a boundary between two media?

Conservation Law
() + () + () = 1
() = Fraction Absorbed
() = Fraction Reflected
T() = Fraction Transmitted

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley,

Reading, MA, 1998.

Transmission
How is light transmitted through a medium such
as glass, H2O, etc.?

Rayleigh Scattering

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1998.

Elastic ( does not change)

Random direction of emission
Little energy loss

Spherical Wavelets
Every unobstructed point of a wavefront, at a given instant,
serves as a source of spherical secondary wavelets. The
amplitude of the optical field at any point beyond is the
superposition of all these wavelets.

Eugene Hecht, Optics, AddisonWesley, Reading, MA, 1998.

What happens to the rays

scattered laterally?

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley,

Reading, MA, 1998.

Are you getting the concept?

Why are sunsets orange and red?

Forward Propagation

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1998.

Wavelets constructively
interfere in the forward
direction.

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley,

Reading, MA, 1998.

Scattering is Fast but not Infinitely Fast

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1998.

What effect does this have on the phase of the wave?

If the secondary wave lags, then

phase of the resultant wave also lags.
velocity < c

If the secondary wave leads, then

phase of the resultant wave also
leads.
velocity > c

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley,

Reading, MA, 1998.

New velocity can be related to c

using the refractive index ()

c
=
v
is wavelength and
temperature dependent
In glass increases as
decreases

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1998.

What about the energy in the wave?

Remember: E = h

Frequency remains the same

Velocity and wavelength change
Douglas A. Skoog and James J. Leary, Principles of Instrumental
Analysis, Saunders College Publishing, Fort Worth, 1992.

Refraction is a consequence of velocity change

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1998.

Snells Law of Refraction

Wavefront travels BD in time t
BD = v1t
Wavefront travels AE in time t
AE = v2t

BD AE
=
v1
v2
1
2
ADsin 1 =
ADsin 2
c
c

1sin1 = 2sin2
Ingle and Crouch, Spectrochemical Analysis

Are you getting the concept?

Light in a medium with a refractive index of 1.2 strikes a
medium with a refractive index of 2.0 at an angle of 30
degrees to the normal. What is the angle of refraction
(measured from the normal)? Sketch a picture of this
situation.

Reflection
v and do not change

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley,

Reading, MA, 1998.

Law of Specular Reflection

Velocity is constant
=> AC = BD

BD
sin1 =
AD

AC
sin3 =
AD

ADsin3 = ADsin1

3 = 1
Angle of Incidence = Angle of Reflection

Ingle and Crouch, Spectrochemical Analysis

Fresnel Equations
For monochromatic light hitting a flat surface at 90

Important in determining reflective losses in optical

systems

() at different interfaces

Ingle and Crouch, Spectrochemical Analysis

Reflective losses quickly become significant

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1998.

Antireflective Coatings
=1

= 1.38

= 1.5

() = 0.002
() = 0.025

Total () = 2.7%
compared to () = 4.0%
without coating
Melles Griot Catalogue

Film thickness further reduces reflections

Melles Griot Catalogue

Observed () for MgF2 coated optic

Melles Griot Catalogue

If incident beam is not at 90 use Fresnels

complete equation

component

component

Ingle and Crouch, Spectrochemical Analysis

For an air-glass interface

For unpolarized light, () increases
as 1 increases

component

component

Ingle and Crouch, Spectrochemical Analysis

Example of high
() at high 1

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1998.

Brewsters Angle
1 where () of
is zero

polarized light

p = tan
1
-1

For an air-glass transition p

= 58 40

Ingle and Crouch, Spectrochemical Analysis

Are you getting the concept?

Suppose light in a quartz crystal (n = 1.55) strikes a boundary
with air (n = 1.00) at a 50-degree angle to the normal. At what
angle does the light emerge?

Why?

Total Internal Reflection

Snells Law:
1sin1 = 2sin2
If 2 = 90

1 = c = sin
1
-1

At any 1 c T() 0

Ingle and Crouch, Spectrochemical Analysis

For a glass-air transition c = 42

Eugene Hecht, Optics, Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA, 1998.