Expand this Topic clickable element to expand a topic
Skip to content
Optica Publishing Group

Refractive sphere and light point source: shortcut to the zero wavefronts

Not Accessible

Your library or personal account may give you access

Abstract

A somewhat basic way to find an expression for the zero wavefront of a given illuminated refractive medium starts from a wavefront arbitrary point E, belonging to this medium, whose position analytical expression is already known. Then, one derives a new virtual wavefront—the zero wavefront—equivalent to the point source of light. The spatial path length of the resulting direct equivalent ray between E and the corresponding point E0, belonging to the zero wavefront, equals the optical path length of the more or less complicated succession of ray segments, caused by refraction and/or reflection, between E and the point source. Moreover, the ray direction of the equivalent direct ray, between E and E0, and that of the real ray at E must coincide. In the shortcut to the zero wavefront, one considers an arbitrary point E belonging rather to the entry interface of the optical medium and whose position analytical expression is already known. In the case of the refractive sphere illuminated by a point source, the internal progression of the ray implies, at each internal reflection point, two new media and two new zero wavefronts: one corresponding to the reflected fraction inside and the other corresponding to that refracted fraction outside. The analytical expression of the zero wavefront resulting from the shortcut, at least for the case of the refractive sphere, is not only much simpler, but as complete as the basic one. Indeed, the expression of any equivalent ray or wavefront can be obtained from the zero wavefront either through the basic way or through the shorter one.

© 2019 Optical Society of America

Full Article  |  PDF Article
More Like This
Supernumerary bows: interference theory with the zero wavefront as a basic element

Paul-Étienne Ouellette
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 36(7) 1162-1172 (2019)

Wavefronts, caustic, and intensity of a plane wave refracted by an arbitrary surface: the axicon and the plano spherical lenses

Paula Ortega-Vidals, Omar de Jesús Cabrera-Rosas, Ernesto Espíndola Ramos, Salvador Alejandro Juárez Reyes, Israel Julían Macías, Gilberto Silva-Ortigoza, Ramón Silva-Ortigoza, and Citlalli Teresa Sosa-Sánchez
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 34(9) 1670-1678 (2017)

Cited By

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Figures (5)

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Figure files are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Tables (1)

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Article tables are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Equations (49)

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Equations are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Select as filters


Select Topics Cancel
© Copyright 2024 | Optica Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved