1.5 Application of Wave Optics to Optical System Design
Now with a rm adherence to the theoretical ideas just presented that light waves add coherently and
that the phase of the wave is sum of the OPD along the shortest path from source to detector, we can
present some basically useful properties for optical design application. Lenses or powered mirrors mod-
ify the path of the light to bring it into focus. It is useful to know just how sharp a focus is physically
allowable in the wave theory. is can then be compared with that achieved by a real system. In the case
of a pristine free-space environment, the lenses or mirrors m
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