16.1 INTRODUCTION
Optical materials are used in the construction of devices that guide light in some way. These materials refract light. This can be observed when light passes through a prism or a lens. The angle through which light is refracted is a function of the wavelength of the light, so that when more than one frequency is present the light can be dispersed into different components. Most of us have observed the rainbow produced when white light is passed through a prism.
Optical materials can also be used to attenuate, or decrease the intensity of light. Under the right conditions, some can also amplify, increasing ...
Get Light and Optics now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
