Geometrical optics treats all light as rays, to estimate light path, imaging, and optical properties such as aberration and light distribution. Since it deals with light rays, it is most suitable for optical systems where light can be represented as rays. Geometrical optics is used when typical dimensions are much larger than the wavelength light. In applications such as waveguides that are on the order of wavelength, treatment of light as waves, rather than rays, is more appropriate, and requires calculations that involve wave equations.
Even though many diffractive elements (such as gratings) deal with features that are on the order of light wavelength, it is still possible to combine refractive elements in geometrical ...
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