Wave Optics: Light Behavior and Phenomena

Wave Optics is a branch of physics that studies light waves according to their properties like the characteristics of various sources of lights, reflection, refraction, propagation and interference. Light rays can interfere with each other when they travel through two narrow openings such as slits. This phenomenon was first observed by Thomas Young during his famous Double Slit Experiment. In this experiment, he passed monochromatic light through two parallel slits onto a screen where the light from both slits spread out into overlapping regions, resulting in bright spots called maxima and dark bands called minima. These patterns show how the wave nature of light creates different intensities depending upon its path length difference between the source(slit) and observer(screen).

Another important aspect of wave optics is the concept of Polarisation, which refers to the direction of the electric field vector associated with electromagnetic radiation including visible light. This property allows us to control the intensity of light using devices known as polarizers. Diffraction also plays a significant role; it occurs when a light wave passes around obstacles causing a change in phase and amplitude. It can also happen on smaller scales due to the wavelength of light being very small compared to most objects we encounter.

The Huygen's Principle further explains how the way light travels in space affects optical phenomena. According to this principle, every point on a wave front emits spherical secondary waves, and these waves combine together to form the new wavefront. For example, if you pass light through a tiny hole in a piece of cardboard, you will see concentric rings around the pinhole because the light bends away from the normal line of sight. This happens because each point on the wavefront emits a secondary sphere, which combines to make a bigger wavefront.

In summary, wave optics deals with the behavior of light as a wave, studying its effects on materials and the environment. Concepts like interference, Young's Double Slit Experiment, Huygen's Principle, and Polarization help physicists understand how light behaves under varying conditions and provides tools for manipulating light to our advantage.