Limits To Concentration In Physical Optics And Wave Mechanics

I. M. Bassett; R. Winston

doi:10.1117/12.937685

5 January 1984 Limits To Concentration In Physical Optics And Wave Mechanics

I. M. Bassett, R. Winston

Proceedings Volume 0441, Intl Conf on Nonimaging Concentrators; (1984) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.937685
Event: 27th Annual Technical Symposium, 1983, San Diego, United States

Abstract

Let light of well defined specific intensity I < Imax enter a passive optical system from a medium of refractive index n = 1. Then wherever n = 1 and the specific intensity I' is well defined, I' < 'max- This inequality is obtainable from the Second Law of thermody-namics. If geometrical optics holds everywhere, it is a theorem of geometrical optics. In this paper it is shown that, even if diffraction and interference effects occur within the optical device, the inequality remains valid. A quantum description of the electromagnetic field is employed, and the inequality is obtained from the unitarity of the time evolution operator in quantum mechanics. Only "one photon" or weak-field theory is employed; many-photon effects are not included. Thus, despite the quantum language, the domain of validity of the derivation is that of classical electromagnetic theory. An analogous inequality, subject to analogous limitations, is obtained for the density in phase space, for an ordinary scalar particle undergoing elastic scattering.

Citation Download Citation

I. M. Bassett and R. Winston "Limits To Concentration In Physical Optics And Wave Mechanics", Proc. SPIE 0441, Intl Conf on Nonimaging Concentrators, (5 January 1984); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.937685

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