Components and Instruments

doi:10.1117/3.2265067.ch2

Book: Optics Made Clear: The Nature of Light and How We Use It

Author(s): William L. Wolfe

Published: 2006

https://doi.org/10.1117/3.2265067.ch2

Author Affiliations +

Abstract

Most people are familiar with very basic optical components like mirrors, lenses and prisms. However, some of their characteristics may not be so familiar, and certainly the operation of more complicated instruments like telescopes, microscopes, and spectroscopes is not as well known. Even more exotic are such devices as interferometers, lasers, detectors, and fiber optics. These are all described here, along with a few more.