Optical path
Encyclopedia
The path that light takes in traversing an optical system is often called the optical path. The physical length of an optical device can be reduced to less than the length of the optical path by using folded optics
. The optical path length
as defined in optics
is the length of the path multiplied by the index of refraction of the medium.
Folded optics
Folded optics is an optical system in which the beam is bent in a way to make the optical path much longer than the size of the system. Prismatic binoculars are a well-known example....
. The optical path length
Optical path length
In optics, optical path length or optical distance is the product of the geometric length of the path light follows through the system, and the index of refraction of the medium through which it propagates. A difference in optical path length between two paths is often called the optical path...
as defined in optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
is the length of the path multiplied by the index of refraction of the medium.