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In a dispersive prism, material dispersion (a wavelength-dependent refractive index) causes different colors to refract at different angles, splitting white light into a spectrum. A compact fluorescent lamp seen through an Amici prism. Dispersion is the phenomenon in which the phase velocity of a wave depends on its frequency. [1]
Total internal reflection in prisms finds numerous uses through optics, plasmonics and microscopy. In particular: Prisms are used to couple propagating light to surface plasmons. Either the hypotenuse of a triangular prism is metallized (Kretschmann configuration), or evanescent wave is coupled to very close metallic surface (Otto configuration).
A ray trace through a prism with apex angle α. Regions 0, 1, and 2 have indices of refraction, , and , and primed angles ′ indicate the ray's angle after refraction.. Ray angle deviation and dispersion through a prism can be determined by tracing a sample ray through the element and using Snell's law at each interface.
In a prism, the angle of deviation (δ) decreases with increase in the angle of incidence (i) up to a particular angle.This angle of incidence where the angle of deviation in a prism is minimum is called the minimum deviation position of the prism and that very deviation angle is known as the minimum angle of deviation (denoted by δ min, D λ, or D m).
For example, the propagation of light through a prism results in the light ray being deflected depending on the shape and orientation of the prism. Additionally, since different frequencies of light have slightly different indexes of refraction in most materials, refraction can be used to produce dispersion spectra that appear as rainbows.
In optics, Cauchy's transmission equation is an empirical relationship between the refractive index and wavelength of light for a particular transparent material. It is named for the mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy , who originally defined it in 1830 in his article "The refraction and reflection of light".
The light then passed through a prism (in hand-held spectroscopes, usually an Amici prism) that refracted the beam into a spectrum because different wavelengths were refracted different amounts due to dispersion. This image was then viewed through a tube with a scale that was transposed upon the spectral image, enabling its direct measurement.
Refraction of light at the interface between two media of different refractive indices, with n 2 > n 1. Since the phase velocity is lower in the second medium (v 2 < v 1), the angle of refraction θ 2 is less than the angle of incidence θ 1; that is, the ray in the higher-index medium is closer to the normal.