RP Photonics Encyclopedia by Rüdiger Paschotta Created 2026-10-13 Updated 2026-11-05
Publisher: RP Photonics AG.
The entry Wavefronts, www.rp-photonics.com/wavefronts.html , describes surfaces of constant phase, planar and spherical wavefronts, and changes of wavefront shape through optical elements. It provides the geometric context for wavefront curvature.
Article by Rüdiger Paschotta in RP Photonics Encyclopedia by Rüdiger Paschotta, hosted by RP Photonics. No article publication or revision date is established.
Cited passages: What is a Refractive Index?; Wavelength Dependence and Other Dependencies; Anisotropic Media; Complex Refractive Index; Group Index and Effective Index; Measuring Refractive Indices.