Source: wikibot/plane-wave-expansion
= Plane-wave expansion
{wiki=Plane-wave_expansion}
Plane-wave expansion is a mathematical method used primarily in the fields of electromagnetics, optics, and solid-state physics to represent a complex wave function or field in terms of a sum of plane waves. This technique is particularly useful for analyzing wave behavior, diffraction, and propagation in periodic structures, such as photonic crystals or quantum wells.