Glossary
- Interference: superposition of light waves whose resulting intensity depends on the phase shifts between them
- Wavelength ( of a light wave ): distance between two consecutive identical states of the electric ( or magnetic ) field
- Relative intensity: normalized intensity as determined by the ratio between the intensity and its maximum value
- Phase shift: characterizes the temporal shift between two light waves
- Michelson interferometer: device splitting a light wave in two perpendicular paths, each split wave being reflected back and recombined with the other for interfering
- Interference: superposition of light waves whose resulting intensity depends on the phase shifts between them
- Tilt angle: angle of an entity or direction with a reference axis
- Interference fringe: bright or dark band caused by light waves interference - bright and dark fringe occur for waves respectively in phase and out of phase with one another