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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
  • Optical path ( or optical length ): product of a length (along the path of a light ray) by the refraction index of the medium
  • Phase shift: characterizes the temporal shift between two light waves
  • Relative intensity: normalized intensity as determined by the ratio between the intensity and its maximum value