Glossary
- Plane parallel plate: optical component made of a refractive medium in between two plane and parallel surfaces
- 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
- Interferometer: device generating interference
- Refraction index: for a transparent medium, ratio between the light speed in the air and the light speed in the medium ; for a reflective surface in the air or vacuum, the refraction index is « - 1 »
- Angle of incidence: angle of a light ray incident on a surface with the normal to the surface
- 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