Interfaces between different optical media at which light is refracted or reflected. From a physical point of view, the basic elements of an optical system are such things as lenses and mirrors. However, from a conceptual point of view, the basic elements of an optical system are the refracting or reflecting surfaces of such components. Surfaces are the basic elements of an optical system because they are the elements that affect the light passing through the system. Every wavefront has its curvature changed on passing through each surface so that the final set of wavefronts in the image space may converge on the appropriate image points. Also, the aberrations of the system depend on each surface, the total aberrations of the system being the sum of the aberrations generated at the individual surfaces. See Aberration (optics), Reflection of electromagnetic radiation, Refraction of waves
Optical systems are designed by ray tracing, and refraction at an optical surface separating two media of different refractive index is the fundamental operation in the process. The transfer between two surfaces is along a straight line if, as is usually the case, the optical media are homogeneous. The refraction of the ray at a surface results in a change in the direction of the ray. This change is governed by Snell's law.
The vast majority of optical surfaces are spherical in form. This is so primarily because spherical surfaces are much easier to generate than nonspherical, or aspheric, surfaces. Moreover, lens systems seldom need aspherics because the aberrations can be controlled by changing the shape of the component lenses without changing their function in the system, apart from modifying the aberrations. Also, many lens components can be included in a lens system in order to control the aberrations. See Lens (optics)
On the other hand, mirror systems usually require aspheric surfaces. Unlike lenses, where the shape can be changed to modify the aberrations, mirrors cannot be changed except by introducing aspheric surfaces. Mirror systems are further constrained by the fact that only a few mirrors, usually two, are used in a system because each successive mirror occludes part of the beam going to the mirror preceding it. See Mirror optics
The most common form of rotationally symmetric surface is the conic of revolution. The departure of conic surfaces from spherical form is shown in the illustration. The classical virtue of the conics of revolution for mirrors is the fact that light from a point located at one focus of the conic is perfectly imaged at the other focus. If these conic foci are located on the axis of revolution, the mirror is free of spherical aberration for such conjugate points.
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