Order of Interference
order of interference
[′ȯrd·ər əv ‚in·tər′fir·əns] (optics)
The difference in the number of wavelengths along the paths of two constructively interfering rays of light.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Order of Interference
the path difference of interfering light rays divided by the light’s wavelength. The orders of interference considered most often are those equal to integers—that is, where the path difference is an integral number of wavelengths—because the interference effect is strongest in such cases. If the rays are reflected by a surface in their path, the resulting phase difference, divided by 2π, is included in the order of interference.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.