HANDOUT: 3

Basic Optical Laws and Definition

In a free space, a light wave travels at a speed c= 3108 m/s. The speed of the light is related
to the frequency v (or f) and the wavelength by c= v .
Refractive Index:
The ratio of the speed of the light in a vacuum to that in matter is the index of refraction n of
the material and is given by, n = c/v

When a light ray encounters a boundary separating two different media, part of the ray
is reflected back into the first medium and the remainder is bent (or refracted) as it
enters the second material.
The bending or refraction of the light ray at the interface is a result of the difference in
the speed of light in two materials that have different refractive indices. The
relationship at the interface is known as Snells law and is given by
n1sin1 = n2sin2
The angle 1 between the incident ray and normal to the surface is known as the angle
of incidence.
According to the law of reflection, the angle 1 at which the incident ray strikes the
interface is exactly equal to the angle that the reflected ray makes with the same
interface.
As the angle of incidence in an optically denser material becomes larger, the refracted
angle 2 approaches /2. Beyond this point no refraction is possible and the light ray
becomes totally internally reflected.
If the angle of incidence 1 is increased, a point will eventually be reached where the
light ray in medium 1 is parallel to the interface. This point is known as the critical
angle of incidence C.
When the incidence angle 1 is greater than the critical angle, the condition for total
internal reflection is satisfied.

2EC 312 / Fiber Optic Communication / B. Tech. / Sem. VI (EC) / DAP-DKK