Dispersion

Chromatic dispersion is the change of index of refraction with wavelength. Generally the index decreases as wavelength increases, blue
light traveling more slowly in the material than red light. Dispersion is the phenomenon which gives you the separation of colors in a
prism. It also gives the generally undesirable chromatic aberration in lenses. Usually the dispersion of a material is characterized by
measuring the index at the blue F line of hydrogen (486.1 nm), the yellow sodium D lines (589.3 nm), and the red hydrogen C line (656.3
nm). The dispersion is measured by a standard parameter known as Abbe's number, or the v value or V number, all of which refer to the
same parameter:

Blue light travels more slowly than red light in transparent media.
Index
The effect of dispersion on the focal length of a lens can be examined by calculating the change
in the focal length with wavelength. The table below starts with a biconvex lens designed to have
Lens
a focal length of 10.0 cm for violet light (400 nm) in crown glass. The focal lengths shown are
concepts
calculated from the lensmakers equation with radii of curvature 10.62 cm for both surfaces.
Reference
Violet Red Serway &
Medium
400 nm 650 nm Jewett
Crown glass 10.00 10.37
Acrylic 10.46 10.87
Fused quartz 11.30 11.58

Data from Serway & Jewett

Chromatic aberration
arising from dispersion.

Separation of colors by a prism is an example of dispersion.

Example of dispersion calculation

 
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Index
 Example of Dispersion Lens
concepts
Dispersion in optical glasses is typically characterized by index of refraction values at three standard
wavelengths. "Reference
Meyer-
Arendt
Ch 1

Note that a low v value implies high dispersion.

Example of using low and high dispersion glasses in a doublet.

 
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