Optical Coherence
Optical coherence refers to the correlation between light waves over time and space. When light is coherent, its waves maintain a constant phase relationship, allowing for clear interference patterns. This property is crucial in technologies like optical coherence tomography (OCT), which uses light to create detailed images of biological tissues. Unlike incoherent light, where waves are random and scattered, coherent light provides precise information, making it valuable in both scientific research and medical applications. Essentially, coherence is about how well light waves work together to produce sharp, useful images or effects.
Additional Insights
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Optical coherence refers to the correlation between light waves over a distance and time. In simpler terms, it describes how synchronized the light waves are, which impacts how they interfere with each other. Light can be coherent, like a laser beam, where the waves are uniform and orderly, or incoherent, like the light from a bulb, where waves are random. This coherence is crucial in technologies like optical coherence tomography (OCT), which takes detailed images of tissues, allowing for medical diagnostics and research by measuring variations in light reflection from the structures being imaged.