Abstract
It is shown that the relation between ray optics and wave optics is analogous to the relation between the classical mechanics of a point particle and quantum mechanics. The time coordinate of quantum mechanics has to be replaced with a length coordinate and the light wavelength λ takes the place of Planck’s constant h. A well-known result of quantum mechanics is that it coincides with classical mechanics in the limit h → 0. Correspondingly, wave and ray optics must coincide in the limit λ → 0.
© 1969 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
O. Theimer and K. O. White
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 59(2) 181-186 (1969)
George C. Sherman
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 59(6) 697-711 (1969)
John W. Giles
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 59(9) 1179-1188 (1969)