Huygens–Fresnel principle

<p>The Huygens–Fresnel principle (named after <a href="/facts/Netherlands/y8xn5stT">Dutch</a> <a href="/facts/Physicist/cQcgvSIm">physicist</a> <a href="/facts/Christiaan_Huygens/GtBqoBVm">Christiaan Huygens</a> and <a href="/facts/France/CxIeIKM3">French</a> physicist <a href="/facts/Augustin-Jean_Fresnel/jb64tyGc">Augustin-Jean Fresnel</a>) states that every point on a <a href="/facts/Wavefront/5XVoVtDQ">wavefront</a> is itself the source of spherical wavelets, and the secondary wavelets emanating from different points mutually <a href="/facts/Wave_interference/lI5f78I4">interfere</a>. The sum of these spherical wavelets forms a new wavefront. As such, the Huygens-Fresnel principle is a method of analysis applied to problems of luminous <a href="/facts/Wave_propagation/PXhWIt7k">wave propagation</a> both in the <a href="/facts/Far-field_diffraction_pattern/Mu3k0vL7">far-field limit</a> and in near-field <a href="/facts/Diffraction/Mk80xXHT">diffraction</a> as well as <a href="/facts/Reflection_(physics)/BhcjDs79">reflection</a>.
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Huygens–Fresnel principle open-in-new

Huygens–Fresnel principle