coherent

(adjective)

Of waves having the same direction, wavelength and phase, as light in a laser.

Related Terms

Examples of coherent in the following topics:

  • Young's Double Slit Experiment

    • The example in uses two coherent light sources of a single monochromatic wavelength for simplicity.
    • (This means that the light sources were in the same phase. ) The two slits cause the two coherent light sources to interfere with each other either constructively or destructively.
    • Double slits produce two coherent sources of waves that interfere.

  • Lasers

    • Laser is distinct from other light sources for its high degree of spatial and temporal coherence, which means that laser outputs a narrow beam that maintains its temporal-phase relationship.

  • Interference

    • Interference usually refers to the interaction of waves that are correlated or coherent with each other (i.e, "interfere" with each other), either because they come from the same source or because they have the same or nearly the same frequency.

  • Air Wedge

    • An air wedge can be used with nearly any light source, including non-coherent white light.

  • Lasers

    • When a gain medium is placed in an optical cavity, a laser can then produce a coherent beam of photons.

  • Conditions for Wave Interference: Reflection due to Phase Change

    • Interference usually refers to the interaction of waves that are correlated (coherent) with each other because they originate from the same source, or they have the same or nearly the same frequency.

  • Energy, Mass, and Momentum of Photon

  • X-Ray Spectra: Origins, Diffraction by Crystals, and Importance

    • Shown below, Bragg's Law gives the angles for coherent and incoherent scattering of light from a crystal lattice, which happens during x-ray diffraction.

  • Combined Scattering and Absorption

    • Let's focus on coherent isotropic scattering and thermal emission and get