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Photonics Dictionary

lens

A lens is a transparent optical device that focuses or diverges light, allowing it to pass through and form an image. Lenses are commonly used in optical systems, such as cameras, telescopes, microscopes, eyeglasses, and other vision-correcting devices. They are typically made of glass or other transparent materials with specific optical properties.

There are two primary types of lenses:

Convex lens (converging lens): This type of lens is thicker at the center than at the edges. Convex lenses converge light rays that are parallel to its principal axis, focusing them to a point known as the focal point.

Concave lens (diverging lens): A concave lens is thinner at the center than at the edges. It causes parallel light rays to diverge, and its focal point is the point from which the divergent rays appear to originate when extended backward.

Lenses are crucial components in the formation of images in optical systems, and their ability to refract light allows for various applications in science, technology, and everyday life.

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