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optical dispersion

dependence of phase velocity on frequency

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Optical dispersion is the phenomenon where light of different colors (frequencies) travels at different speeds through a material, causing them to bend or separate differently. This matters because it's why prisms can split white light into a rainbow and why it's important to account for in designing lenses and fiber optic cables.

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In a dispersive prism, material dispersion (a wavelength-dependent refractive index) causes different colors to refract at different angles, splitting white light into a spectrum. A compact fluorescent lamp seen through an Amici prism

Dispersion is the phenomenon in which the phase velocity of a wave depends on its frequency. Sometimes the term chromatic dispersion is used to refer to optics specifically, as opposed to wave propagation in general. A medium having this common property may be termed a dispersive medium.