Thin-film filters are coatings on glass or plastic that manipulate light waves to boost or dampen specific or broad ranges. Dichroic filters are the most common type, reflecting certain wavelengths and allowing others through. Monochrome filters target a narrow range, while UV and IR filters block invisible light. Filters must follow strict specifications to control refraction and amplify or dim light waves.
Thin-film filters are coatings on glass or clear plastic that interfere with the light passing through them. They can be designed to boost or damp light waves in any specific or broad range. Although light behaves as both a particle and a wave, the theories involved in thin-film filter technology treat light as a wave.
Thin film filters are made by covering a piece of glass with various optical coatings. Filters are made from one or more thin films designed to interfere with light in specific ways. These filters are commonly used in optical instruments, such as telescopes and photographic lenses.
Dichroic filter is the most commonly used type of thin film filter. These filters can target a specific wavelength of light to amplify or cancel it. Dichroic filters usually work by reflecting certain wavelengths and only allowing certain wavelengths through. Each wavelength of light corresponds to a specific visual color, so these lenses filter out certain colors. A dichroic filter can operate over a wide range of visible light.
The monochrome thin film filter is similar in design to the dichroic filter. The main difference between the two is that the monochrome filter only targets a narrow range of light waves. This narrow range usually corresponds to one color of light.
A thin film filter can also be used to construct an ultraviolet or infrared filter. These filters allow visible light through but block invisible light at both ends of the spectrum. Natural density filters can also be made from thin film filters. These block a certain portion of all visible light, which dulls the light as it passes through the lens.
To work, a thin film filter must follow stringent specifications. When light passes through a barrier, such as a pane of glass, it is refracted by the barrier in a specific way. Refraction can include a change in the angle, speed, or both in a light wave. Controlling the refraction of light allows you to create filters that amplify or dim a wave of light to the desired extent.
Opposite light waves cancel out when they try to occupy the same space. Some filters are designed to cancel out certain wavelengths of light, such as a filter on a telescope that blocks dangerous levels of light emitted by the sun. Conversely, equal light waves will interfere to amplify the wave. Filters that amplify light also have uses. For example, a photographer who wants to take pictures in low light conditions can use a specialized filter that amplifies the available light.
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