WaveguideA waveguide is a structure that guides waves by restricting the direction of transmission of energy. Common types of waveguides include acoustic waveguides which direct sound, optical waveguides which direct light, and radio-frequency waveguides which direct electromagnetic waves other than visible, or near visible, light, like radio waves.
Optical fiberAn optical fiber, or optical fibre, is a flexible glass or plastic fiber that can transmit light from one end to the other. Such fibers are widely used in fiber-optic communication, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at higher bandwidths (data transfer rates) than electrical cables. Fibers are used instead of cables because signals travel along them with less loss and are immune to electromagnetic interference.
LaserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word laser originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. The first laser was built in 1960 by Theodore Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories, based on theoretical work by Charles H. Townes and Arthur Leonard Schawlow and the optical amplifier patented by Gordon Gould.
Electromagnetic fieldAn electromagnetic field (also EM field) is a physical field, varying in space and time, that represents the electric and magnetic influences generated by and acting upon electric charges. The field at any point in space and time can be regarded as a combination of an electric field and a magnetic field.
Optical cavityAn optical cavity, resonating cavity or optical resonator is an arrangement of mirrors or other optical elements that confines light waves similarly to how a cavity resonator confines microwaves. Optical cavities are a major component of lasers, surrounding the gain medium and providing feedback of the laser light. They are also used in optical parametric oscillators and some interferometers.Electric fieldPhysical field surrounding an electric chargeAn electric field (sometimes called E-field) is a physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles such as electrons. In classical electromagnetism, the electric field of a single charge (or group of charges) describes their capacity to exert attractive or repulsive forces on another charged object.
LightLight, visible light, or visible radiation is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light spans the visible spectrum and is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometers (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 terahertz.
Electromagnetic radiationPhysical model of propagating energyA linearly polarized electromagnetic wave going in the z-axis, with E denoting the electric field and perpendicular B denoting magnetic fieldIn physics, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) or an electromagnetic wave (EMW) is a self-propagating wave of the electromagnetic field that carries momentum and radiant energy through space.
Radio waveRadio waves (formerly called Hertzian waves) are a type of electromagnetic radiation with the lowest frequencies and the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, typically with frequencies below 300 gigahertz (GHz) and wavelengths greater than 1 millimeter (3⁄64 inch), about the diameter of a grain of rice. Radio waves with frequencies above about 1 GHz and wavelengths shorter than 30 centimeters are called microwaves.
MicrowaveMicrowave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than other radio waves but longer than infrared waves. Its wavelength ranges from about one meter to one millimeter, corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz, broadly construed. A more common definition in radio-frequency engineering is the range between 1 and 100 GHz (wavelengths between 30 cm and 3 mm), or between 1 and 3000 GHz (30 cm and 0.1 mm).
WaveDynamic disturbance in a medium or fieldSurface waves in water showing water ripplesIn mathematics and physical science, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance (change from equilibrium) of one or more quantities. Periodic waves oscillate repeatedly about an equilibrium (resting) value at some frequency.
Boundary value problemType of problem involving ODEs or PDEs Shows a region where a differential equation is valid and the associated boundary values Differential equations Scope Fields Natural sciencesEngineering Astronomy Physics Chemistry Biology Geology Applied mathematics Continuum mechanics Chaos theory Dynamical systems Social sciences Economics Population dynamics Classification Types Ordinary Partial Differential-algebraic Integro-differential Fractional Linear Non-linear By variable type Dependent and independent variables Autonomous Coupled / Decoupled Exact Homogeneous / Nonhomogeneous Features Order Operator Notation Relation to processes Difference (discrete analogue) Stochastic Stochastic partial Delay Solution Existence and uniqueness Well-posed problem Picard–Lindelöf theorem Peano existence theorem Carathéodory's existence theorem Cauchy–Kovalevskaya theorem General topics Initial values Boundary values Dirichlet Neumann Robin Cauchy Periodic Wronskian Abel's identity Sturm–Liouville theory Floquet theory Phase portrait Stability Lyapunov Asymptotic Exponential Series solutions Rate of convergence Asymptotic series Special functions Numerical integration Dirac delta function Solution methods Inspection Method of characteristics Ansatz Euler Exponential response formula Finite difference Crank–Nicolson Finite element Infinite element Finite volume Galerkin Petrov–Galerkin Green's function Integrating factor Integral transforms Perturbation theory Reduction of order Runge–Kutta Separation of variables Undetermined coefficients Variation of parameters WKB approximation People List Newton Leibniz Jacob Bernoulli d'Alembert Clairaut Euler Lagrange Laplace Wroński Fourier Cauchy Green Dirichlet Sturm Liouville Neumann Robin Boole Kovalevskaya Runge Kutta Lipschitz Lindelöf Picard Jeffreys Nicolson Crank Hrennikoff Courant Named equationsvte In the study of differential equations, a boundary-value problem is a differential equation subjected to constraints called boundary conditions.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.