In this figure, a plane wave incident from the left is assumed.

So a solution on the edge can be written as a linear combination of plane waves.

Most of these methods can be applied also to the colliding plane wave situation.

This represents a plane wave traveling in the z direction.

Now, I want to change the volume but keep a constant number of plane waves for this new calculation.

This means keeping the energy cutoff constant and not the number of plane waves.

Observe that the first term equals the real form of the plane wave just discussed.

A sinusoidal plane wave is one special solution of these equations.

If this is done at the focal point of the "mirror" plane waves will be reflected back.

In the case of the single-moded plane wave, is a uniform distribution.

How are plane waves affected by the size and electrical properties of the obstruction?

The phase factor is represented by a plane wave.

Light in the very center of the transform pattern corresponds to a perfect, wide plane wave.

If the eye is an infinite distance from the source, plane waves enter the pupil.

The lens of the eye images the plane waves to a spot on the retina.

Of these, the most basic are the monochromatic plane waves, in which only one frequency component is present.

A more generalized form is used to describe a plane wave traveling in an arbitrary direction.

All three types of singularity are found in colliding plane wave solutions.

The solution is broken up into plane waves.

The source can be current on a wire, applied electric field or impinging plane wave.

The figures to the right show how with the addition of many plane waves, the wave packet can become more localized.

The definitive resource on colliding plane waves, including the examples mentioned above.

These uniform plane waves form the basis for understanding Fourier optics.

Note that this is NOT a plane wave, as many might think.

With good optics and a very small pinhole, one could even approximate a plane wave.