Derivation of geometric optics from wave optics

Expand
  • School of Mathematics, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China

Received date: 2025-08-19

  Revised date: 2025-08-31

  Online published: 2026-06-04

Abstract

There is no obvious derivation of geometric optics from wave optics in those conventional textbooks. This paper presents a concise derivation of geometric optics from wave optics by working with the geometric optics approximation. In passing, the conservation law for both energy momentum tensor and photon number current as well as the parallel transport of the polarized vector along the null geodesic is also obtained. 

Cite this article

CHEN Yi . Derivation of geometric optics from wave optics[J]. College Physics, 2026 , 45(3) : 26 . DOI: 10.16854/j.cnki.1000-0712.250437

Outlines

/