What is Diffraction Limit?
When we observe a point object using a circular aperture, like a lens or iris the image formed of the point object is not a point but a diffracted pattern is formed. This phenomenon is more pronounced when the size of the object is comparable to the wavelength of light, the smallest object which can be seen is termed the Diffraction Limit.
Resolving Power of a Microscope and Telescope
Wave optics, also known as Physical optics, deals with the study of various phenomena such as diffraction, polarization, interference, resolution, and other occurrences. Wave optics is the segment of optics that focuses on the study and behavior of light and its wave characteristics. Wave optics particularly describes the connection between waves and rays of light. According to the wave theory of light, light is a form of energy, it travels through a medium in the form of transverse wave motion. The speed of light traveling through a medium depends upon the nature of the medium.
Here, the approximation is carried out by using ray optics for the estimation of the field on a surface. Integrating ray-estimated field over a mirror, lens, or aperture for the calculation of the scattered or transmitted field also gets involved later on. Wave optics stands as a witness to the scientific study of understanding the nature of light. One is the particle nature of light and the other is the wave nature of light.