5.3.4 Summary to: Optical Components

Light Sources
Hot bodies (tungsten filaments) in light bulbs and plasma discharge in fluorescent tubes

Inefficient light bulbs still dominates when this lecture course started (2010)

LEDs have taken over when this hyperscript was finalized (2019)

Mot included above is the Laser.

You must learn about the Laser somewhere else

Processing light
with, for example, conventional lenses, mirrors and prism, anti-reflection coatings

Even simple light processors like lenses (and the rest from above) might be extremely complex materials engineering products today. Just look at the picture of a (by now (2019) outdated lens for microelectronic lithography-

Polarizers, diffraction gratings and filters add another layer of complexity.

The list goes on, with, e.g. phase shifters and whatever is needed for doing holgraphy or...

Laser "beam forming", modulation, fultr-high speed detection, ...