collimatedbeam

A collimated beam is a beam of light or other radiation that has been focused so that its rays are nearly parallel to each other. This means that the beam spreads out very little as it travels. In an ideal collimated beam, the rays would be perfectly parallel, and the beam would not spread at all. However, in reality, some degree of divergence is always present due to the wave nature of light and imperfections in the optical system used to create the beam.

Collimated beams are produced using optical components such as lenses or mirrors. A common method is to place a point source of light at the focal point of a lens or the center of curvature of a concave mirror. When light rays emerge from this focal point, they are then refracted by the lens or reflected by the mirror into a parallel beam. The quality of the collimation is often described by the divergence angle, which is a measure of how much the beam spreads out.

The primary advantage of a collimated beam is its ability to travel long distances with minimal loss of intensity or spreading. This makes them useful in a variety of applications. For example, lasers produce highly collimated beams, which is essential for applications like laser pointers, barcode scanners, and long-distance communication. In astronomy, telescopes are designed to collect and focus light from distant sources into a more manageable beam, and the concept of collimation is important in the design of optical instruments. Other applications include rangefinders, alignment systems, and some types of lighting where a focused and directed light source is needed.