LECTURE NOTES: Visual Optics 1

11. Dispersion and Chromatic Aberration

Reading References: Optics By A H Tunnacliffe and J G Hirst: Sections 6.1 till

6.4.2.1 and 7.2 till 7.2.1; VO: pages 378-379.

11. Dispersion

Velocity of light in vacuum is independent of colour. But, light of different colours

travel with different velocity in a medium. That is, materials have different refractive
indices for light of different wavelengths. Because of this property of the materials
when white light passes through a prism it spreads into its constituent colours. We call
this phenomenon as the dispersion of light.

11.1 Definitions

Dispersion in a medium is defined as ─dn/d , where n is the refractive index of the

material and  is the wavelength of the light. The negative sign is used as for most of
the optical materials the refractive index decreases with increasing wavelength. If the
index of a material increases with increasing wavelength then the material is said to
exhibit anomalous dispersion. This generally occurs close to absorption band.

11.1.2 Dispersion formula

The dispersion formula also known as Cauchy’s formula is an empirical formula that
describes the dependence of n on . It is given by,

n = A + B/2 + C/4 + ....

Eqn. (11.1)

For various materials the values of A, B, C etc can be found from the handbook of
optics.

11.1.3 Dispersive power

In ophthalmic optics dispersion is considered for light in the visible spectrum. The
angular spread between the two extreme wavelengths Blue and Red in the visible
region is referred to as the angle of dispersion. The deviation of the yellow light
which is in the middle of the visible spectrum is called the mean deviation. To
describe the dispersion properties of materials specific standard spectral lines are
chosen to represent, blue, red and yellow colours. The common standard is : F line of
the hydrogen vapour lamp (486.1nm) represents blue, C line of hydrogen vapour
lamp (656.3nm) represents red, and the d line of helium lamp 587.6nm) represents
yellow.

For a thin prism of angle a the angle of dispersion = (nF ─ 1)a ─ (nC ─ 1)a =
(nF ─ nC)a and the mean deviation = (nd ─ 1)a .
The dispersive power  is defined as (angle of dispersion)/(mean deviation).

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Therefore,  = (nF ─ nC)/ (nd ─ 1) Eqn. (11.2)

The term (nF ─ nC) is often called the mean dispersion and the term (nd ─ 1) is
referred to as the refractivity of the material.

11.1.4 Constringence (or) V- number (or) Abbe number

In ophthalmic optics the V-number is regularly used to describe the amount of

dispersion by a material. It is simply the inverse of the dispersive power.

Therefore, V-number = (nd ─ 1)/ (nF ─ nC). Eqn. (11.3)

11.1.5 The six digit specification of optical materials

The optical industry designates a six digit number such that the first three digits give
the first three decimals of the mean refractive index of the material and the last three
digits give the Abbey number without the decimal point before the last digit.

For example: A flint glass specified by 617363 would imply that nd = 1.617, and
V = 36.3.

11.1.5 Prism combinations

Prisms having different dispersion properties can be combined for two reasons: i) To
obtain a direct vision prism or ii) to obtain an achromatic prism.

In a direct vision prism, the mean deviation (deviation of the yellow light) is made
zero. But, there is net dispersion of different colours (see Fig. 6.9 in the text). In an
achromatic prism the light is deviated but the dispersion is compensated so that white
light emerges(see Fig. 6.10 in the text).

11.1.6 Irrationality of dispersion

Often while combining prisms of different materials to get rid of the dispersion the
red and blue colours might be perfectly recombined while other colours may not.
This is due to the fact that the Cauchy relation for each material may be very different.
This will result in secondary dispersion of intermediate colours. Such effect is called
the irrationality of dispersion. This may be eliminated by combining more prisms if a
careful design is called for.

11.2 Chromatic Aberration

In imaging systems, dispersion leads to chromatic aberrations. A lens having

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chromatic aberration will have different focal lengths for light of different
wavelengths. Therefore, when the image formed by such a lens is in sharp focus at
one wavelength, it will not be in sharp focus at other wavelengths at the same plane.
That is, light of different colours will form sharp images of an object at different
distances from the lens. The dioptric interval between the foci for the extreme
wavelengths (which is the longitudinal separation between the focal points expressed
in diopters) is defined as the Longitudinal Chromatic Aberration (LCA).

Similarly, the prismatic effect of a lens will be different for different colours of light if
the lens has chromatic aberration. The difference in the prism power for blue (F
line) and red (C line) is defined as the Transverse Chromatic Aberration (TCA). The
transverse spread of light of wavelength 2 when light of wavelength 1 is in focus
gives a measure of Transverse Chromatic Aberration.

11.2.1 Longitudinal Chromatic Aberration

Fig. 11.1 Longitudinal Chromatic Aberration of a lens.

Consider a thin biconvex lens of power F.

F = 2(nd −1)/r Eqn. (11.4)

Note that the power of a lens is normally specified for the mid wavelength where the
lens material has a refractive index of nd.
LCA is the difference in the focal power for blue and red.

LCA = Fblue − Fred

= 2(nF −1)/r − 2(nC −1)/r = 2(nF − nC)/r.

Substituting for r from Eqn. (11.4), we get,

LCA = F×(nF − nC)/ (nd −1) = F/V Eqn. (11.5)

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11.2.1 Transverse Chromatic Aberration

TCA is the difference in the prismatic effect of a lens at the given point on the lens.

TCA = Pblue − Pred . By Prentice Rule, P = cF

Where, c is the distance (in cm), of the given point from the optical centre of the lens.

 TCA = c× (Fblue − Fred) = c × LCA = c × F/V.

Thus, TCA = P/V Eqn. (11.6)

In optical dispensing it is generally the visual point (VP) through which the subject
views.

By combining lenses made of different materials like crown glass and flint glass it is
possible to minimise or get rid of the chromatic aberrations of a lens.

11.2.2 Chromatic Aberration and the Human Eye

Chromatic aberrations arise due to the dispersion of light in the various media of the
human eye. For the human eye, dispersion rapidly increases near the blue end of the
spectrum. However, we have no blue sensors at the central fovea and blue light is
scattered more by the ocular inhomogenities than other colours. Further, the retina
has a yellow pigment called xanthophyll which filters out the blue light. These factors
reduce the effects of chromatic aberration in the human eye.

Human vision is not disturbed by longitudinal chromatic aberration. On the other

hand, chromatic aberrations help to stimulate accommodation for many. A normal
healthy human eye has an inherent LCA with a difference of about 1 D in the focusing
powers for blue and red light. However, human beings have a lower level of
tolerance to the TCA.

In the duochrome test the longitudinal chromatic aberration of the human eye is made
use of to estimate ametropia.

Spectacles corrected for longitudinal chromatic aberrations were a failure.

In high power spectacles with reading addition, the user might observe coloured
fringes between the boundaries of the distance and reading portions due to transverse
chromatic aberration. TCA may result in the formation of multicoloured images of an
object side by side. Typically, about 0.1∆ of TCA is in the borderline of tolerance.

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