Prism

A ray trace through a prism with apex angle α. Regions 0, 1, and 2 have indices of refraction ${\displaystyle n_{0}}$, ${\displaystyle n_{1}}$, and ${\displaystyle n_{2}}$, and primed angles ${\displaystyle \theta '}$ indicate the ray's angle after refraction.

Ray angle deviation and dispersion through a prism can be determined by tracing a sample ray through the element and using Snell's law at each interface. For the prism shown at right, the indicated angles are given by

${\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}\theta '_{0}&=\,{\text{arcsin}}{\Big (}{\frac {n_{0}}{n_{1}}}\,\sin \theta _{0}{\Big )}\\\theta _{1}&=\alpha -\theta '_{0}\\\theta '_{1}&=\,{\text{arcsin}}{\Big (}{\frac {n_{1}}{n_{2}}}\,\sin \theta _{1}{\Big )}\\\theta _{2}&=\theta '_{1}-\alpha \end{aligned}}}$.

All angles are positive in the direction shown in the image. For a prism in air ${\displaystyle n_{0}=n_{2}\simeq 1}$. Defining ${\displaystyle n=n_{1}}$, the deviation angle ${\displaystyle \delta }$ is given by

${\displaystyle \delta =\theta _{0}+\theta _{2}=\theta _{0}+{\text{arcsin}}{\Big (}n\,\sin {\Big [}\alpha -{\text{arcsin}}{\Big (}{\frac {1}{n}}\,\sin \theta _{0}{\Big )}{\Big ]}{\Big )}-\alpha }$

If the angle of incidence ${\displaystyle \theta _{0}}$ and prism apex angle ${\displaystyle \alpha }$ are both small, ${\displaystyle \sin \theta \approx \theta }$ and ${\displaystyle {\text{arcsin}}x\approx x}$ if the angles are expressed in radians. This allows the nonlinear equation in the deviation angle ${\displaystyle \delta }$ to be approximated by

${\displaystyle \delta \approx \theta _{0}-\alpha +{\Big (}n\,{\Big [}{\Big (}\alpha -{\frac {1}{n}}\,\theta _{0}{\Big )}{\Big ]}{\Big )}=\theta _{0}-\alpha +n\alpha -\theta _{0}=(n-1)\alpha \ .}$

The deviation angle depends on wavelength through n, so for a thin prism the deviation angle varies with wavelength according to

${\displaystyle \delta (\lambda )\approx [n(\lambda )-1]\alpha }$.

Comparison of the spectra obtained from a diffraction grating by diffraction (1), and a prism by refraction (2). Longer wavelengths (red) are diffracted more, but refracted less than shorter wavelengths (violet).

Dispersive prisms are used to break up light into its constituent spectral colors because the refractive index depends on frequency; the white light entering the prism is a mixture of different frequencies, each of which gets bent slightly differently. Blue light is slowed more than red light and will therefore be bent more than red light.

• Triangular prism
• Abbe prism
• Pellin–Broca prism
• Amici prism
• Compound prism
• Grism, a dispersive prism with a diffraction grating on its surface

Reflective prisms are used to reflect light, in order to flip, invert, rotate, deviate or displace the light beam. They are typically used to erect the image in binoculars or single-lens reflex cameras – without the prisms the image would be upside down for the user. Many reflective prisms use total internal reflection to achieve high reflectivity.

The most common reflective prisms are:

• Porro prism
• Porro–Abbe prism
• Amici roof prism
• Pentaprism and roof pentaprism
• Abbe–Koenig prism
• Schmidt–Pechan prism
• Bauernfeind prism
• Dove prism
• Retroreflector prism

Some reflective prisms are used for splitting a beam into two or more beams:

• Beam splitter cube
• Dichroic prism

There are also polarizing prisms which can split a beam of light into components of varying polarization. These are typically made of a birefringent crystalline material.

• Nicol prism
• Wollaston prism
• Nomarski prism – a variant of the Wollaston prism with advantages in microscopy
• Rochon prism
• Sénarmont prism
• Glan–Foucault prism
• Glan–Taylor prism
• Glan–Thompson prism

Wedge prisms are used to deflect a beam of light by a fixed angle. A pair of such prisms can be used for beam steering; by rotating the prisms the beam can be deflected into any desired angle within a conical "field of regard". The most commonly found implementation is a Risley prism pair.[8] Two wedge prisms can also be used as an anamorphic pair to change the shape of a beam. This is used to make a round beam from the elliptical output of a laser diode.

Rhomboid prisms are used to laterally displace a beam of light without inverting the image.

Deck prisms were used on sailing ships to bring daylight below deck,[9] since candles and kerosene lamps are a fire hazard on wooden ships.