
To use the example illustrated in the plot, a notch filter would pass the red and blue color wavelengths that are blocked with the bandpass filter.ĭichroic filters are commonly used for a number of applications including specialized filtration for optical microscopy and photography. Notch filters are effectively the opposite of bandpass dichroic filters. The final type of dichroic filters are known as notch wavelength filters, which operate by "notching out" or eliminating unwanted wavelengths. This filter is much more effective than the glass or lacquered gel magenta filter discussed above because there is virtually no passage of unwanted wavelengths and secondary transmission is almost nonexistent. Note that the wavelength maximum is at 550 nanometers-right in the center of the green region. In this graph we have plotted the wavelengths that are transmitted by the filter versus the percentage of transmission. We have also constructed an interactive Java tutorial that describes how lacquered gelatin and glass filters work. The diagram below (Figure 1) illustrates a magenta filter that is designed to adapt to a camera lens. In addition, absorption filters are commonly found in signs and traffic signals and as directional signals on automobiles, boats, and airplanes. They are used to create special effects in a number of photography applications and are widely employed in the cinema industry. However, these artifacts are usually very minimal and do not interfere with the primary function of the filter.Ībsorption Filters - These filters are generally constructed of dyed glass, lacquered gelatin, or synthetic polymers (plastics) and have a wide range of applications. In any filter, a small amount of the incident light is reflected from the surface regardless of the filter construction and a small portion of the light is also absorbed. The two most common types of filters in use today are absorption filters that absorb unwanted wavelengths and interference filters that remove selected wavelengths by internal destructive interference and reflection. Wratten filters) that have been treated to selectively transmit the desired wavelengths while restricting others.


This can be easily accomplished through the use of specialized filters that transmit some wavelengths and selectively absorb or reflect unwanted wavelengths.Ĭolor filters are usually constructed using transparent pieces of dyed glass, plastic, lacquered gelatin (e.g.


In many instances, however, it is desirable to produce light that has a restricted wavelength spectrum. Most light sources emit a broad range of wavelengths that cover the entire visible light spectrum.
