What happens to light rays as they pass through the edges of a high index lens?

When light rays pass through the edges of a high index lens, they experience a phenomenon where they become focused sooner than the central rays. This occurs because high index materials have a greater refractive index, which causes light rays passing through the edges to bend more significantly than those passing through the center. As a result, the peripheral rays of light converge to a focal point at a different distance compared to those that travel through the central axis of the lens.

Understanding this behavior is important in optics as it helps explain how high index lenses can produce sharper focuses and may contribute to certain optical aberrations. Additionally, this characteristic is utilized in lens design to manipulate the focal properties according to desired optical outcomes.