干渉 (interference) refers to the phenomenon where two or more waves overlap and combine, resulting in a new wave pattern. This can occur with various types of waves, such as light, sound, or water waves. When waves meet, they can either amplify each other (constructive interference) or cancel each other out (destructive interference), leading to different effects in the medium. In the context of physics,干渉 is crucial for understanding wave behavior and is applied in technologies like interferometry, which measures small distances or changes in refractive index. It also plays a role in optics, where it helps explain patterns seen in experiments like the double-slit experiment.