Introduction to Optics

Timetable

 

• Total course duration: 45 hours

• The course consists of:

  1. Lectures: 24 hours

  2. Calculus classes: 15 hours

  3. Laboratory classes: 6 hours

• Examinations:

  1. Lectures: answering questions in written form

  2. Calculus classes: presenting solutions to selected calculus problems in written form

  3. Laboratory classes: performing three experiments, including analysis of measurement data and preparation of short laboratory reports

 

Module aim (aims)

The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the basic concepts of wave and geometrical optics, as well as to enable them to experimentally verify simple optical phenomena.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

• general knowledge of physics at high school level
• general knowledge of mathematics at high school level
• basic knowledge of differential and integral calculus

Syllabus

The course is based on Optics by Hecht. The following topics will be covered in the lectures:

1. One-dimensional waves, harmonic waves, phase and phase velocity, superposition principle, phasors, plane waves, three-dimensional differential wave equation (spherical and cylindrical waves)

2. Basic laws of electromagnetic theory, energy and momentum of electromagnetic waves, radiation, electromagnetic-photon spectrum

3. Propagation of light, reflection and refraction, Snell’s law, total internal reflection, Fermat’s principle

4. Geometrical optics: plane-parallel plates, prisms, lenses (thin and thick), stops, mirrors, optical aberrations

5. Superposition of waves (of the same and different frequencies), anharmonic periodic waves, non-periodic waves

6. Polarization of light: polarizers, dichroism, birefringence, polarization by scattering and reflection, retarders, circular polarizers, polarization of polychromatic light

7. Interference: conditions for interference, wavefront-splitting and amplitude-splitting interferometers, types and localization of interference fringes, multiple-beam interference, applications of interferometry

8. Diffraction: Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction, Kirchhoff’s scalar diffraction theory

9. Fourier optics: Fourier transform and its applications (optional/additional)

10. Basics of coherence theory: fringes and coherence, visibility (optional/additional)

11. Lasers and holography (optional/additional)

During the calculus classes, problems corresponding to the topics presented in the lectures will be discussed.

During laboratory classes, 3 experiments on basic optical phenomena will be performed, accompanied by statistical analysis of measurement data.

Reading list

 

• Hecht, E. Optics, 4th ed., Addison-Wesley, 2001. ISBN: 978-0-8053-8566-3

• OpenStax. University Physics, Vol. 3. Available at: https://openstax.org/details/books/university-physics-volume-3