Physics 531 – Optics Course Schedule

Date	Topic	Hecht chapters	Assignments
9/2	Overview; waves and complex numbers	2
9/7	Electromagnetism	3
9/9	Interaction of light and matter	3
9/14	Scattering and index of refraction	4	HW 1 due
9/16	Fermat’s principle	4
9/21	Fresnel coefficients	4	HW 2 due
9/23	Metal mirrors and total internal reflection	4
9/28	Ray optics	5	HW 3 due
9/30	More ray optics	5
10/5	Ray matrices and lens systems	6	HW 4 due
10/7	Examples of lens systems	6
10/12	-- Fall break --
10/14	Optical system design	6	HW 5 due; midterm begins
10/19	Superposition of waves	7
10/21	Fourier transform	7, 11	Midterm due
10/26	Fourier approach to wave propagation	11	HW 6 due
10/28	Transfer functions and Huygens-Fresnel theory	10, 11
11/2	Fraunhofer diffraction	10	HW 7 due
11/4	Fourier optics	11
11/9	Polarization of light	8	HW 8 due
11/11	Polarizers and retarders	8
11/16	Jones calculus	8
11/18	Spectrometers and interferometers	9	HW 9 due
11/23	Laser beams	-
11/25	-- Thanksgiving break --
11/30	Coherence theory: temporal	12
12/2	Coherence theory: spatial	12
12/7	Quantum optics	-	HW 10 due
12/9	Review
12/17	Final exam