Physics 531 – Optics Course Schedule

Date	Topic	Hecht chapters	Assignments
8/25	Overview; waves and complex numbers	2
8/30	Electromagnetism	3
9/1	Interaction of light and matter	3
9/6	Scattering and index of refraction	4	HW 1 due
9/8	Fermat’s principle	4
9/13	Fresnel coefficients	4	HW 2 due
9/15	Metal mirrors and total internal reflection	4
9/20	Ray optics	5	HW 3 due
9/22	More ray optics	5
9/27	Ray matrices and lens systems	6	HW 4 due
9/29	Examples of lens systems	6
10/4	Optical system design	6	HW 5 due; midterm begins
10/6	Superposition of waves	7
10/11	Fourier transform	7, 11	Midterm due
10/13	Fourier approach to wave propagation	11
10/18	Transfer functions and Huygens-Fresnel theory	10, 11	HW 6 due
10/20	Fraunhofer diffraction	10
10/25	Fourier optics	11	HW 7 due
10/27	Spectrometers and interferometers	9
11/1	Laser beams	-
11/3	Coherence theory: temporal	12	HW 8 due
11/8	Coherence theory: spatial	12
11/10	Polarization of light	8
11/15	Polarizers and retarders	8	HW 9 due
11/17	Jones calculus	-
11/22	-- Thanksgiving break --
11/24	-- Thanksgiving break --
11/29	Quantum optics	-	HW 10 due
12/1	Quantum optics	-
12/6	Review	-	HW 11 due
12/9	Final exam (2-5 PM)