Phys 531
Optics
Syllabus
Phys 531 Optics is intended to provide broad,
intermediate-level coverage of the field of optics, establishing a solid
foundation for further work or study. This material is important for many
disciplines, and we will have students from a variety of fields at both the
graduate and undergraduate level.
Class Hours: Tu-Th
Instructor: Cass
Sackett
email: sackett@virginia.edu
Office: Phys 155
Phone:
434-924-6795
Office Hours: Monday
Webpage: http://galileo.phys.virginia.edu/classes/531.cas8m.fall05
Lecture notes, assignments and solution sets will be posted on the web
page. It also has a link to the discussion board, chat facilities, and
lecture videos.
Text: Hecht, Optics,
4th Edition
Supplemental texts:
(on reserve in Physics Library)
Introductory:
Jenkins and White, Fundamentals
of Optics (on reserve list for Phys 221)
Intermediate:
Klein and Furtak, Optics
Saleh
and Teich, Fundamentals of Photonics
Lipson and Lipson, Optical
Physics
Goodman, Introduction
to Fourier Optics
Advanced:
Scully and Zubairy, Quantum Optics
Prerequisites:
Familiarity with optics and electromagnetism is expected, at
the level of an introductory electromagnetism course. Facility with basic
vector calculus and matrix operations is required. Also, we will be using
complex numbers and Fourier transform techniques. These methods will be
introduced in class, but students who have no previous exposure to them may
have a little trouble at first. Please let me know if you need additional
help.
Several
homework problems will require numerical calculations on a computer. You
may do these problems using any suitable application: Matlab,
Mathematica, and Mathcad
are all good choices. Students are responsible for knowing how to use
their chosen application. My posted solutions will use Matlab.
Grading:
Homework
40%
Midterm and final
exam
50%
Class
Participation
10%
Homework:
Assignments will be due weekly, usually on
Tuesdays. Students are encouraged to work together on assignments,
although the final write-ups should be done independently. There will be
eleven homework assignments. Your lowest score will be
dropped.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Late assignments will be
assessed a 10% penalty, and assignments turned in after the on-time assignments
have been graded will not be accepted without prior approval.
Exams:
There will be a midterm and a final exam. The
midterm will be a take-home exam, and will be held over the week of October
4-11. You will have the entire week to work on the exam, and it will be
open book and notes. However, you will not be allowed to discuss the
problems with other students. The final exam will be held in class on
Friday, Dec 9 from
Your better exam will count for 30% of your
grade, while the other will count for 20%.
Class Participation:
Discussion during class is strongly
encouraged. The lecture notes will be prepared and posted on-line before
class, and students are expected to read them ahead of time. The posted notes will include several
“discussion questions.” I will select students at random to
respond to these questions in class, and your participation grade will be based
on the level of preparation and understanding you demonstrate in your
answers. Additional credit can be
obtained by volunteering to answer additional questions, asking sensible
questions yourself, or by finding errors in the lecture notes.
Some students will be unable to attend every
class. If you are not present when your name is selected for a question,
you will not be penalized. However, each student will be required to
answer at least one question over the course of the semester, and if you are
not present enough to do so your participation grade will be zero.
Course Outline:
I.
Electromagnetic
Theory
II.
Geometrical Optics
III.
Fourier Transform
Methods
IV.
Interference and
Coherence
V.
Polarization and
Quantum Optics