Text: Pedrotti & Pedrotti, Introduction to Optics, second edition, 1993.

Grading: The course will consist of two lecture-demonstration sessions per week. The grade will be based on two in-class midterm quizzes (25% each), a final (35%), and homework (15%). Weekly problem suggestions will be handed out on Thursdays. These are due on the following Thursday, at which time solutions will be distributed.

Office Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays 1:00 - 1:50, Darwin 333, 664-2439.

Prerequisites: Physics 314. Physics 216 is recommended.

Planned Topic Sequence:

Review of Geometric Optics and discussion of optical cables. Snell's law. Mirror and thin lens equations. Magnification and light gathering power of microscopes and telescopes. Total internal reflection, fiber optics, modal distortion, the graded index fiber, material dispersion. Ch. 3.7(equation 3-14), 3.9 (equations 3-23 to 3-29 thin lens equation only). Ch. 6.4 (Simple magnifiers) 6.5-6. The Cassegrain Telescope. Optical cables are discussed in Ch. 24.1-7.

The eye and corrective measures, 3-10, 7-4.

Waves introduction. Ch.8:1-7 Use of complex numbers, electric fields and energy density.

Superposition of waves, random and coherent sources, interference, standing waves. Ch.9.1-5. Modulation of signals to communicate information: phase and group velocity. Feynman Handout.

Interference of light. Two beam interference, sound waves from two synchronized speakers, Michelson interferometer. Interference in dielectric films Ch.10.1-2, Ch.10.4, Ch.11.1-2.

Multiple beam interference. The parallel plate and the Fabry Perot Interferometer. Resolution advantage of the Fabry Perot System. Ch. 11: 4-9 Application to single mode lasers: modes of a laser, coherence length, Doppler broadening. Ch. 21: Introduction and 2-4 (21-1 is a derivation using Einstein's A and B coefficients which we will bypass). Handout on Doppler broadening.

Fourier Analysis and bandwidth vs. bit rate. Ch. 12: 1-3.

Introduction to Fourier transform spectroscopy using the Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) spectrometer at SSU. Ch.12: 1-3. Handout on Fourier transforms. Handout on FTIR experiment using HCl and DCl. D = ²H.

Diffraction: Fraunhofer Diffraction, single slit, circular aperture, limits of resolution of optical instruments, Babinet Principle. Ch.16,1-4 p. 388.

Double and multiple slit diffraction, The diffraction grating. Ch.16-5, 16-6 (principal maxima only), Ch.17,1-4.

Fresnel's Equations for the reflections and transmission of light. Brewster's angle. Ch.20:1-4. Single and two layer optical coatings.

The scattering and absorption of light. We will follow Feynman's introduction to the scattering and absorption of light in a material media. Handout from the Feynman Lectures on Physics volumes I and II. There is some material in chapter 20.5-7.

The Feynman handout discusses: Forced oscillations with damping, radiation from an accelerated charge, scattering, the origin of the index of refraction in dilute gases. The derived equations are also useful to describe reflection of radio waves from the ionosphere. Index of refraction in metals. The imaginary part is absorptive. Skin depth and Plasma Frequency.

Overview of the absorption and scattering of electromagnetic waves in aluminum from 60 Hz to gamma ray frequencies. Handouts.

Fresnel Diffraction from circular apertures, the Fresnel zone plate, rectangular apertures and the Cornu Spiral. An introduction to the near zone. Ch.18: Intro,3-6, 7-9 semiquantitatively. Applications: X-ray microscope using a Fresnel zone plate and extended X-ray absorption fine structure studies of organic molecules using a two crystal mononochromator.

Polarized Light: Methods of production, circular polarization, birefringence, optical activity. Ch.14: 1, Ch.15:1-6 .

Due Thursday February 3rd

1. 3-16
2. 3-35
3. A concave shaving mirror has a radius of curvature of 35 cm. It is positioned so that the image of a man’s face is 2.5 times the size of his face. How far is the mirror from the man’s face?
4. Laser beam expander. You desire to expand an initially parallel laser beam of diameter 2 mm to a parallel beam of diameter 20 mm. Suppose two lenses one biconvex and the other biconcave lens are used. The biconvex lens is of diameter 30 mm and focal length 50 mm. What is the focal length of the biconcave lens? How far to the left of the biconvex lens is the biconcave lens to be placed? The beam is incident from the left onto the biconcave lens.
5. 6-19 parts a and b only
If we get this far by Tuesday
6. 6-22
7. 6-33. What focal length would a simple "Newtonian" astronomical telescope need to obtain the same magnification? See equation 6-48.
8. 7-6
9. 7-7 part a only