Michel Fich, Ph. D.
Course outline
- Mathematical review
- Trigonometry and geometry
- Vectors
- Matrices
- Complex numbers
- Calculus
- Coordinate systems
- Introduction to waves (In the first lecture following mathematical review)
- 1D wave equation
- Transverse & Longitudinal waves
- Simple harmonic oscillator (SHO) and sinusoidal waves
- Mechanical waves (including accoustic waves, transverse waves on a string)
- Harmonics
- superposition (using algebraic, complex and phasor representations)
- 2D waves
- Huygen’s principal
- 3D waves (Plane, spherical and cylindrical)
- Waveform synthesis by superposition of sinusoidal components
- Demonstrations (DEMOS): SHO, dependence of wave velocity on tension/density of medium
- Wave & Particle duality (Light as a wave and as photons)
- Quantum nature of light
- Summary of wave theory (Electromagnetic theory, Electromagnetic waves, poynting vector, radiation mechanisms)
- Light & Matter interaction (Index of refraction, scattering, absorption, and dispersion)
- The electromagnetic spectrum (Wavelengths and colours)
- DEMO: Spectral division of white light
- Reflection
- Plane and spherical mirrors (including sign conventions)
- Focal point and lengths
- Rotating mirror (relevance to micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems)
- DEMOS: Plane mirror, corner cube, and focal point of a spherical mirror
- Refraction
- Snell's law
- Fermat’s principal
- Critical angle
- Apparent depth
- Prisms (small angle, general and compound, relevance to rainbows, atmospheric refraction and mirage)
- DEMOS: Critical angle, a variety of prisms, and image bending in liquids
- Simple optical systems
- Refraction through a spherical surface
- the thin lens
- Ray tracing
- Matrix optics
- Fibre optics
- DEMOS: a variety of lenses, and combining optical elements
- Wavefront splitting interference
- Path difference & Phase difference
- Young’s 2 slit experiment
- Multiple slit interference
- DEMOS: Interference of 2 lasers at various slit combinations
- Amplitude splitting interference
- Introduction to thin film theory
- Multiple reflection
- Reflection & Transmission (Fresnel) coefficients
- Optical wedges
- Newton’s rings
- The Michelson interferometer (perpendicular case only).
- DEMOS: Wedges in air and water, Newton’s rings, and interference of an oil film on water
- Diffraction
- Fraunhoffer diffraction (1D)
- Diffraction at one, two and many slits
- DEMOS: Interference of 2 lasers (of different colour) at various slit combination
