PHY1201 WAVES AND OPTICS

This course introduces general concepts of wave propagation and optics. It covers wave concepts, Fraunhofer diffraction, Huygen - Fresnel diffraction, vector nature of light and polarization, optical activity, lasers and introduction to holography

course objectives

At the end of the course, the students should be able to

• Discuss the wave properties of light
• Distinguish between isotropic and anisotropic media
• Apply the division of amplitude and division of wave front in solving problems
• Distinguish between Fraunhofer and other types of diffraction
• Discuss the vector nature of light in respect to polarizations
• List a few uses of lasers and holography
• Perform experiments to link theory to practical concepts

Expected Learning Outcomes

On completion, successful students will be able to

• Discuss the general view of the manifestation of wave phenomena in general and optical systems in particular
• Explain the variety of physical phenomena, including: vibration, examples of harmonic oscillators, superposition, driven oscillations and resonance, coupled oscillators and normal modes, normal modes of continuous systems, group velocities and wave packets diffraction, interference, geometrical optics, wave optics
• Illustrate the wide applicability of vibration and wave properties of light
• Account for the physical intuition and experience with the mathematical description of physical phenomena
• Appreciate the relevance of waves and optics to other branches of physics