Modern Optics

Catalog description

Starting with a review of electromagnetic wave theory and the differential wave equation, this course covers the propagation of light from a scattering and an electromagnetic wave phenomena point of view. The course investigates superposition, polarization, interference, and diffraction in detail and discusses the photon theory of light along with the photoelectric effect. The course covers the basic theory of coherence with its contemporary application to lasers and additional selected topics in applied optical devices, stressing the application of theory to devices and observations.