EP351 Wave Optics

Texts (reference)

• "Optics", Eugene Hecht, (3rd Edition), pub. Addison-Wesley.

Syllabus

1. Review of Geometrical Optics:
First order optics, Pupils and stops, aberrations

2. Mathematical background:
Representation of travelling waves, differential wave equation, harmonic waves, three dimensional wave fronts, vector calculus operators and relationships.

3. Maxwell's Equations & the Laws of Electromagnetism:
Review of laws of electricity and magnetism, Maxwell's Equations in integral form, Maxwell's Equations in differential form.

4. Electromagnetic radiation:
Derivation of wave equations for electromagnetic waves, nature of electromagnetic waves, energy transport, Poynting vector, irradiance, radiation pressure and momentum, production of electromagnetic waves, dipole radiation.

5. Interaction of light with materials:
Dielectric materials: reflected and transmitted intensities at normal incidence, Fresnel Equations,Waves in conducting media.

6. Superposition of waves:
Adding coplanar waves of the same frequency (2 waves, N waves), standing waves. Adding coplanar waves of different frequencies (beats, phase velocity, group velocity, dispersion).

7. Polarization of light:
Linear, circular, and elliptical polarization, Mallus' Law, Polarization mechanisms,dichroism, birefringence, scattering, reflection (Brewster's angle). Retarders and wave plates.

8 . Interference:
Wavefront splitting interferometers, Young’s slits, Amplitude splitting interferometers, thin film interference (antireflection coatings), Michelson interferometer. Multiple beam interference, Fabry-Perot interferometer, Resolving power of FP, Coefficient of Finesse.

9. Fraunhofer diffraction:
Single slit, Young's slits, N slits, diffraction grating, angular dispersion and optical resolution of diffraction grating. Diffraction patterns of apertures, Diffraction limit to resolution, Rayleigh criterion.

10. Fresnel Diffraction:
Fresnel zones, near and far fields,zone plates

11. Topics in Applied Optics:
Fourier Optics:
Linear systems, Point Spread Function, Optical Transfer Function, Spatial frequency filtering.
Introduction to lasers and holography:
Conditons required for lasing, types of laser, cavity modes, production of holograms.
Introduction to fiber optics:
Numerical aperture, attenuation, types of fiber.

Lecturer

nicholas.devaneynuigalway.ie

Astronomy & Applied Imaging Group
Gamma-Ray Astronomy Group

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