Optics and photonics

• Identify whether a ray optics, a scalar wave optics, an electromagnetic wave optics, or a photon optics description is required in a given situation
• Derive the wave equation from Maxwell’s equations in a medium and understand the different solutions and their characteristic properties
• Describe the superposition principle and apply it to electromagnetic waves
• Describe the concept of interference and calculate the properties of different interferometric systems
• Explain Fourier analysis of optical waves
• Explain the concept of polarization, describe several polarization states of light and how they can be generated and transformed
• Describe and calculate the propagation of light in simple optical waveguides in terms of modes, dispersion relation and effective index
• Explain the concepts of Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction and calculate the diffraction patterns of different apertures
• Derive the Fresnel equations and describe how light is transferred at an interface of two materials, and through multilayer films
• Describe the interaction between light and matter and explain the basic principles of a laser
• Apply and recognize professional terminology in English

The following concepts and phenomena, and some of their most important applications: Light rays, Maxwell wave equations, vector fields and polarization properties, wave diffraction, wave interference and superposition of waves, Fresnel relations, periodic media and multilayers, waveguide optics, optical resonators, light-matter interactions, laser amplification and lasers

10009/10013/10036/31400, not later that at the same time

Lectures and problem solving

Please note that this course is part of the BSc in Physics and Nanotechnology.