Department of Physics

PHYS*3220 - W'11

Waves and Optics

Assignment solutions

Lecture notes

Lecturer:        Xiaorong Qin
Room:             MacN 449
Email:              xqin@physics.uoguelph.ca

Lectures:         Tue., Thur., 1:00 - 2:20 am      MacK 223

Text: “Introduction to Optics” (3rd Edition, Pearson Education, 2007), F. L. Pedrotti, S. J., L. S. Pedrotti, L. M. Pedrotti.

(ISBN 0-13-149933-5)

Reference: “Optics” (4th Edition, Pearson Education, 2002), E. Hecht.

(ISBN 0-8053-8566-5)

Grading: Assignments 30%

Mid-term 30%

Final Exam 40%

Note: The assignment is due on the given due date. Late submission will not be accepted. 

Consultation: You may speak to me after a regular lecture, or send an email to me to make an appointment.

Exams: The midterm examination has been set for March 3rd, 7:00 pm, Room SCIE1101A.

The final examination has been set for April 12, 19:00 - 21:00, Room --- THRN 1307 .

Calendar

Descriptions: Standing and travelling waves; normal modes; Fourier series; optics including polarization, interference and diffraction.

Prerequisite: PHYS*2440

Major Lecture Topics:

· nature of light, wave equations, description of EM waves, superposition of waves, light in medium and dispersion effect;

· reflection and refraction of light---Snell’s Law, Huygens’ and Fermat’s principles, geometrical optics; the Fresnel equations, reflectance and transmittance, total reflection, evanescent wave, polarization, Brewster’s angle, birefringence;

· interference of light---vector model, wavefront-splitting interferometer, fringes of equal inclination, fringes of equal thickness, multiple-beam interference, the Fabry-Perot interferometer, lasers;

· Fourier series, coherence concepts;

· Fraunhofer diffraction---single-slit diffraction, beam spreading, rectangular and circular apertures, resolution, double-slit diffraction, diffraction by N-slits, gratings.

· Modern optics (if time permits)

Collaboration versus Copying: You are encouraged to discuss with others as you learn the material and work on the assignments. However, the work you submit must be your own (your understanding written in your own way) and not a copy of someone else's work.