PHYS3060 ADVANCED OPTICS

Students should only enrol into PHYS3060 if they have already completed PHYS3050.
All other students should enrol into PHYS3031 Advance Optics and Nuclear Physics in 2012.

Lecturer:

This course develops the foundations of modern optics from a physical basis. The course covers three major themes: far-field diffraction, near-field diffraction and the theory of coherence. All of these themes are treated from the perspective of fourier theory which is also applicable to other areas of wave physics. The course also includes a revision of geometric optics with an emphasis on computer-based methods for ray tracing and design of optical systems. Included in the material are analyses of: fresnel lenses; phase contrast microscopy; holography; optical fibres; telescopes; image enhancement; and fourier filtering. The fundamental material covered in the course has many practical applications including modern optoelectronics, optical communications and image processing.

Assessment:

  • Final Exam 65%
  • Assignments 20%
  • Midsession Test 15%

Textbook:

  • E. Hecht & A. Zajac, "Optics" (Addison-Wesley 1974).

Reference:

  • R. Guenther, "Modern Optics" (John Wiley July 1994).

Geometrical Optics

5-5.2

Ray tracing

Issued sheets

Fraunhofer Diffraction and Interference

Using Fourier Transform Approach

Optical transforms of one- and two-dimensional

11.1 to 11.2.3

apertures, including regular arrays. The phase

11.3.2 to 11.3.3

problem. Abbe's theory of imaging. Spatial

14.1 to 14.1.3

filtering. Image processing.

+ issued sheets

Fresnel Diffraction

Zones, vibration curves, circular apertures, zone

10.3.1 to 10.3.11

plates, Fresnel integrals, rectangular apertures,

Cornu spiral, obstacles, Babinet's Principle.

Kirchhoff's Scalar Diffraction Theory

10.4+Appendix 2

Optical Coherence

Coherence length and time, spectral distribution.

Chapter 12

Auto- and cross-correlation. Mutual coherence, degree of coherence. Temporal and spatial

11.5.4

coherence. Stellar interferometers and star

diameters.

Further Information

For more information about PHYS3060 contact:

    last updated 1st February 2011