PHYS 3410 - Foundations of Modern Optics

Meets with PHYS 6750. This lecture and laboratory course teaches basic to advanced principles of optics. The lecture and laboratory are closely synchronized. Topics include electronmagnetic theory and waves in vacuum and matter; geometric optics, optics of the human eye, microscopes and telescopes; polarization, interference, diffraction; quantization of light; modern optical systems and techniques such as lasers and astronomical telescopes and instruments. Students are required to write lab reports for each activity. Recommended Prerequisites: PHYS 2220.