Files and Resources for Optics (TECP TTVN)

Spring 2009

Syllabus (PDF file)

The fax number for TTVN submissions to Dr. Craig is 806-651-5255.

Here are the notes:

• 2009-01-16: First homework assignment, due Monday, Jan 26: Chapter 2 problems 1,2,3,6,12,17,18,31,32,37. The first of these are pretty simple.
• 2009-01-19: Here is a Project PHYSNET module that has a good alternate set of examples on the wave equation and harmonic waves. It includes example problems with brief answers similar to those above.
• 2009-01-21: Notes on harmonic waves, the first part of the chapter in detail. These are 'article' form, good for printing. I add a few things to the first sections of Ch. 2.
• 2009-01-21: Older set of notes on end of chapter, superposition and complex representations.
• 2009-01-28: Ch. 2 Homework solutions. These are scans of handwritten solutions, they lack some of the sketches for the later wave problems.
• 2009-01-28: Radiation, photons, etc. Including dipole emission, and why the sky is blue.
• 2009-01-28: Ch. 3 Homework: 3.4,5,22,23,27,38,39,40,58. Due Wednesday, Feb. 4.
• 2009-02-02: A very useful conceptual resource is Paul Falstad's Math and Physics applets, in particular the ripple tank applet and the 2D Electrodynamics applet (TE), and the 3D Waves applet. The electrodynamics applets implement the transverse vector properties of E-M waves, but only in a 2-d domain. These require Java, but run very fast on a wide variety of systems. Mr. Falstad seems to be an excellent programmer.
• 2009-02-04: Evolution of the Modern Photon, an article on models of the photon referenced in your text.
• 2009-02-04: Notes on scattering (screen layout) and Scattering (article layout)
• 2009-02-09: Tales of two frenchmen: Fermat's principle and the Fresnel equations. These are both in "screen" form. The Fresnel equations will introduce the effects of polarization on reflection and refraction.
• 2009-02-13: Test 1 due next Wednesday the 18th.
• 2009-02-16: Intro to geometrical optics (article form).
• 2009-02-25: We went over some geometrical optics examples using the ideas of dioptric power and vergence. Here is an article from the American Journal of Physics from 1975: Vergence, vision, and geometric optics.
This is a formalism often used in optometry, and it is often useful to see varying approaches to these topics.
• 2009-03-04: Magnification, stops, mirrors
• 2009-04-06: After our respective spring breaks:
• Problems for Ch. 5: 10, 12,20, 61, and 79 (an interesting puzzle)
• Here is a look at Fourier series as a basis transformation,
• and a few Fourier series examples,colors are used to highlight the effect of piecewise functions that are common examples.
• The Fourier Transform and the Two Domains.
• Problems for Ch 7: 7.10*,29*,32,33 are listed in the above notes too, but problem 34 is not well posed in the book, so ignore it.
• 2009-04-13:Interference, coherence, and general types of interferometers.This essentially completes chapter 7. Examples of interferometer types are given in chapter 9, and we will begin looking at that next.
• 2009-04-15: There is an excellent overview with images of the Fourier theory I went over at: An intuitive explanation of Fourier theory by Steven Lehar
• 2009-04-17: Here is the article on a geometrical optics derivation of Fourier transform by a lens. From American Journal of Physics
• 2009-04-20: Two short sets of notes: Front-splitting interferometers, and Thin-film interference. I put these on mainly as references to important equations.

  Another recommended resource is the Project PHYSNET modules. For these and upcoming topics see in particular m431 and m432

• Here is Test 2.
• Here is the Final exam, due May 6. This version says "draft" in the filename, but is the full set of problems.