Credits: 4 (3-1-0)
Description
Electromagnetic waves in a medium: review of Maxwell’s equations and propagation of electromagnetic waves, various states of polarization and their analysis. Anisotropic media, plane waves in anisotropic media, uniaxial crystals, some polarization devices. Diffraction: scalar waves, the diffraction integral, Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction, diffraction of a Gaussian beam, diffraction grating. Fourier optics and holography: spatial frequency and transmittance function, Fourier transform by diffraction and by lens, spatial-frequency filtering, phase-contrast microscope. Holography: on-axis and off-axis hologram recording and reconstruction, types of hologram and some applications. Coherence and Interferometry: Spatial and temporal coherence, fringe visibility, Michelson stellar interferometer, optical beats, multiple beam interference, Fourier transform spectroscopy. Guided wave optics: Modes of a planar waveguide, optical fibers: step-index and graded index fibers, waveguide theory and quantum mechanics, applications of optical fibers in communication and sensing.