PHYS12075 Optics and Lasers

Optics is a flourishing area in both theoretical and applied physics and engineering. This course is one of the series of optics courses offered in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Systems. It is designed at an intermediate level with PHYS 11183 (Physics 1B) being the prerequisite. While the optics in PHYS 11183 introduced geometrical optics, this course introduces wave optics, i.e. treating light as waves. Wave optics theory can explain many optical phenomena, and leads to many important applications in optical instrumentation, for example thin film optical coatings. A basic understanding of how lasers work and their application are also covered in this course.