PHO 101 Introduction to Photonics

COURSE TOPICS

THE NATURE OF LIGHT

Waves and Photons

Absorption and emission of light and light sources

GEOMETRIC OPTICS

Reflection

Refraction (Snell's Law and total internal reflection)

The lensmakers formula and how lenses are made

Ray tracing to find images

Thin lens equation

WAVE OPTICS

Interference of waves (thin films, diffraction gratings)

Diffraction

Polarization

 HANDS-ON EXERCISES

Spectra of light sources

Diffraction grating

Index of refraction ("disappearing beaker")

Single slit diffraction- width of a hair

Snell's law of refraction

Polarization experiment

Thin Lenses- focal length

Lasers and flashlights

Thin Lenses - Imaging

(others as needed or as I discover them!)

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