Laser and Light: Detailed Course Description

PHYSICS 111 LASER AND LIGHT
INSTRUCTOR : Dr. M. Azad Islam
214 Timerman Hall, Phone: 267-2284, Email: islamma@potsdam.edu
COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT: Introduction To Light, Gary Waldman, Prentice Hall

LECTURE NOTES

INTRODUCTION: Why light is so extraordinary ABOUT LIGHT ?

CHAPTER 1	EARLY IDEAS OF LIGHT
CHAPTER 2	THE CLASSICAL THEORIES
CHAPTER 3	MODERN THEORIES
CHAPTER 4	GEOMETRICAL OPTICS
CHAPTER 5	POLARIZATION
CHAPTER 6	LASERS
CHAPTER 7	HOLOGRAPHY
CHAPTER 8	THE EYE
CHAPTER 9	SEEING
CHAPTER 10	LIGHT AND COLOR IN NATURE
CHAPTER 11	COLOR SCIENCE

WEB RESOURCES Applets, Figures and Diagrams

Planetary atom OUTLINE OF TOPICS

Blue ball bullet History, connection of light with energy, cosmology, relativity, and the natural world.

Ray Optics: Reflection, mirrors, images

Curved mirror and images

Refraction, critical angle, prisms, minimum angle of deviation

bullet Lenses and images, aberration, human eye

bullet Optical instruments (telescope and microscope)

bullet Scattering and Polarization of light

bullet Interference and diffraction of light

bullet Quantum theory of light, lasers

bullet Laser applications

EQUIPMENT FOR DEMONSTRATION AND FOR TRIALS BY STUDENTS

The principal instrument in the course will be a low power Helium-Neon Laser. Other equipment to be used are the following:

1. Spectrometer, electric discharge lamp, special prism for light spectrum and minimum deviation experiment

2. Lenses and mirrors to experiment with formation of images

3. Lamp, light detector and polarizers to study Malus law

4. Holograms to show the critical use of laser

5. Grating to study interference and diffraction of light

6. Magnetic optical bench, various optical elements, optical components and Fiber optic cables.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This course satisfies FP and SP parts of the General Education Program. It does NOT satisfy the lab (LB) part of the General Education Program. This course does not count towards physics major.

For more information or comment email: M. Azad Islam

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UPDATED 1/2/02