– Electromagnetic waves in one and three dimensions: plane and spherical waves, wave equation, wavefunctions.
– Light as an electromagnetic wave: superposition of electromagnetic waves, standing waves. Exercises.
– Quantum nature of light and energy quantities: photons, energy and intensity of radiation, radiation pressure. Exercises.
– Dispersion and absorption of light: Lorentz model for light dispersion, normal and anomalous dispersion, phase and group velocity, light dispersion through a prism, Beer–Lambert law. Exercises.
– Geometrical optics: Fermat’s principle, reflection, mirrors.
– Geometrical optics: refraction, diopters, lenses. Exercises.
– Polarization of light: definitions, description (linear, circular, elliptical), properties. Exercises.
– Polarization of light: generation, detection, applications in nature, birefringence. Exercises.
– Interference and coherence of light: concept of interference, demonstration of interference phenomena, spatial and temporal coherence.
– Interference and coherence of light: interference setups with wavefront division. Exercises.
– Interference and coherence of light: thin film interference, interference setups with amplitude division. Exercises.
– Diffraction of light: concept of diffraction, far-field and near-field diffraction, single-slit diffraction. Exercises.
– Diffraction of light: examples of diffraction from common symmetric apertures (rectangular, circular, grating), resolution, applications. Exercises.