Description:

The lecture covers the basics of optical physics. It systematically discusses the optical wave propagation in vacuum, in isotropic and anisotropic media, and on their boundaries. It also classifies types of optical waves. Next, it describes the polarization and its applications, statistical properties of polychromatic waves, fundamentals of two and multiwave interference.

Contents:

1.Propagation of optical waves in vacuum, basic types of waves (parabolic wave, Gaussian beam, Bessel beam, wave radiated from a dipole).
2.Propagation of optical waves in isotropic media, waves in homogeneous and inhomogeneous media, absorption and dispersion of homogeneous medium, optical scattering.
3.Processes at the boundary of two homogeneous media.
4.Polarization, description and polarization elements.
5.Propagation of optical waves in anisotropic media.
6.Anisotropy of crystals and its application, dichroism, optical activity, optics of liquid crystals.
7.Polychromatic waves and their statistical properties, second-order coherence, interference law, statistical manifestation of polarization.
8.Interference of light - two and multibeam interference.
9.Optical thin films, methods of analysis and applications.

Recommended literature:

Key references:
[1] Fiala P., Richter I.: Fyzikální optika. Skriptum FJFI, Praha 2004.
[2] Elektronicke texty na webu: optics.fjfi.cvut.cz

Recommeded references:
[3] Born M., Wolf E.: Principles of Optics. Pergamon Press, London, 1993 (sixth edition).
[4] Saleh B.E.A., Teich M.C.: Fundamentals of Photonics. J. Wiley, New York, 1991; (český překlad: Základy fotoniky. Matfyzpress, Praha 1995.)
[5] Hecht E., Zajac A.: Optics. Addison Wesley, London 1987 (second edition).
[6] Lipson S.G., Lipson H., Tannhauser D.S.: Optical Physics. Cambridge University Press, New York 1995 (third edition).
[7] Peřina J.: Teorie koherence. SNTL, Praha 1974.
[8] Knittl Z: Optics of Thin Films. John Wiley and Sons, London 1976.
[9] Stratton J.A.: Teorie elektromagnetického pole. SNTL, Praha, 1961.
[10] Sedlák B., Stoll I.: Elektrina a magnetismus. Akademia, Karolinum, 1993.
[11] Vrbová M. a kol.: Lasery a moderní technologie. Prometheus, 1994.

Keywords:

Optical wave, Gaussian beam, Bessel beam, wave from a dipole, isotropic medium, anisotropic medium, polarization vector, absorption, dispersion, polarization, dichroism, optical activity, polychromatic wave, interference law, optical coherence, light interference, two and multibeam interference, optical thin films.

Abbreviations used:

Semester:

• W ... winter semester (usually October - February)
• S ... spring semester (usually March - June)
• W,S ... both semesters

Mode of completion of the course:

• A ... Assessment (no grade is given to this course but credits are awarded. You will receive only P (Passed) of F (Failed) and number of credits)
• GA ... Graded Assessment (a grade is awarded for this course)
• EX ... Examination (a grade is awarded for this course)
• A, EX ... Examination (the award of Assessment is a precondition for taking the Examination in the given subject, a grade is awarded for this course)

Weekly load (hours per week):

• P ... lecture
• C ... seminar
• L ... laboratory
• R ... proseminar
• S ... seminar