Northeastern University
Department of Physics
Summer 1, 2006
Physics
U603: Electromagnetic Waves and Optics
General Information
| Class meetings: |
3:20-5:00
MTuWTh 157 Ryder
|
| Instructor:
Office:
Telephone:
E-mail:
|
Prof. J. Timothy Sage
106 Dana
x2908
jtsage@neu.edu
|
Office Hours:
|
M, Tu, W, Th 5-6
I am generally available when I am in my office. However, I
will maintain
"official" office hours after class.
|
| Grader:
Office:
E-mail:
|
TBA
TBA
TBA
|
Course Objectives
Waves are one of the most successful and ubiquitous models in physics,
and the goal of this course is for you to learn to apply this tool to
understand
physical phenomena. Our primary focus will be classical optics, which
describes
light as electromagnetic waves. Light is your most detailed source of
information
about the world you live in, and illustrates many phenomena common to
other
waves. Optics also has a great, and increasing, technological
significance.
Indeed, many think that optical technology will alter twenty-first
century
society as profoundly as electrical technology revolutionized twentieth
century society. Many of the concepts and mathematical tools developed
to describe classical waves also turn out to be useful for
understanding
quantum
mechanical phenomena.
At the end of the quarter, I expect you to be able to
- represent waves both symbolically, using trigonometric functions
or
complex
exponentials, and graphically, using rays, wavefronts, or phasors
- use appropriate representations to describe and predict basic
wave
phenomena,
including reflection, refraction, polarization, superposition,
interference,
diffraction
- understand and quantitatively predict the behavior of
electromagnetic
waves
(light) as they propagate through free space and through matter, and
when
they encounter interfaces between materials
- describe and predict the formation of images by reflection or
refraction
from spherical surfaces
- understand the operation of optical instruments
Textbook
and Assignments
The textbook for the course is:
Eugene Hecht, Optics, 4th ed. (Addison-Wesley, 2002).
Much of the ground covered in the course is presented in the this book,
and most homework
assignments will be selected from the end-of-chapter problems.
Hecht's
book is up-to-date, self-contained, and comprehensive. However, you may
want to consult one or more supplementary
references. I will go through introductory material rapidly, and
you
may also find it useful to review the treatment of electromagnetism
and
waves in the textbook that you used for your introductory physics
course.
A detailed list of topics, with reading and problem assignments is
posted
here.
Grading
The grade will be determined by homework problems, a midterm hour
examination, and a final examination, with the following weights:
| Homework |
30%
|
| Midterm Examination |
30%
|
| Final Examination |
40%
|
Homework assignments are due on the dates posted. The midterm
examination
will be given in class on Thursday, June 1. The place and time for the
final
examination will be posted here when this information becomes
available.
The URL for this page is:
http://www.atsweb.neu.edu/physics/j.sage/sum106
page last updated May 10,
2006