Northeastern University

Department of Physics

Summer 1, 2006

Physics U603: Electromagnetic Waves and Optics

Reading and Problem Assignments

The readings and assignments listed below refer to the textbook,

Eugene Hecht, Optics, 4th ed. (Addison-Wesley, 2002).
Theme 1: Wave Motion
Reading: Chapter 2.1-2.4, 2.7-2.10
class notes
notes on complex numbers
Homework 1A
model solution
Homework 1B (corrected; due date moved to May 17)
model solution

Theme 2: Electromagnetic Waves in Free Space
Reading: Chapter 3
Essential content: pp. 36-50, 56-58, 66, (73-80)
class notes
Homework 2: Hecht, Ch. 3: 7, 24, 31, 38, 46 (due May 18)
model solution

Theme 3: Electromagnetic Waves in Matter
Reading: Chapter 4, Chapter 5.6
Essential content: pp. 86, 95-104, 111-124, 193-196
class notes
Homework 3
model solution

Theme 4: Optical Imaging
Reading: Chapter 5.1-4, 5.7, Chapter 6.1.
Essential content: pp. 149-169, 175-185, 201-222, 243-246
class notes
Homework 4A: Hecht, Ch. 4: 25; Ch. 5: 12, 24, 25, 58, 61 (due May 25)
model solution
Homework 4B: Hecht, Ch. 5: 36, 37, 40, 65, 84  (due May 30)
model solution

Theme 5: Vector Calculus and Conservation Laws
class notes

Theme 6: Sources of Electromagnetic Waves; Electromagnetic Waves in Matter Revisited
Reading: Chapters 2.5-2.6, 3.4-3.5, 7.1-7.2, 7.4, 11.1-11.2
Essential content: pp. 21-24, 58-63, 67-73, 128-131, 296-299
class notes
Homework 5A: Hecht, Ch. 3: 21; Ch. 4: 2
model solution
Homework 5B uses data from the file mysterymetal.txt
model solution

Theme 7: Waves in Confined Geometries: Waveguides and Cavities
class notes
Homework 6 (due June 14)
model solution

Theme 8: Interference
Reading: Chapter 9.1-9.7
Essential content: pp. 385-389, 393-396, 400-403, 407-411, 416-425
class notes
Homework 7: Hecht, Ch. 9: 12, 14, 18, 34, 36, 47
Additional problem: Using the Fresnel equations for the amplitude reflection and transmission coefficients at each surface, and taking into account the phase difference for the first two reflections, calculate the fraction of light intensity that is reflected at normal incidence for the thickness that you have chosen in Hecht 9.47. How does this compare to the intensity reflected from the "bare" lens, without the cryolite film?
(due June 16)
model solution

Theme 9: Diffraction
Reading: Chapter 10.1-10.2
Essential content: pp. 443-444, 447-460, 464-474, 476-481
class notes
Homework 8: Hecht, Ch. 10: 2, 8, 18, 22, 26, 28, 33. Be as quantitative as possible in answering problem 18 by estimating the relative length, width, and separation of the apertures. (due June 21)
model solution

Theme 10: Polarization and Crystal Optics
Reading: Chapter 8.1-8.12
Essential content: pp. 325-330, 331-358
class notes
I recommend the program EMANIM (not the rapper), written by András Szilágyi, which provides instructive 3-D animations of a number of optical phenomena, including polarization effects.
Homework 9: Hecht, Ch. 8: 1, 12, 31, 35, 39, 42. (due June 23)
model solution

Theme 11: Fourier Optics
Reading: Chapter 11


The URL for this page is: http://www.atsweb.neu.edu/physics/j.sage/sum106/optassgt.html
page last updated June 25, 2006