26 hod., optionally

Light as electromagnetic radiation

History of optics.
The wave equation derived from Maxwell's equations (for homogeneous isotropic medium).
Planar, cylindrical and spherical waves.
Harmonic waves. Complex notation of harmonic waves.
The intensity of light.
Helmholtz equation.
Polarization of light. Types of polarization: linear, elliptical, circular.
Matrix description of polarization. Stokes vector, Jones vector, Jones matrix.


The basic phenomena of wave optics

Interference of light. Young's experiment. Temporal and spatial coherence of light.
Michelson interferometer.
Diffraction of light. Huygens-Fresnel principle. Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction. Examples of Fraunhofer diffraction: slit, grating, circular hole.
Fourier transform and its implementation using Fraunhofer diffraction. Abbe theory of optical imaging.


Light propagation in an isotropic environment

Laws of ray optics: reflection and refraction of light. Fresnel's formulas for reflection - total reflection, Brewster's angle.
Total internal reflection.
Applications: plane-parallel plate, prism, wedge prism, optical fibers.
Reflection from metal surfaces.


Fundamental laws of geometrical optics.
Index of refraction, dispersion of optical materials. Fermat's principle - law of refraction and reflection at the interface of two isotropic environments. Refraction on a spherical plane, passage of a ray through a system of spherical planes, cardinal points, principal planes, nodal points, definition of focal distance and magnification. Thick/thin lenses, imaging formula, lens system and its solution. Mirror imaging. Imaging of points at a common plane with tolerated unsharpness. Limitation of a ray packet in an optical system - fundamental characteristics of optical systems. Aberrations of optical systems, their classification and methods of their calculations, Herschel's and Abbe's conditions. Matrix optics.


Basic optical systems

Eye. Ametropia of the eye.
Lens. Microscopes.
Binoculars.
Resolution (eye, microscope, telescope).
Collimator, autocollimator, examples of their use.


Optics of anisotropic media

Description of the anisotropic media. Light propagation in anisotropic media. Double refraction.
Light polarizers.
The transmission of the light true plane-parallel plate. Quarter-wave plate, half-wave plate. Polarizing beam splitter.
Artificially induced double refraction: with voltage in a solid, with the concentration of a solution, with electric field, with magnetic field.
Polarization devices.


Light sources

Thermal sources. Laws of the blackbody radiation.
Discharge tubes.
Electroluminescent light sources.
Lasers.