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1. define and explain the propagation of light in conducting and non-conducting media;
2. define and explain the physics governing laser behaviour and light matter interaction;
3. apply wave optics and diffraction theory to a range of problems;
4. apply the principles of atomic physics to materials used in optics and photonics;
5. calculate the properties of various lasers and the propagation of laser beams;
6. calculate properties of and design modern optical fibres and photonic crystals;
7. use the tools, methodologies, language and conventions of physics to test and communicate ideas and explanations

Buck, J.A., Fundamentals of Optical Fibres, John Wiley & Son, 2004

Joannopoulos, J.D. et al., Photonic Crystals: Moulding the Flow of Light, Princeton Univ. Press, 1995

Johnson S.G. and Joannopoulos, J. D., Photonic Crystals: The Road from Theory to Practice, Kluwer, 2002

Hawker & Latimer: Lasers, Theory and Practice, Prentice Hall, 1995.

Verdeyen J., Laser Electronics, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall, 1995

Yariv, A.: Optical Electronics, Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 4th edition, 1991

Saleh & Teich: Photonics

Guenther, R., Modern Optics

Goodman, J.W., Introduction to Fourier Optics

Hecht, E., Optics

Pedrotti F.L., and Pedrotti, L.S., Introduction to Optics (the Physics IIB text)

Siegman, A.E., Lasers

Yariv, A., Optical Electronics

Born M., and Wolf, E., Principles of Optics

MyUni: Teaching materials and course documentation will be posted on the MyUni website ().

This course will be delivered by the following means:

• Lectures 35 x 50-minute sessions with three sessions per week
• Tutorials 11 x 50-minute sessions with one session per week

A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).

The course content will include the following:

Coursework Content

• Wave Optics (12 lectures)
  • Techniques for solving the wave equation: Hermite-Gaussian solution, integral methods
  • Fraunhofer diffraction
  • Fourier optics
  • Abbe’s theory of imaging
  • Amplitude spatial filtering
  • Phase spatial filtering
  • Babinet’s principle
• Laser Physics (12 lectures)
  • Quantum mechanical description of the interaction of light with matter
  • Einstein coefficients, spontaneous and stimulated emission
  • 3 & 4 level gain media, rate equations, saturation, broadening
  • Laser resonators, stability, out-coupling, beam quality, frequency control
  • Pulsed lasers, gain switching, Q switching, mode locking
  • Review of common lasers,
• Physical optics (6 lectures)
  • Reflection and refraction of light at dielectric interfaces and applications
  • Lorentz oscillator model
  • Birefringence, polarizers, waveplates, compensators
  • Faraday effect
• Optical fibres (6 lectures)
  • Optical fibres: step index, graded index
  • Fibre lasers
  • Fibre Bragg gratings
  • Micro-structured fibres, photonic crystals

To obtain a grade of Pass or better in this course, a student must attend the examination.

Projects, Assignments and Tests: (40% of total course grade)
The standard assessment consists of 2 projects/assignments and/or 2 tests. This may be varied by negotiation with students at the start of the semester. This combination of projects, tests and summative assignments is used during the semester to address understanding of and ability to use the course material and to provide students with a benchmark for their progress in the course.

Written Examination: (60% of total course grade)
One 3 hour exam is used to assess the understanding of and ability to use the material.

Submission of Assigned Work
Coversheets must be completed and attached to all submitted work. Coversheets can be obtained from the School Office (room G33 Physics) or from MyUNI. Work should be submitted via the assignment drop box at the School Office.

Extensions for Assessment Tasks
Extensions of deadlines for assessment tasks may be allowed for reasonable causes. Such situations would include compassionate and medical grounds of the severity that would justify the awarding of a repacement examination. Evidence for the grounds must be provided when an extension is requested. Students are required to apply for an extension to the Course Coordinator before the assessment task is due. Extensions will not be provided on the grounds of poor prioritising of time. 

Late submission of assessments
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days or more late without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the mark.