Unit I
Interference: Concept of Spatial and temporal coherence, coherence length, coherence time, Definition and propagation of wavefront, Huygens principle of secondary wavelets, Young’s Double Slit Experiment, Types of fringes, Interference by division of wavefront: Fresnel’s Bi-Prism, Measurement of wavelength and thickness of a thin transparent sheet. Interference by division of amplitude– Thin films (parallel and wedge-shaped films), Fringes of equal inclination (Haidinger Fringes); Fringes of equal thickness (Fizeau Fringes). Newton’s Rings: measurement of wavelength and refractive index. Michelson’s Interferometer, the shape of fringes, the Measurement of wavelength, the difference between two spectral lines, and the thickness of a thin transparent sheet.
Unit II
Diffraction: Fraunhofer diffraction: Single slit; Double slit. Multiple slits, missing order, Diffraction grating, Resolving power of grating, Rayleigh’s criterion of resolution. Fresnel Diffraction: Half-period zones. Zone plate. Multiple Foci of zone plate, comparison between zone plate and convex lens, Fresnel Diffraction pattern at a circular aperture, straight edge, and a rectangular slit using half-period zone analysis.
Unit III
Polarization: Polarisation (i) Plane polarized light (ii) Circularly polarized light (iii) Elliptically polarized light, Production of plane-polarized light (i) by reflection (ii) by refraction (iii) by double refraction, and (iv) by dichroism (Polaroid), Brewster’s law, Law of Malus, Huygens’ wave theory of double refraction, Analysis of Polarized light: Nicol prism, Quarter wave plate, and half-wave plate, Optical activity, Laws of optical activity, and Fresnel’s explanation of optical activity; Specific rotation, Polarimeters: Laurent’s half shade Polarimeter and Biquartz Polarimeter.
Unit IV
Quantum Optics and photonics
(i) Laser: Spontaneous and stimulated emission, Einstein’s A & B coefficients, population inversion, methods of optical pumping. Ruby, He-Ne, and Semiconductor laser (Principle and working).
(ii) Holography: Principle of holography, Theory of construction and reconstruction of image, applications of holography.
(iii) Fiber Optics: Introduction to optical fiber, types of optical fiber, Total internal reflection, Explanation of propagation of light through an optical fiber