Modern Optics PHY485F/1485F physics.utoronto/~phy485/ModOpt/

1. Modern OpticsPHY485F/1485Fwww.physics.utoronto.ca/~phy485/ModOpt/ Robin Marjoribanks McLennan Physics 1104C marj@physics.utoronto.ca

2. What makes this course important? • foundation course in modern (quantum) optics • basic literacy in a modern, active area of physics • fundamental science, concepts, understanding • a subject of technology that supports many others • an extremely active, intense area of current research • numerous Nobel prizes in the last decade

3. Topics • laser as a pivot-point • look backwards from invention to classical optics needed to understand how the laser tailors light, • forward to the quantum optics explosion that has followed • basic optics • diffraction theory • gaussian beams • laser resonators • semiclassical laser theory • ultrafast pulse generation • a selection of currently active research topics: • laser cooling, photonic bandgap structures, extreme optics, quantum information and other topics

4. The Laser Oscillator • Laser oscillators are built in a Fabry-Perot resonator W. Silvfast http://cord.org/step_online/st1-5/st15ttl.htm • solutions are standing waves in this laser cavity • spectrum of possible frequencies satisfy: wn = n 2π c / LL is the cavity length = nwoc is speed of light • these modes may each have their own amplitude En thus the optical field in the cavity can be written: Enei(nwot+f(n)) • In a free cavity, with random f(n), we get ‘wild’ light. In a cavity where • we make f(n)=0, we lock the modes together

5. Ultrafast Ti:sapphire laser • Kerr effect makes intense pulses ‘self-focus’ slightly • intense pulses pass better through aperture, where weak ones blocked • alters stability of cavity slightly, favoring intense pulses • also can affect deflection of beam, to same effect • modelocking can start from mechanical vibration: ‘magic modelocking’

6. Er-fiber laser • output: • 1550 nm • 100 fs • 2–40 mW • pump: • 980 nm diode • 60 mW min • fiber coupled • modelocking: • Kerr ellipse-rotation • polarizer discrimination • dispersion • 2 kinds of fiber • opposite GVD

7. Approach • multiple resources • textbook • lectures • online materials: demos, applications • office hours • other texts • study/work groups • all are needed • each has particular advantages

8. Lectures • will concentrate on what lectures do best • won’t just lead you through the textbook • will provide interaction and feedback that books cannot • will provide demonstrations and animations • will depend on you having read also

9. Textbook • “Modern Optics and Lasers” course-notes by sign-up (please use index-cards) • optional (cheap): “Introduction to Modern Optics” by Grant R. Fowles (get online errata correcting numerous errors) • reference: “Optics” (4th edition), Hecht • reference: “Lasers” by P.W. Milonni and J.H. Eberly (Wiley). 

10. Office Hours • Professor Marjoribanks • Wednesdays 2–3 pm (OK?) • MP1104C • marker to be determined

11. Contact • I’ll email using your official registered U of T email address (e.g., zubeki@utoronto.ca) • problem set corrections, class announcements, reminders may go there • you’re responsible for email

12. Problem sets • Problem set due dates (posted on web) • PS#1 - due 2 October • PS#2 - due 18 October • Midterm Test: 25 October 2007, 5-7 pm OK? • PS#3 - due 15 November • PS#4 - due 6 December (zero extensions) • Group seminar presentations 1 December 10-5pm • solutions posted on course web-site • late policy: 20% off per day • zero, once solutions are posted (~3 days)

13. Marking scheme • Term work: • 4 problem sets (best 3 out of 4) 30% • seminar group presentation (1 Dec) 10% • term test 60% 100% • Final exam • final exam 100% • Course mark: 60/40 flip-flop

14. Midterm test – only impossibles