University of Maryland

Physics 375 - Experimental Physics III - Optics

Profs. Hall and Skuja

Fall 2015

• Course Syllabus
  
• Schedule
• Guidelines for lab notebooks and data analysis reports
• Final Exam:
• Will be held next week, Dec. 7 - 10, during your lab section time period, in the lab room (Phys 3203).
• Bring a calculator to the exam.
• You will have two hours to take the exam, starting at 3 pm, and ending at 5 pm.
• This is a written exam. The questions will be based upon the material that you've studied in the six labs this semester.
• There will be a review session on Monday Dec. 7th at 2 pm in Phys 1412 (our weekly lecture time).
• You will be given this formula sheet with the exam. No other notes will be allowed.
  
• How to study for the exam:
• Review the homeworks.
• Review the material in the six lab write-ups.
• Review your lecture notes and the lecture notes posted below.
• Attend the exam review lecture on Monday Dec. 7th at 2pm in Phys 1410. Lecture notes are posted below.
  
• Review the suggested reading in the textbook.
  
• Homework assignments:
• Homework #1 - To be collected in lab on Sept 8 - 10.
• Homework #2 - To be collected in lecture on Monday Sept. 14th.
• Homework #3 - To be collected in lecture on Monday Sept. 28th.
• Homework #4 - To be collected in lecture on Monday Oct. 12th.
• Homework #5 - To be collected in lecture on Monday Oct. 26th.
• Homework #6 - To be collected in lecture on Monday Nov. 9th.
• Homework #7 - Not collected. Posted here for review purposes only.
  
• Homework solutions are posted on ELMS.
  
• Labs:
  • Lab 0 - Matlab
  • Code snippets and data files:
  • data.dat
  • lj_get.m
  • lj_step.m
  • load_labjack.m
  • my_step.m
  • plot_photodiode.m
  • test_motor.m
  • test_photodiode.m
    
  • Lab 1 - Reflection and Refraction
  • Lab 2 - Geometric Optics
  • Lab 3 - Polarization
  • Starting and stopping the stepper motor slowly, to reduce the slipping of the belt: slow_start_and_stop.m
    
  • Lab 4 - Michelson Interferometer
  • Lab 5 - Diffraction
  • Lab 6 - Atomic Spectra
• Lecture Notes
• Lecture 1- Uncertainties, waves.
• Lecture 2 - Reflection and refraction, propagation of angular errors, linear least-squares fitting.
• Lecture 3 - Imaging, Principle Ray Diagrams, Converging & Diverging Lenses, Thin Lens Equation.
• Also, not covered in class: Convex and Concave Mirrors, Refraction at a curved surface, as well as Correlated Errors, Lens Maker's equation, Derivation of Thin Lense Equation.
  
• Lecture 4 - Imaging recap, Gaussian beams, beam expander
  
• Lecture 5 - Polarizers, Malus' Law, s-wave and p-wave light, Brewster's angle.
• Lecture 6 - Two beam interference.
• Lecture 7 - Michelson interferometer.
• Lecture 8 - Single slit diffraction.
• Lecture 9 - Multiple slit diffraction.
• Lecture 10 - Multiple slit diffraction and diffraction gratings.
• Lecture 11 - Diffraction grating and atomic sources.
• Invention of the diffraction grating by Fraunhofer.
• Exam Review lecture