1. Chapter 1: Nature of light

3. Wave-particle duality
E = hn
particle
wave
However strange, it correctly describes known phenomena connected with light.

4. Optics: the study of light
Geometrical (ray) optics
macroscopic-scale phenomena
-light travels in straight lines (rays)
-wavelength l  0, frequency n  ∞
-explains reflection and refraction
-useful for designing imaging systems
Physical (wave) optics
microscopic-scale phenomena
-light (electromagnetic radiation) is a wave
-action of light described by Maxwell’s equations
-explains reflection, refraction, dispersion, interference, polarization, diffraction
Quantum optics
atomic-scale phenomena
-light is a photon; has both wave-like and particle-like characteristics
-used to analyze light-matter interactions
-explains photoelectric effect, lasers
Quantum optics
Physical optics
Ray
optics

5. The electromagnetic spectrum
light is identified as an electromagnetic wave with a frequency detected by the human eye
c = 3 x 108 m/s

6. The electromagnetic spectrum

7. Radiometric quantities
characterizing the energy content of electromagnetic radiation

8. differential solid angle dw for describing radiant intensity:
A steradian corresponds to an area of a sphere equal to r2.
inverse square law for characterizing irradiance:
The irradiance decreases inversely with the square of the distance.

9. Exercises
You are encouraged to solve all problems in the textbook (Pedrotti3).
The following may be covered in the werkcollege on 1 September 2010:
Chapter 1
2, 10, 17