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

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Modern OpticsPHY485F/1485Fwww.physics.utoronto.
ca/phy485/ModOpt/

• Robin Marjoribanks
• McLennan Physics 1104C
• marj_at_physics.utoronto.ca

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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

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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

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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 2p c / L L is the cavity length
• n wo c is speed of light
• these modes may each have their own amplitude En
• thus the optical field in the cavity can be
  written
• En ei(nwotf(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

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Ultrafast Tisapphire 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

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Er-fiber laser (Modern Physics Lab PHY326/426)

• output
• 1550 nm
• 100 fs
• 240 mW
• pump
• 980 nm diode
• 60 mW min
• fiber coupled
• modelocking
• Kerr ellipse-rotation
• polarizer discrimination
• dispersion
• 2 kinds of fiber
• opposite GVD

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Course Approach

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

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Lectures

• will concentrate on what lectures do best
• wont 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/prepared also

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Textbook

• Optics (4th edition), Hecht
• well use this for its wonderful illustrations
  and applications, but it is organized by device
  rather than by principle well use it for its
  modules, as we proceed more logically (see guide
  to topics on website)
• optional (cheap) Introduction to Modern Optics
  by Grant R. Fowles (get online errata correcting
  a number of errors)
• reference Lasers by P.W. Milonni and J.H.
  Eberly (Wiley). 

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Office Hours

• Professor Marjoribanks
• Wednesdays 23 pm (OK?)
• MP1104C
• markers to be determined

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Contact

• Ill initiate email using only your official
  registered U of T email address (e.g.,
  zubeki_at_utoronto.ca)
• problem set changes, class announcements,
  reminders may go there
• youre responsible for email

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Problem sets

• Problem set due dates (posted on web)
• PS1 - due 2 October
• PS2 - due 21 October
• Midterm Test 28 October 2008, 5-7 pm OK?
• PS3 - due 13 November
• PS4 - due 4 December (zero extensions)
• Group seminar presentations 22 November 10-5pm
• solutions posted on course web-site
• late policy 20 off per day
• zero, once solutions are posted (3 days)

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getting Midterm back

• the TAs each mark part of the midterm
• I am at a conference the third week of November
• ? if the TAs dont both get their marking done
  in one week, you wont get the midterm back
  before the start of December

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Marking scheme

• Term work
• 4 problem sets (best 3 out of 4) 30
• seminar group presentation (22 Nov) 10
• term test 60
• 100
• Final exam
• final exam 100
• Course mark 60/40 flip-flop

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Midterm test only impossibles
27 Monday 28 Tues 29 Wed 30 Thurs 31 Friday
9-10 xxxxx xxxxx
10-11 xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
11-12 xxxxx
12-1pm
1-2
2-3
3-4 2 xxxxx xxxxx 2
4-5 2 2 Colloq v
5-6 v 8 2 v
6-7 3 8 3
7-8
8-9