2.710
Optics
Introduction to optical science with elementary engineering applications. Geometrical optics: ray-tracing, aberrations, lens design, apertures and stops, radiometry and photometry. Wave optics: basic electrodynamics, polarization, interference, wave-guiding, Fresnel and Fraunhofer diffraction, image formation, resolution, space-bandwidth product. Emphasis on analytical and numerical tools used in optical design. Graduate students are required to complete additional assignments with stronger analytical content, and an advanced design project.
Spring 2014
Topics
- Nature of Light
- Geometrical Optics
- Optical Instrumentation, Magnifier Lens, Microscopes, Telescopes
- Matrix Methods in Paraxial Optics
- Apertures and Stops
- Gradient Index Lenses, Hamiltonian Optics
- Review of Geometrical Optics
- Electromagnetic Wave Equations
- Eikonal Equations, Gradient Index Lenses, Hamiltonian Optics
- Superposition of Waves, Interference, Optical Interferometry
- Spatial Fourier Transforms
- Math Tutorial on Spatial Fourier Transforms
- Fraunhofer Diffraction
- Diffraction Gratings
- Fresnel Diffraction and Examples
- Examples of Coherent Spatial Filtering
- Optical Imaging Systems with Spatially Incoherent Engineering Illumination, Resolution in Optical Systems, Pupil
- Field Trip to Center for Astrophysics
- Fresnel Diffraction, Depth of Field and Depth of Focus, Holography
- Gaussian Beams, Principles of Lasers
- Vector Properties of Electromagnetic Fields: Polarization, Waveplates; Birefringence
- Project Presentations
- Project Presentations (cont.)
- Review of Scalar and Vector Wave Optics, Outlook
Readings
- [Pedrotti] = Pedrotti, Frank L., Leno M. Pedrotti, and Leno S. Pedrotti. Introduction to Optics . Addison-Wesley, 2006. ISBN: 9780131499331.
- [Goodman] = Goodman, Joseph W. Introduction to Fourier Optics . McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1968. ISBN: 9780070237766.
- Chapter 1: Nature of Light.
- Chapter 2: Geometrical Optics.
- Chapter 3: Optical Instrumentation.
- Chapter 18: Matrix Methods in Paraxial Optics.
- Chapter 4: Properties of Lasers.
- Chapter 25: Optical Properties of Materials.
- Chapter 5: Wave Equations.
- Chapter 7: Interference of Light.
- Chapter 8: Optical Interferometry.
- Chapter 2: Analysis of Two-Dimensional Signals and Systems.
- Chapter 4.3: The Fraunhofer Approximation.
- Chapter 4.4.1: Rectangular Aperture.
- Chapter 4.4.2: Circular Aperture.
- Chapter 4.5.2: Fresnel Diffraction by a Sinusoidal Amplitude Grating.
- Chapter 4.4.3: Thin Sinusoidal Amplitude Grating.
- Chapter 4.4.4: Thin Sinusoidal Phase Grating.
- Chapter 8.1.1: The Abbe-Porter Experiments.
- Chapter 8.1.2: The Zemike Phase-Contrast Microscope.
- Chapter 26: Laser Operation.
- Chapter 27: Characteristics of Laser Beams.
- Chapter 14: Matrix Treatment of Polarization.
- Chapter 15: Production of Polarized Light.
- Pedrotti, Frank L., Leno M. Pedrotti, and Leno S. Pedrotti. Introduction to Optics . Addison-Wesley, 2006. ISBN: 9780131499331.
- Goodman, Joseph W. Introduction to Fourier Optics . McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1968. ISBN: 9780070237766.
- Hecht, E. Optics . 4th ed. Addison-Wesley, 2001. ISBN: 9780805385663.
- Smith, W. J. Modern Optical Engineering . 4th ed. SPIE Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780819470966.
- Bass, Michael, E. W. Van Stryland, D. R. Williams, eds. Handbook of Optics . Vol 1, 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill Professional, 1995. ISBN: 9780070477407.
- Haus, H. A. Waves and Fields in Optoelectronics . Prentice Hall, 1983. ISBN: 9780139460531.
- Voelz, David George. Computational Fourier Optics: A MATLAB Tutorial . SPIE Press, 2011. ISBN: 9780819482044.
Spring 2009
Topics
- Introduction; brief history of optics; absorption, refraction; laws of reflection and refraction
- Laws of reflection and refraction; prisms; dispersion; paraboloidal reflector
- Perfect focusing; paraboloidal reflector; ellipsoidal refractor; introduction to imaging; perfect on-axis imaging using aspheric lenses; imperfect imaging using spherical surfaces; paraxial approximation; ray transfer matrices
- Sign conventions; thin lens; real and virtual images
- Imaging at finite distances with thin lenses; thick lenses; the human eye; image formation by a composite lens
- Aperture stop; entrance and exit pupils; numerical aperture (NA); field stop; entrance and exit windows; field of view (FoV)
- Ray tracing with mirrors; basic optical systems: single lens magnifier, eyepiece, microscope
- Basic optical systems (cont.): telescope; chromatic aberration; geometrical aberrations: spherical, coma
- Geometrical aberrations (cont.): astigmatism, field curvature, distortion; optical design demo; GRadient INdex (GRIN) optics: quadratic and axial profile; introduction to the Hamiltonian formulation
- Hamiltonian formulation of ray tracing; analogies between Hamiltonian optics and Hamiltonian mechanics; introduction to waves
- 1D wave equation; complex (phasor) representation; 3D waves: plane, spherical
- 3D waves: plane, spherical; dispersive waves; group velocity; spatial frequencies; introduction to electromagnetics; Maxwell’s equations; derivation of the wave equation for light
- Maxwell’s equations (cont.); polarization justification of the refractive index; electromagnetic energy flux and Poynting’s vector; irradiance (intensity)
- Interference; Michelson and Mach-Zehnder interferometers; Huygens principle; Young interferometer; Fresnel diffraction
- Gratings: amplitude, phase, sinusoidal, binary
- Fraunhofer diffraction; review of Fourier transforms and theorems
- Spatial filtering; the transfer function of Fresnel propagation; Fourier transforming properties of lenses
- 4F system (telescope with finite conjugates) as a cascade of Fourier transforms; binary amplitude and phase pupil masks; Point Spread Function (PSF)
- Shift invariance; Amplitude Transfer Function (ATF); lateral and angular magnification in the 4F system; relationship between NA, PSF, and ATF; sampling and the Space Bandwidth Product (SBP); advanced spatial filtering: pupil engineering, phase contrast imaging; Talbot effect
- Temporal and spatial coherence; spatially incoherent imaging; Optical Transfer Function (OTF) and Modulation Transfer Function (MTF); comparison of coherent and incoherent imaging
- Imaging with a single lens; resolution
- Project presentations
- Resolution (cont.); defocused optical systems
- Depth of focus and depth of field; deconvolution and Tikhonov regularization; polarization; wave plates; effects of polarization on high-NA optical systems
Readings
- Hecht, Eugene. Optics . Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 2001. ISBN: 9780805385663.
- Goodman, Joseph W. Introduction to Fourier Optics . Englewood, CO: Roberts & Co., 2004. ISBN: 9780974707723.
- Haus, Hermann A. Waves and Fields in Optoelectronics . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1983. ISBN: 9780139460531.
- Klein, Miles V., and Thomas Furtak. Optics . New York, NY: Wiley, 1986. ISBN: 9780471872979.
- Saleh, Bahaa E. A., and Malvin Carl Teich. Fundamentals of Photonics . Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Interscience, 2007. ISBN: 9780471358329.
- Jenkins, Francis A., and Harvey E. White. Fundamentals of Optics . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1976. ISBN: 9780070323308.
- Smith, Warren J. Modern Optical Engineering . New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2007. ISBN: 9780071476874.
Prerequisites & course information
Subject meets with 2.71 Prereq: ( Physics II (GIR) , 2.004 , and 18.03 ) or permission of instructor G (Fall) 3-0-9 units
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2014
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2009
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.