Modern Optics

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

Robin Marjoribanks
McLennan Physics 1104C
marj@physics.utoronto.ca
 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
 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
 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:
n = n 2π c / L L is the cavity length
= n o 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(not+n
In a free cavity, with random (n), we get ‘wild’ light. In a cavity where
we make (n)=0, we lock the modes together
 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’
 Er-fiber laser
(Modern Physics Lab PHY326/426)
output:
pump input coupler Er-doped fiber
1550 nm (WDM 980/ 1550nm ) (5m length)
100 fs
2–40 mW optical pump pigtail fiber- pigtail fiber-
(980nm diode laser) optic leads optic leads

pump:
980 nm diode pigtail fiber-
polarization
controller
60 mW min optic leads

fiber coupled
pigtail fiber- pigtail fiber-
modelocking: Faraday
isolator/polarizer
polarization
controller
optic leads optic leads

Kerr ellipse-
rotation output coupler

polarizer Controller for thermo-

electric cooler on pump
partial recompression
discrimination MetroCor fiber length
electrical feedthroughs

dispersion
2 kinds of fiber fiber optic feedthroughs

opposite GVD
 Course Approach
multiple resources:
textbook
lectures
online materials: demos, applications
office hours
other texts
study/work groups
all are needed
each has particular advantages
 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/prepared
also
 Textbook
 “Optics” (4th edition), Hecht
 we’ll use this for its wonderful illustrations
and applications, but it is organized by
device rather than by principle — we’ll 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). 
 Office Hours
Professor Marjoribanks
Wednesdays 2–3 pm (OK?)
MP1104C
markers to be determined
 Contact
I’ll initiate email using only your official
registered U of T email address (e.g.,
zubeki@utoronto.ca)
problem set changes, class
announcements, reminders may go there
you’re responsible for email
 Problem sets
 Problem set due dates (posted on web)
 PS#1 - due 2 October
 PS#2 - due 21 October
 Midterm Test: 28 October 2008, 5-7 pm OK?
 PS#3 - due 13 November
 PS#4 - 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)
 getting Midterm back
 the TAs each mark part of the midterm
 I am at a conference the third week of November

 if the TAs don’t both get their marking done

in one week, you won’t get the midterm back
before the start of December
 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

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 √
5-6 √ 8 2 √
6-7 3 8 3
7-8
8-9