Electrical Engineering 119 — Introduction to Optical Engineering (3 Units)

Course Overview

Summary

From Professor T. K. Gustafson’s introduction to the course: EE119 introduces fundamental physical principles of both classical and modern optics as well as principles of optical design used in the engineering of optical systems. It also provides exposure to practical aspects of optical materials and devices. Its intention is to provide a foundation of basic principles, design methodology, and practical considerations needed to design or use optical instruments in engineering practice.

Prerequisites

Physics 7C

Topics Covered

Introduction to the propagation of light
Lenses and aberrations
Simple optical instruments
Basic diffraction
Gaussian beam propagation
Coherent sources
Detectors
Polarization and light modulators
Fiber optics
Partial coherence
Interference
Holography
Optics and nanostructures

Workload

Course Work

Varies significantly across instructors and semesters - Lab demonstrations - Midterms - Final exam

Time Commitment

There are 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week. In addition, there are a number of half-hour lab demonstrations throughout the semester

HKN Tips

Choosing the Course

When to take

Because Physics 7C is a requirement for this course, it should be taken during sophomore year at the earliest. Although the concepts may be more difficult, the course load is light enough to be taken concurrently with lower-division courses.

What next?

Usefulness for Research or Internships

Additional Comments

As there is limited information about this course, it is highly recommended (as with all courses that are tailored to a specific field) to talk to the professor who is scheduled to teach the course and directly discuss with him or her what the course will entail. Although we provide course guides, these only scratch the surface of what the course can really offer, and the professor can give you a better idea of what to expect.

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