PHYS 402

Light

Fall 2026

TitleRubricSectionCRNTypeHoursTimesDaysLocationInstructor
LightPHYS402BB47625LEC41300 - 1650 M  6105 Engineering Sciences Building 
LightPHYS402BL232782LAB01300 - 1650 W  6105 Engineering Sciences Building 

Official Description

Wave kinematics; geometrical optics: basic concepts, ray-tracing and matrix formalism, Gaussian imaging by thick lenses, stops, apertures, and intensity relations; interference; interference spectroscopy and coherence; diffraction: Fresnel-Kirchhoff formulation, Fraunhofer case, Fresnel case, and holography; polarized light. Course Information: 4 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. (3 hours without lab). Prerequisite: PHYS 214 and PHYS 435 or ECE 329.