Course Websites
PHYS 402 - Light
Last offered Fall 2026
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.
| Title | Section | CRN | Type | Hours | Times | Days | Location | Instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | BB | 47625 | LEC | 4 | 1300 - 1650 | M | 6105 Engineering Sciences Building | Aaron Pearlman |
| Light | BL2 | 32782 | LAB | 0 | 1300 - 1650 | W | 6105 Engineering Sciences Building |