Laboratory Course in Optics

Teaching semester

Autumn

Objectives and Content

Objectives:The course objective is to make the student familiar with the connection between theory and experiment, to identify sources of error and uncertainty in practical work, as well as learning to present experimental results in the form of a scientific report, both written and oral.

Content:This course gives a practical introduction to the field of optics. The following topics are addressed: Polarization, diffraction, interference, and spatial filtering.

This course has limited capacity. Master students in optics and atomic physics will be prioritized.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the course

the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student can

• understand the physics principles behind the experiments.
• identify errors in the experiments.
• understand the functions of components used in the experiments.

Skills

The student can

• use basic optical equipment in the laboratory to carry our experiments
• write scientific reports that in a clear way presents the experimental work
• give an oral presentation of the experimental work

General competence

The student can

• explain the theoretical and practical limitations of laboratory experiments
• assess the quality of their own results based on critical thinking

Recommended Previous Knowledge

PHYS 261

Compulsory Assignments and Attendance

• Compulsory attendance in all laboratory excercises
• Lab report. Compulsory assignments are valid in 2 subsequent semesters.
• Compulsory assignment (presentation) is valid for 2 subsequent semesters.

Forms of Assessment

The forms of assessment are:

• Reports , 50% of total grade.
• Presentation (20 min), 10% of total grade.
• Oral examination (45 mins), 40% of total grade.

Grading Scale

The grading scale used is A to F. Grade A is the highest passing grade in the grading scale, grade F is a fail.