MIT OpenCourseWare

Browse materialsMIT 6.161 · Fall 2005

Modern Optics Project Laboratory

Subjects: Engineering · Physics

Art: not stated, Fletcher's Combined Block Telegraph Apparatus and Bell, 1889 · Public domain

Instructors: Prof. Cardinal Warde, David Dunmeyer
Term: Fall 2005
Level: Undergraduate
What's inside: 1 reading · 17 other files · 6 web pages
Materials open: MIT OCW

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About this course

Source: MIT OpenCourseWare 6.161 Modern Optics Project Laboratory, Fall 2005, Prof. Cardinal Warde, David Dunmeyer — original course page on ocw.mit.edu ↗. License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Study order: MIT's own listing order, section by section. Taken from MIT's published course files, downloaded from ocw.mit.edu on September 23, 2026. How RedLectern is built.

Materials are grouped the way MIT organized them. A verified, course-wide order has not been established here.

Before you start

Prerequisites are not listed here. Check MIT's own syllabus for this course.

This course’s cited books, in our reading lists: Optics · Fundamentals of Photonics · Introduction to Fourier Optics · Fundamentals of Optics

How this course was organized

What's here, and what isn't

A lecture sequence of 24 items is confirmed. Assignment and exam materials exist too, but MIT's own order for them could not be verified, so they're shown as materials below rather than a sequence.

Not included here

65 items from the source could not be safely included:

MIT's page format for this item wasn't recognized clearly enough to place it safely. (64 items)
Referenced in a table, but without MIT's own verified order, so it isn't used to claim a sequence.

Materials by section

Grouped by section, as MIT organized them. Not sequenced or ordered.

Labs

7 files

Assignments

9 files

Projects

Final Project DescriptionPDF Download

MIT OpenCourseWare, Prof. Cardinal Warde, David Dunmeyer, 6.161 Modern Optics Project Laboratory, Fall 2005.

License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Edition: Fall 2005 · Open the original course on OCW ↗

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Modern Optics Project Laboratory

Before you start

What's here, and what isn't

Not included here

Materials by section

Labs

Assignments

Projects

Lecture 1: Course Overview Description of Content, Expectations and Requirements, Grading Policy, Exams, etc Basics Review of Properties of E&M Waves, Amplitude, Intensity, Phase, Polarization and Coherence

Lecture 2: Wave Equation, Plane and Spherical Wave Solutions, Linear, Circular and Elliptical Polarization, Quarter and Halfwave Plates In-class Demo: Polarizers, Magic Sheet

Lecture 3: Reflection, Refraction, Snell’s Law, Critical Angle, Brewster’s Angle, Reflection and Transmission Coefficients

Lecture 4: Geometric Optics, Ray-matrix Methods, Microscopes, Telescopes, Lens Waveguide In-class Demo: Newtonian and Cassegrain Telescopes

Lecture 5: Interferometry Temporal and Spatial Coherence, Two-beam Interferometers (Michelson and Mach-Zehnder)

Lecture 6: Multiple-beam Interference, Finesse, Dielectric Mirrors, Fabry-Perot and Lummer-Gehrcke Interferometers, Antireflection Coatings, Dielectric Mirrors, Interference Filters In-class Demo: Soap Films, Dielectric Mirrors, Interference Filters

Lecture 7: Diffraction Scalar Diffraction Theory, Free-space Propagation, Spatial Frequency, Fresnel Diffraction Formula

Lecture 8: Fraunhofer Approximation, Examples, Diffraction-based Light Modulators In-class Demo: MEMS Deformable Mirror System

Lecture 9: Holography Transmission Holography, Image Separation Conditions, Real and Virtual Images, Phase-conjugate Waves

Lecture 10: Reflection Holography, Recording Media, Effects of Recording Medium Resolution, Computer-generated Holograms, Real-time Holography In-class Demo: Transmission, White Light and CGHs

Lecture 11: Light Modulators Electro-optic Light Modulation, Birefringence, Index Ellipsoid, Pockels and Kerr Effect, Electro-optic Tensor, Longitudinal and Transverse Electro-optic Modulators In-class Demo: Calcite Crystal, Stressed Plexiglass

Lecture 12: Longitudinal and Transverse Electro-optic Modulators

Lecture 13: Raman-Nath and Bragg Acousto-optic Light Modulation, Acousto-optic Signal Processors In-class Demo: Bragg Cell

Lecture 14: Photorefractive Effect, Liquid Crystal Light Modulation, Digital and Membrane-mirror Modulators and Displays In-class Demo: LCD cell

Lecture 15: Lasers Laser Principles, Spontaneous and Stimulated Emission, Rate Equations, Oscillation Frequencies In-class Demo: He laser, Visible Diode Lasers

Lecture 16: Scanning F-P Spectrometer, Output Power, Optical Amplifiers, Resonators, Specific Lasers In-class Demo: Scanning F-P

Lecture 17: Optical Waveguides Step-index Parallel-plate Optical Waveguide, Modes (Ray-optics Method), Modes In-class Demo: Fiber Samples

Lecture 18: Types of Dispersion, Bit Rate, Optical Fibers

Lecture 19: Optical Processors Fourier Optics, Fourier Transforming Property of Lenses, Classical Two-lens Processor

Lecture 20: Vander Lugt Filter, Matched Filters, JTC, Polychromatic Processors In-class Demo: CTLP

Lecture 21: Photodetectors Thermal and Quantum Detectors and their Characteristics, Responsivity, NEP, D*

Lecture 22: Noise Types, Specific Detectors (Bolometer, PMT, Photodiode, Avalanche PD, etc) In-class Demo: Photodiode, PMT

Lecture 23: Nonlinear Optics Nonlinear Index, SHG, Parametric Conversion, Phase Matching, Examples In-class Demo: SHG with Nd-YAG Laser and ADP Crystal

Lecture 24: Laboratory Project Presentations