Undergraduate Courses in Optics + Photonics
Electrical and Computer Engineering
ECE 4050 — Fiber Optic System Design
A multidisciplinary senior design course. Design, evaluation, construction, and testing of components to
be assembled into an evolving student-built fiber communication system.
ECE 4500 — Optical Engineering
Introduction to applications of geometric and physical optics to engineering, including optical measurements,
matrix methods, instruments, interference, holography, beam optics, Fourier optics, and diffraction.
ECE 4501 — Fiber Optics
Combined lecture-laboratory exploration of the technology of fiber optics, with special emphasis on optical
fiber communications systems.
ECE 4751 — Laser Theory and Applications
Provides an introduction to the theory and applications of laser principles and related instrumentation.
Emphasis is on the fundamental principles underlying laser action. Crosslisted with PHYS 4751.
Materials Science and Engineering
MSE 3015 — Electrical, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Materials
Introduces the quantum mechanical concepts and the band theory of solids at the level necessary to
understand the physical properties of materials. Provides students with a fundamental understanding
of the important physical (electronic, dielectric, optical, and magnetic) phenomena in various classes
of materials (metals, semiconductors, ceramics, and polymers).
Physics
PHYS 3223 — Geometric Optics
Principles of geometrical optics using ray tracing techniques. Stops, pupils, aberrations, and photometry.
Design and analysis of lenses using current lens design software.
PHYS 3224 — Geometrical Optics Lab
Measurement of parameters of optical surfaces, lenses, and systems using a variety of techniques.
PHYS 3225 — Modern Optics
Principles of wave propagation, coherence, polarization, diffraction, and Fourier Optics; laser theory
including the interaction of light with matter.
PHYS 3226 — Modern Optics Lab
Measurement of parameters of optical surfaces, lenses, and systems using a variety of modern optics
techniques.
PHYS 4220 — Optical Design
Principles of optical and optomechanical design including tolerancing, specification, and thermal
compensation of systems.
