A First Course in Laboratory Optics

Description

An optics experiment is the product of intricate planning and imagination, best learned through practice. Bringing forth the creative side of experimental physics through optics, this book introduces its readers to the fundamentals of optical design through seven key experiments. The book includes several topics to support readers preparing to enter industrial or academic research laboratories. Optical sources, model testing and fitting, noise, geometric optics, optical processes such as diffraction, interference, polarization, and optical cavities, are just some of the key topics included. Coding tutorials are provided in the book and online to further develop readers' experience with design and experimental analysis. This guide is an invaluable introduction to the creative and explorative world of laboratory optics.

Andri M. Gretarsson is Associate Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. A member of the LIGO Collaboration for the detection of gravitational waves, he helped commission the initial detectors and calculated the effect of optical coatings on a range of current and future detectors. He has 15 years' experience teaching laboratory optics.