Optics, Lasers, and Quantum Physics (Similar to Fall 2022 Course)

When people talk about optics, maybe you think about glasses and lenses, or maybe even about cameras and corneas! But did you know that physicists use a variety of optical techniques to explore critical scientific questions in quantum physics? In this course we will dive into the fundamentals of optics, lasers and their use in studying the quantum nature of our world. We will learn the fundamentals of how lasers work, conduct our own experiment using light from lasers to image microscopic objects, and explore beautiful and interesting properties of light as a scientific tool. This course will involve hands-on projects using laser imaging, lectures on fundamental physics topics, and lab tours in UCSB’s physics department.

Supported by: NSF Quantum Foundry through Q-AMASE-i program # DMR-1906325

Taught by: Madeleine Leibovitch, Jared Pagett, and Sam Brantly, Ph.D. students in Physics, along with Simon Mitchell, a senior CCS student in Physics