Unit I : Geometrical Optics - I Electromagnetic spectrum –Rotating mirror method for determining speed of light -Properties of light in free space and matter –Refractive index - Laws of reflection and refraction – Principle of reversibility - Fermat’s principle –Dispersion –Total internal reflection – Refraction by a plane-parallel plate – Refraction by a prism and minimum deviation –Refraction by thin prisms and their combinations - Dispersion in a prism – Dispersion without deviation and deviation without dispersion. Thin lens – Image formation by parallel ray method and oblique ray method - Lens maker’s formula – Lateral magnification – Virtual images – Power

Thick lens – Cardinal points – Parallel ray method of constructing images – Thick lens formulas - Thick lens as combination of thin lens – Problem solving Lens aberrations - Spherical aberration – Astigmatism – Coma – Curvature of the field -Distortion – Chromatic aberration – Achromatic Combination of two lenses in contact and in separation Spectacle lenses – Magnification in microscopes and telescopes – Eye pieces – Ramsden’s eye piece – Huygen’s eye piece – Oil immersion objectives.

Interference and Scattering -Huygen’s principle -Young’s experiment – Interference fringes and intensity distribution- Fresnel’s Biprism- Coherent sources - Michelson’s interferometer – White light fringes –Interferometric measurement of length –Index of refraction by interference methods – Mach-Zender refractometer – Interference involving multiple reflections –Reflections from plane parallel film- Newton’s rings- Interference at an air wedge- Fabry-Perot interferometer – Applications of interferometer for testing flatness and thickness of films.The Raman Effect experiment and its explanation- Intensity and polarization of Raman lines- Some applications of Raman Effects

Fraunhoffer diffraction- Diffraction by rectangular aperture- Diffraction by circular aperture - double slit- Diffraction by multiple slits- Diffraction grating- Resolving power – Rayleigh’s criterion- Resolving power of a grating, microscope and telescope. Fresnel diffraction - Half period zone - Zone plate - Diffraction at a circular aperture and at a straight edge (qualitative treatment only).

Double refraction –Propogation of waves in uniaxial crystal –Direction of vibration - Index of refraction of uniaxial crystals - Production and detection of linearly, circularly and elliptically polarized light- Quarter and half wave plates- Polarization by reflection- Brewster’s law- Malus law – Specific rotation of light - Laurents’s half shade polarimeter – Babinet’s compensator - Polariods- Discussion on use of polaroid sheets in preparing tinted sunglasses- Optical activity.