Optics and Photonics module (PH31017)

Light is everywhere. It powers our technology, shapes our vision, and forms the basis of some of the most advanced tools in modern science. In this module, you’ll explore how light behaves, how we control it, and how it’s used in technologies like lasers, fibre optics, and sensors.

You’ll begin by learning how to describe light as a wave, a particle, and a ray. You’ll explore lenses and optical systems using matrices, and see how light bends, reflects, and interferes. You’ll learn how polarised light works, how interference creates colourful patterns, and how diffraction limits what we can see. You’ll also discover how lasers are made, how fibre optics carry information, and how photonic systems are transforming the modern world.

This module gives you a powerful set of tools to understand and apply optics in real systems, from communication networks to scientific instruments. If you’ve ever wondered how a laser works or how light can be bent through glass, this is where you’ll find the answers.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• explore the nature of light as a wave, a ray, and a photon
• learn how to describe optical systems using matrix methods
• study polarisation, interference, and diffraction
• understand how fibre optics guide light and how lasers generate beams
• examine real-world photonic systems like sensors and optical communications

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• analyse and design simple optical systems
• solve problems involving polarised light, diffraction, and interference
• describe how lasers work and how light is used in technology
• apply key optical principles to real engineering and physics problems

Assignments / assessment

• Coursework (20%)
• Final written exam, two hours (80%)

Teaching methods / timetable

You will learn through lectures, in-depth discussions and demonstrations of key optical ideas, and on-campus workshops with practical problem-solving covering example problems and real-world scenarios.