About the lecture

In this mini-lecture, we introduce the big picture of optics. As we move through this mini-lecture we: (i) recall that light is a wave with a wavelength and frequency as seen in the electromagnetic spectrum; (ii) discuss where light comes from, such as the sun, fire and candles, and eventually electric light bulbs and lasers; (iii) highlight the fundamental impacts of optics on microscopy, astronomy, quantum physics; and (iv) discuss applications of optics such as polarisation, x-ray crystallography, optical networks, and precision measurements (laser interferometer and atomic clock).

About the lecturer

Charles Adams is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Durham University. His principal research interests are in experimental quantum optics, in particular light-matter interactions in strongly-interacting atomic systems. He was the 2014 recipient of the Joseph Thomson Medal, awarded by the Institute of Physics (IOP) to those who have made distinguished contributions to atomic or molecular physics. In 2020, he was awarded the Holweck Prize by the French Physical Society and the IOP for pioneering work in quantum optics. Professor Adams is also a co-author of the optics textbook Optics f2f: From Fourier to Fresnel (2018).