I've been thinking about getting into something in Optics, but I don't

[Drakkith]

I've been thinking about getting into something in Optics, but I don't know anything about the different courses and such. Anyone here have any suggestions or know a good source of info on getting into optics?

 

[Andy Resnick]

What level of textbook are you looking for?

 

[Drakkith]

Umm, I don't think I'm looking for a textbook.

 

[micromass]

What specifically are you looking for??

 

[Drakkith]

What specifically are you looking for??

Just some general info on the different areas of optics and what kind of courses I would need to look into when I go back to college. I apologize, I'm having a difficult time describing what I want. This is why I don't usually ask questions lol.

 

[micromass]

Just some general info on the different areas of optics and what kind of courses I would need to look into when I go back to college. I apologize, I'm having a difficult time describing what I want. This is why I don't usually ask questions lol.

I can't really help you with that. Perhaps another member might give more information. However, perhaps you should see one of your professors about this?? Tell her/him that you are interested in optics and that you would like some tips about it.
After all, we don't know your specific college, so we don't know the courses available to you. Professors will be much more helpful. Also, you might want to ask them about undergrad research!

I hope that was a little helpful.

 

[Drakkith]

I'm not in college at the moment. I just got my associates from the community college of the Air Force and I need to get back into the grind.
There pretty much isn't anyone I can ask anywhere here that would actually know anything. I'd have to go around to the schools, of which the big one here, LSUS, doesn't do optics as far as I know.

 

[Mmm_Pasta]

Get a degree in physics. You'll learn optics in one of your introductory courses. Most programs also offer an upper level course in optics as well. Places such as University of Rochester and University of Arizona also offer a degree in optics. Some have optical engineering as well. Essentially what Rochester and Arizona offer I believe.

edit: I haven't used this, but I found it just googling
http://www.opticseducation.org/

 

[Andy Resnick]

Just some general info on the different areas of optics and what kind of courses I would need to look into when I go back to college. I apologize, I'm having a difficult time describing what I want. This is why I don't usually ask questions lol.

I'm not sure how to respond- Optics uses E&M (obviously), but also concepts from electrical engineering (signal processing and communications theory), solid state/condensed matter (optical devices and nonlinear optics), atomic and molecular physics (spectroscopy), computation (image processing and reconstruction), thermodynamics (radiometry)...

Try starting with these, see if it is what you had in mind: I tried to pick ones that are at the advanced undergraduate level.

David Brady, "Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy"
Emil Wolf, "Introduction to the Theory of Coherence and Polarization of Light"
Tony Siegman, "Lasers"
MIL-HDBK-141 "Military Standardization Handbook: Optical Design" (available online at http://www.optics.arizona.edu/ot/opti502/MIL_HDBK_141.html )

Finally, ERIM's multivolume "Infrared and Electro-Optic Systems Handbook" and the Optical Society of America's multivolume "Handbook of Optics" are references without peer.

 

[Drakkith]

Thanks!