Taking Nonlinear Optics/Ultrafast Physics without E&M?

[warfarink]

My school opened a new class this semester (Labeled as "Lasers and applications", but the syllabus has it as "Nonlinear optics and Ultrafast physics"), and I figured that as a junior-level physics major I should've been able to take it, since the course itself doesn't list any prerequisites. However, after looking through some of the book (
Diels and Rudolph “Ultrashort Laser Pulse Phenomena, 2nd ed."), I've noticed it's kind of heavy on the E&M theory, which I haven't taken a course on yet. I'm really interested in taking the course, but I don't want to do poorly because I'm lacking the e&m theory. Has anyone taken a similar course and could offer me a suggestion?

 

[sebaestschn]

Hi Warfarink!

Ultrafast laser physics is a relatively new, hot and strongly emerging field of physics. I only can recommend to take the class.

But to work with it, you defenitely need a good background in E&M, especially when it comes to interaction of the lasers electric field with matter. If you do not want to feel like a dying duck in a thunderstorm, you should be versed in E&M bevore entering a UFAST or nonlinear optics class.

Cheers,
Sebaestschn