Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Michael Withford
Contact via michael.withford@mq.edu.au
Co-Lecturer
Helen Pask
David Spence
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(MATH132 or MATH135) and [(PHYS140 and PHYS143) or (PHYS106 and PHYS107) or PHYS149]
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
Optical technology is widely used in industry, telecommunications and modern consumer devices, ranging from the tiny lasers in many disc drives to the thousands of kilometres of optical fibres carrying signals between continents. This unit offers an overview of these technologies, and the science underlying their operation. Topics include: light sources, optical fibres and semiconductor devices. A laboratory program introduces experimental photonics and optical fibre handling skills.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Exam | 40% | No | As per exam timetable |
Mid-semester Test | 20% | No | Week 6 (1 h) |
Laboratory reports | 20% | Yes | The following Monday. |
Assignments | 10% | No | As indicated |
Students' talks | 10% | No | Week 7 and 13 |
Due: As per exam timetable
Weighting: 40%
End of semester exam. Questions are weighted between content from Weeks 1-6 (25%) and Weeks 7-13 (75%).
If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled in the interval between the regular exam period and the start of the next session. By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application. You can check the supplementary exam information page on FSE101 in iLearn (bit.ly/FSESupp) for dates, and approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination.
Due: Week 6 (1 h)
Weighting: 20%
Covers material from first half of the unit. The exam will be held in the lecture room in Week 6.
Due: The following Monday.
Weighting: 20%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)
There are 10 three hour long laboratory classes scheduled on a Monday in Weeks 2 to 6 and Weeks 8 to 12. The completed lab reports are due the following Friday do allow sufficient time for assessment prior to the next lab class. This is a hurdle assessment - students are required to undertake the lab classes and complete the reports for at least 9 experiments.
Due: As indicated
Weighting: 10%
The 1st assignment will be set Week 2 and is due before the census date. The 2nd assignment will be set in Week 8. The assignments provide essential practice for questions in tests and examinations. Due dates as indicated on each assignment.
Due: Week 7 and 13
Weighting: 10%
Every student is expected to give 2 presentations illustrated by Powerpoint slides or similar visual aids. Depending on class size, each talk will be about 10- 15 minutes long which includes 2-3 minutes for questions from the audience. The subjects for the first talk are selected from a list that will be circulated by the lecturer in Week 2. The talk topics are drawn from topical subject areas in photonics intended to broaden the understanding of the students beyond the lecture and lab content.
For their 2nd talk students will participate in a classroom mini-symposium on contemporary topics in optics such as Light-Emitting Diodes or Solar Cells. The scope of these mini-symposia will be developed in class and students will be able to select from a range of sub-topics.
The first presentations are given in Week 7 during the time slots normally allocated for lab classes. The second talks will be given in Week 9 or week 12, during the lecture times. Venue details for the talks will be provided at least 1 week beforehand.
Talks are assessed on a combination of the content quality, presentation style, speaker understanding of the topic. Bonus marks are also available for the best questions from the student audience members.
The unit is delivered on-campus in a day mode. Students are also taken on a tour to see University research labs to see demonstrations of key photonic concepts discussed during lectures.
Reference texts:
Some material will be drawn from Optoelectronics (3rd edition) by J. Wilson and J. Hawkes, published by Prentice-Hall. The latter book is out of print, so you will receive handouts based on this material. Other texts you may want to consult are:
R.P. Khare ”Fiber optics and optoelectronics” Oxford, ISBN 0-19-566930-4
S.O. Kasap, “Optoelectronics and Photonics” Prentice Hall ISBN 0-201-61087-6
The popular first year text “University Physics” by Young and Friedman, (editions with Modern Physics, 11 and above, ISBN 0-8053-8684-X) may also be useful, as an adjunct to Halliday and Resnick.
Additional material will be available for downloading on http://ilearn.mq.edu.au
PHTN221 Lecture content and timing |
Topics |
Comments |
Week 1 and 2 |
General introduction to photonics; principles of optical fibres |
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Week 3 |
Fibre applications |
Assignment 1 due date 16 March |
Weeks 4-5 |
Blackbody emission; atomic energy levels; absorption, spontaneous and stimulated emission; rate equations and population inversion; lasers |
Assignment feedback week 4 |
Weeks 6 |
Basic optics; laser beam manipulation |
Mid semester exam during lecture slot in Week 6. |
Week 7 |
Measuring light |
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Week 8 |
Light sources |
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Week 9 | Case study - Light emitting diodes | |
Week 10 |
Making light work |
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Week 11 | Detecting light | |
Week 12 | Case study - solar cells | |
Week 13 | Revision (both lecturers) |
Comments: Week 1-6 lecturer - Michael Withford; Week 7-12 – Helen Pask; Week 13 - both.
Mid semester test in Week 6 during one of the lecture time slots.
Assignment feedback in Weeks 4 and 12.
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Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
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Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
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The lecture material has been revised to expose the students to material on basic optics (lens and beam delivery, laser beam manipulation) and additional material on optical fibre applications. Past content on solid state physics has been removed.