Outline

Overview

The development of electrodynamic field theory laid the foundation on which all of modern physics is built, from relativity to quantum field theory. Its application to electromagnetic waves and optics underpins all of modern telecommunications, but also some of the most delicate physics experiments, from gravitational wave detection to quantum computing. This is a core unit in the physics major, which has three components: electrodynamics lectures, optics lectures, and experimental lab. In electrodynamics you will learn to manipulate Maxwell's equations in their differential form. You will apply the formalism to deriving properties of electromagnetic waves, including the interaction of waves with matter through reflection and absorption. This will lead to optics lectures in which you will investigate aspects of modern optics, using the laser to illustrate the topics covered, in combination with a discussion of the basic optical properties of materials, including the Lorentz model. You will investigate spontaneous and stimulated emission of light, laser rate equations, diffraction, Gaussian beam propagation, anisotropic media and nonlinear optics. You will carry out in-depth experimental investigations into key aspects of electrodynamics, optics, as well as other topics in physics, with expert tutoring.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Physics Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	(PHYS2011 OR PHYS2911 OR PHYS2921) AND (PHYS2012 OR PHYS2912 OR PHYS2922)
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	PHYS3935 or PHYS3040 or PHYS3940 or PHYS3941 or PHYS3068 or PHYS3968 or PHYS3069 or PHYS3969 or PHYS3080 or PHYS3980
Assumed knowledge ?	(MATH2021 OR MATH2921 OR MATH2061 OR MATH2961 OR MATH2067)
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Martijn de Sterke, martijn.desterke@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Record+)	Final exam Type B	40%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Quiz 1-4 Multiple choice or short answers. Quizzes in weeks 2,4,6, 9, & 12.	15%	Multiple weeks	20 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Experimental physics logbook Skills-based evaluation	15%	Multiple weeks	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Problem assignment Assignment	15%	Week 11	2-3 journal pages
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Experimental physics oral presentation Presentation	10%	Week 13	10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Continuous assessment Submission of credible answer to a weekly problem.	5%	Weekly	n/a
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = Type B final exam ?

Assessment summary

Assignments: One large problem assignment using aspects of both modules
Quizzes: Each quiz may contain multiple choice and short answer questions. There are five quizzes in total. The first quiz is purely formative. Of the remaining four quizzes the best three marks count towards the final mark. Quizzes cannot be submitted late.
Continuous assessment: A credible answer to a weekly problem is expected. Best 10 count towards final mark.
Experimental physics lab books: Oral presentation based on the material already in your logbook
Final exam: The final exam will have questions covering all coursework aspects of this course, and will be a short-answer on-line exam.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	At HD level, a student demonstrates a flair for the subject and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates the ability to apply subject knowledge to novel situations.
Distinction	75 - 84	At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a solid knowledge and understanding of the unit material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply the key ideas of the subject.
Credit	65 - 74	At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad understanding of the unit material but has not fully developed the ability to apply the key ideas of the subject.
Pass	50 - 64	At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the unit material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory achievement and is awarded to a student who has threshold knowledge of the subject.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Electrostatics: div, grad and curl, fundamental theorems; Gauss’s law in differential form; electric potential and its gradient	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 01	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 02	Magnetostatics: Ampere’s law and Gauss’ law for B in differential form. Magnetic vector potential. Multipole expansion of the potential. Energy in E and B fields	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 02	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 03	Electrodynamics: Maxwell’s equations in differential form. Maxwell’s correction, Maxwell’s equations in matter: Auxiliary fields	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 03	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 04	Electrodynamics: Electromagnetic (EM) waves in vacuum; vector wave equation, complex notation; energy and momentum in EM waves. EM waves in linear media.	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 04	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 05	Electrodynamics: boundary conditions of EM fields. Transmission and reflection of EM waves at normal and oblique incidence	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 05	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 06	Electrodynamics: The potential formulation; the Coulomb and Lorenz gauges; electric dipole radiation; rayleigh scattering	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 06	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 07	Optics: The Lorentz atom, Lorentz Drude model, complex permittivity, line shapes; Kramers-Kronig relations; dispersion relations and group velocity	Lecture (3 hr)
	Electrodynamics	Individual study (1 hr)
	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 08	Optics: Waveguides and modes	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
	No Description	Individual study (1 hr)
	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 09	Optics: Fourier transform in optics, paraxial wave equation solutions	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 09	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 10	Optics: Gaussian beams and gaussian optics; diffraction at apertures	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
	Optics	Individual study (1 hr)
	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 11	Optics: Einstein coefficients; three and four level lasers.	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 11	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 12	Optics: laser rate equations; solving the rate equations.	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
	Optics	Individual study (1 hr)
	Experimental physics lab	Science laboratory (4 hr)
Week 13	Optics: Propagation in anisotropic media, Refraction at anisotropic interfaces	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 13	Experimental physics lab, oral presentations	Science laboratory (4 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Electrodynamics: Griffiths, D.J., Introduction to electrodynamics, Pearson, 4th edition, ISBN-13: 978-0321856562.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate an understanding of key concepts in two foundation areas of physics – electrodynamics and optics
LO2. apply these concepts to develop models, and to solve qualitative and quantitative problems in scientific contexts, using appropriate mathematical and computing techniques as necessary
LO3. carry out and analyse experiments to measure specific effects
LO4. compare and critique experimental approaches
LO5. communicate scientific information appropriately, through written work and an oral presentation
LO6. analyse a physical problem in electrodynamics and optics and develop a formalism appropriate for solving it
LO7. demonstrate a sense of responsibility, ethical behaviour, and independence as a learner and as a scientist.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changes were made accommodate the 13 week semester and modifications were made to the assessment tasks.

Additional information

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

General Laboratory Safety Rules

No eating or drinking is allowed in any laboratory under any circumstances
A laboratory coat and closed-toe shoes are mandatory
Follow safety instructions in your manual and posted in laboratories
In case of fire, follow instructions posted outside the laboratory door
First aid kits, eye wash and fire extinguishers are located in or immediately outside each laboratory

As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that you have a current tetanus immunisation. This can be obtained from University Health Service: unihealth.usyd.edu.au/

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

PHYS3035: Electrodynamics and Optics

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect