Optics from Beginner to Expert - The Physics of Light (Udemy.com)
Geometrical, Wave, Physical, Quantum & Modern Optics: Famous Experiments, Effects, Applications & Mathematical Models
Created by: Dr. Börge Göbel
Last updated January 2024
What you will learn
- Geometrical optics: Reflection & Refraction for understanding Mirrors & Lenses
- Wave optics: Diffraction, Interference & Polarization of light as a wave explained by Huygens' principle & Electrodynamics
- Quantum optics: Energy, Momentum & Spin of light as photons
- Famous experiments: Double-slit experiment, Photoelectric effect, Compton effect & many more
- Solar cells & LASER as modern light technologies
- Mathematical descriptions and derivations: From Maxwell's equations to Fresnel equations
- Exercises and applications of cool phenomena like Birefringence & Dichroism
- Modern optics phenomena like Holography & Fourier optics
How it compares
Against the other 503 rated Udemy courses in Teaching & Academics on CourseDuck:
- Rating4.6 out of 5higher than 58% of them
- Reviews410#268 of 504 by number of reviews
- Length17.4 hourslonger than 91% of them
- Last updatedJanuary 2024more recently than 53% of them
Course Description
This course is for everyone who wants to learn about optics: Beginners to experts!
A bit of high school mathematics (trigonometry, equations) is all you need to know to get started!
The fundamental question of optics is: 'What is light?' Is light a ray or a beam that can be fully described by geometry? Is light a wave that can interfere with other waves and can bend around corners? Does light consist of particles that have an energy and a momentum just like electrons or even macroscopic objects like a football? Here, we will discuss all of these approaches based on theory and experiments. I can guarantee that you will learn a lot no matter what your current skill level is. For advanced students: The later lectures about wave and quantum optics are on a university level.
You are kindly invited to join this carefully prepared course in which we derive the following concepts from scratch. I will present examples and have prepared quizzes and exercises for all topics.
Geometrical optics (3 hours)
Reflection & Mirrors
Refraction & Lenses
Applications: Eye, Microscope & Telescope
Wave optics (or physical optics) (8.5 hours)
Experiments & Phenomenological description (incl. introduction about derivatives and differential equations)
Diffraction, interference & Polarization
Theory based on Maxwell’s equations (incl. introduction to complex numbers)
Electromagnetic waves in matter: Derivation of the Fresnel equations & Complex refractive indices
Quantum optics (4.5 hours)
Photons: Quantum description of light (Photoelectric effect, Compton effect)
Applications: LASER & Solar cell
Introduction to quantum mechanics
Outlook: Modern optics phenomena
Why me?
My name is Börge Göbel and I am a postdoc working as a scientist in theoretical physics. Therefore, I use presented concepts very often but I have not forgotten the time when I learned about it and still remember the problems that I and other students had.
I have refined my advisor skills as a tutor of Bachelor, Master and PhD students in theoretical physics and have other successful courses here on Udemy.
I hope you are excited and I kindly welcome you to our course!
Instructor Details
- 4.6 Rating
410 Reviews
Dr. Börge Göbel
Hi, my name is Börge, I am a theoretical physicist working in the field for more than 10 years. I have been supervising several Bachelor, Master and PhD students and I am an experienced instructor on physics, mathematics and programming-related topics and want to spark your excitement for science. I will help you to become knowledgeable and successful in the STEM fields. Understanding Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics basically guarantees you to have a successful career and to be able to make the world a better place. However, getting into these extremely fascinating topics can be frustrating: They are often taught either too loosely or with a too strong focus on the mathematics.
My all-in-one courses are exactly the courses I wish I had when I was first getting into university-level mathematics, physics & programming!
You will benefit no matter what your skill level is: from ‘interested newcomer’ to ‘experienced university student’. Each beginner friendly course (mathematical basics included) condenses more than a whole semester of university to about 10h-20h of time-efficient videos, exercises, quizzes, and real-world examples.
More courses by Dr. Börge Göbel
Renewable Energy from Beginner to Expert Taught by Scientist (2024)
4.5 (1,589 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 10.4h
$84.99
Computational Physics: Scientific Programming with Python (2024)
4.5 (1,192 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 20.9h
$84.99
Quantum Physics from Beginner to Expert (Quantum mechanics) (2024)
4.6 (1,037 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 12.9h
$89.99
Wolfram Mathematica Masterclass: from Beginner to Expert (2024)
4.7 (433 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 24.4h
$84.99
Atomic, Nuclear & Particle Physics: From Beginner to Expert (2025)
4.7 (188 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 16.8h
$79.99
More Teaching & Academics courses
GMAT Focus | Quantitative| Master Math Course | 2026 Updated
5.0 (854 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 55.3h
$11.99
Speed Reading MACHINE 5.1: How To Read 307 Books In 2026
4.9 (1,386 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 7.2h
$12.99
GRE Quantitative Prep | Master Math Course | 2026 Updated
4.9 (980 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 59h
$10.99
IELTS Pro: Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking (2026)
4.9 (799 Reviews)
Provider: Udemy
Time: 30.4h
$10.99
Reviews
By Ilija Milosevic on 5/6/2026
Excellent class so far. Well explained to a smallest detail. Very patient and piece wise approach. One of the best Optics classes on this website.
By Kurt Alan Jensen on 12/31/2025
Too much unexplained complexity for an overview.
By Klt Webb on 10/21/2025
Very clear in the description of the topics discussed. Love the fact that he puts the historical background to the subjects being taught, hence that puts the context to it all. I also love the fact that he has a calm non rush manner of speech which greatly helps me understand at a lovely pace, so that I can understand the fascinating subjects being discussed.
By Lorwald Solist on 6/15/2025
tl;dr : The course has everything you must know about optics and mr. Börge clearly knows his subject. All this transmitted knowledge for such price makes it objectively the greatest course you could get on Udemy on this subject, period. The first thing to know is that this course contain lessons that heavily relies on advanced mathematics. Mr. Björg (kindly) added lessons about these in optional lessons, but I believe you will make the most of this course if you already have a good foundation in advanced mathematics. I followed the mathematics course of the same teacher before taking this course and I'm glad I did. Pros : - Mr.Björg knows his subject and is able to explain it with ease, with clear slides. - The course covers the whole subject with step-by-step explanations. - There's some "handwaving" concepts but they always will be explained exhaustively at a later point in the course. Cons : - Some details detailed orally won't appear on the slide : This may be counterintuitive to the pro mentioned above but if you're a non-english speaker like me, you will have to replay some parts of the videos to fully understand concepts. This includes some equations simplifications and some units meaning (e.g: momentum 'p' and Planck's constant 'h'). Do not hesitate to take additional notes ! - The teacher is not fast to answer questions (sometimes he doesn't. This is a qualitative and quantitative course about optical physics and despite its cons, I give it 5 stars as the ratio value/price is definitely one of the highest on Udemy.
By Pablo Eduardo Aguilera Vargas on 1/13/2025
las explicaciones son excelentes porque te lleva desde lo más básico de los conceptos matemáticos que se usan y luego los aplica
By Holly Lewis on 1/8/2025
Exceptional course, it is taught at the perfect pace and level and has really nice examples and exercises
By Zoma Scheper on 10/27/2024
I have been searching long and hard for a straight forward no nonsense course on Optics. FOUND it here. The lectures are well placed and it’s the best money I’ve spent in a long time. THANK YOU
By Roberto Ciliberti on 8/13/2023
This is a great course that truly lives up to its name. The tutor's expertise shines through their knowledgeable and engaging presentation. Despite some slow sections, the course effectively covers a wide range of optics topics, catering to learners of all levels. The instructor's relatable approach and inclusion of practical applications make the learning experience truly enjoyable. Overall, a fantastic learning journey with a relatable tutor!
By Jon Grimm on 6/11/2023
This course has been so helpful. It is exceptionally difficult to find an optic textbook that is readable and thorough. This course shows difficult concepts and equations plainly. Very helpful.
By Janett Lee Wawrzyniak on 5/22/2023
Myself having some knowledge of light, this course will increase my knowledge. I hope there will be light with effects, as temperatures and interactions, possibly solar. Very knowledgeable and interesting presentation, I am happy with this course.
Quality Score
No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.
Overall Score : 92 / 100











