Must-know's

(1) conductor vs. insulator
(2) quadratic = 2
(3) dielectric: dielectric polarization, dielectric constant, capacitor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dielectric
(4) waveguide: power propagation, total reflection (zigzag), wave eq. (derived from Maxwell's eqs.) w/ boundary conditions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waveguide
(5) waveguide (optics): dielectric material inside (w/ high permittivity, hence w/ high refractive index) surrounded by material w/ lower permittivity, total internal reflection, optical fiber, photonic-crystal fiber, Bragg reflection,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waveguide_(optics)
(6) reflectivity = reflectance(R): power (is always a positive real #) vs. reflection coefficient: E (= a+bi, complex #, determined by Fresnel eqs.)
R = E^2
RS(reflectance spectrum) = SRC(spectral reflectance curve)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflectivity
(7) plasmon: quantization of plasma oscillation, Maxwell's eqs., plasma frequency (The metal in E, followed by removing E, induces plasma oscillations that is the fast vibration of plasma or metals. The light below plasma frequency is reflected cuz the electrons in the metal screen it, whereas that above plasma frequency is trasmitted cuz the electrons cannot respond fast enough to block it.), surface plasmon (strong interaction w/ light resulting in polariton, occuring positive/negative dielectric constants), cause Wood's anomaly (which is the anomalies in diffraction from metal gratings), possible applications (based on extremely high frequency of plasma osciallation: plasmonster, high-resolution lithography & microscopy, OLED, solar cell by IMEC w/ broad applications in crystalline silicon c-Si, high-performance III-V, organic SC, and dye-sensitized SC), what controls the physical characteristics of plasmon? ans) properties of metal (shape, material, surface structures, metallic nanostructures, etc.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmon