Photonics

Subject description

INTRODUCTION:

challenges and trends in the field of photonics latest achievements – what of these we will learn, today in tomorrow of nanophotonics, why to use a photon instead of an electron

LIGHT:

light and Maxwell – electromagnetic waves, light and matter, optical situation at an interface of two media, light interaction with nanometer size structures, Fourier optics – why?, electro-optical and magneto-optical effects and components

PHOTONIC COMPONENTS:

operational principles, design and technologies, use in photonic circuits:

photonic crystals: 1D, 2D, 3D,
metallic nanostructures: metamaterials, negative refractive index, plasmonic effects
resonators, filters and modulators
micro and nanolasers
micro fotodetectors
attempts towards optical transistors

PHOTONIC INTEGRATED CIRCUITS (PICs):

photonic electronic integration – why?, latest examples of integration of above mentioned photonic components in PICs, platforms on Si on insulator, InP material and TriPleX, design tools, examples of design, practical cases, towards optical gates, how to proceed and what is restricting us on the way towards optical computers

FIBER SENSORS:

interferometric, photonic crystal based, liquid crystal based, plasmonic detection, use in biomedicine and in other fields

NANOPHOTONIC STRUCTURES IN PHOTOVOLTAICS:

antireflection structures, light management photonic structures in solar cells, novel reflectors, practical design and characterisation of nanophotonic structures, design based on 3D optical modelling (FEM, FDTD, RCWA), characterisation methods and instruments, measurements of reflection/transmission, light scattering, angular distribution function)

The subject is taught in programs

Objectives and competences

The objectives of the course are to familiarize students with the state-of-the-art knowledge on photonics, especially on integrated photonics. We focus on integrated photonic circuits, fiber sensors and nanophotonic structures in photovoltaics. Students will learn theoretical background and practical issues in the design and application of the photonic devices.

Teaching and learning methods

The lectures provide a theoretical background on nano(photonic) structures, practical examples are shown. In the practical work students will focus on design of simple photonic integrated circuits. They will also measure characteristics of selected (nano)photonic structures. A part of the educational process will be carried out by means of ICT technologies, employing options they offer.

Expected study results

After successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

explain operational principles of presented nanophotonic structures.
specify the meaning and possible application of basic components in photonic integrated circuits (PIC).
categorise different technologies of PICs and to describe their pros and cons.
design simple PICs
measure selected characteristics of. nanophotonic structures.
analyse different realizations of optical fiber sensors.

Basic sources and literature

L. Chrostowski e tal., Silicon Photonics Design: From Devices to Systems, Cambridge University Press; 2015.
Q. Gong e tal., Photonic Crystals: Principles and Applications, Pan Stanford, 2014.
G. Rajan, Optical Fiber Sensors: Advanced Techniques and Applications (Devices, Circuits, and Systems), CRC Press, 2015.
B. E. A. Saleh e tal., Fundamentals of Photonics (2nd Edition) Wiley-Interscience; 2007.
J. Krc and M. Topic, Optical modelling and simulations of thin-film photovoltaic devices, CRC Press, 2013.