Department of Physics, Unit Catalogue 2009/10 |
PH40086: Photonics |
 Credits:
| 6 |
| Level:
| Masters |
| Period: | Semester 2 |
| Assessment:
| EX 100% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| Before taking this unit you must take PH20015 and take PH30077 and take PH30030 |
| Description: | Aims: The aim of this unit is to develop students' understanding of the fundamental physics underlying both linear and nonlinear interactions of light with matter. A further aim is to describe how these interactions may be manipulated and enhanced by means of periodically patterned and microstructured optical waveguides. Learning Outcomes: After taking this unit the student should be able to: * demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the topics listed below; * solve problems in these areas. Skills: Numeracy T/F A, Problem Solving T/F A. Content: Optical waveguides (5 hours): Waveguide modes; scalar wave equation, mode excitation and propagation, transitions, plasmons. Coupled modes; directional coupling, supermodes, phase-matching, leakage and bending loss. Transmission and reflection characteristics of periodic optical waveguides. Microcavities. Photonic crystals (6 hours): One-dimensional photonic crystals; multilayer films. Two- and three-dimensional photonic crystals; Bloch theorem, photonic band gap. Photonic crystal band structure; slow light, negative refraction, superprisms. Defects in photonic crystals. Fabrication and characterization techniques. Photonic crystal fibres; solid- and hollow-core holey fibres. Nonlinear optics (6 hours): Nonlinear susceptibility, physical origin of optical nonlinearities. Second-order nonlinearities; nonlinear frequency mixing, second-harmonic generation, phase-matching. Third-order nonlinearities; four-wave mixing, frequency tripling, the optical Kerr effect, nonlinear refractive index, self-phase modulation. Resonant nonlinearities; saturated absorption, resonant nonlinear refractive index. Pulse compression. Soliton formation and propagation. Electron-photon interactions in low-dimensional semiconductors (5 hours): Optical absorption, emission and gain in bulk, quantum well, quantum wire and quantum dot semiconductors. Interband and intersubband processes. Excitons. Absorptive devices; quantum-confined Stark effect, quantum well infrared photodetectors. Emissive devices; bulk, quantum well, quantum wire and quantum dot semiconductor lasers, quantum cascade lasers. |