Optoelectronic devices for telecommunications and sensors. Microoptic components. Thin films: deposition processes and characterization. Photolithography. Optical fibres and integrated optics: ion exchange and ion implantation in glasses; UV and femtosecond laser writing in glasses. Optical amplifiers and lasers in rare-earth-doped glasses. Microresonators. Introduction to photonic crystals. Microstructured and photonic bandgap fibres.
T. Tamir, Integrated Optics, Springer Verlag, 1982.
H. Nishihara, M. Haruna, T. Suhara, Optical Integrated Circuits, McGraw Hill, 1989.
A.B. Matsko, Practical Applications of Microresonators in Optics and Photonics, CRC Press, 2009.
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired:
The course offers a solid background in an area which is at the forefront of research and technology. Optoelectronics (often also identified as “Photonics”) is a transversal enabling technology, i.e. making real breakthroughs possible in very many application areas, from environmental control to telecommunications, from security to biomedicine, from food to aerospace.
The aim of the course is to provide the basic knowledge necessary for the understanding of the physical phenomena and technologies that have permitted the development, among others, of modern fiber optic communication systems and of many sensing devices.
Lectures on theory will be integrated by experts’ seminars and by laboratory practice.
Competence acquired:
Knowledge of the most important optical materials. Knowledge of optical fibers and of microoptic and fiber-optic components. Fundamentals of integrated optics. Knowledge of optical microresonators and of optical amplifiers and lasers based on rare-earth activated glasses. Knowledge of the main optoelectronic sensors and of their applications.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
Know-how for the fabrication of optical waveguides by ion-exchange technique. Know-how for the optical characterization of optical fibers and planar waveguides. Capability of designing a fiber laser or a glass integrated optical laser. A practical introduction to photolithografic processes.
Prerequisites
Basics of Electromagnetism and Optics.
Teaching Methods
CFU: 6
Total hours of the course (including the time spent in attending lectures, seminars, private study, examinations, etc...): 150
Contact hours for: Lectures (hours): 48
Further information
Office hours: Thursday, 11-13 a.m.
Website: --
Type of Assessment
Oral exam
Course program
Optics and Photonics: enabling technologies.
Propagation of guided optical waves.
Introduction to holography.
Integrated optics materials and technologies.
Optical materials, with particular attention to glass materials and ion-exchange (laboratory).
Thin film technologies.
Characterization of waveguides and devices (laboratory).
Optoelectronic components for telecommunications and sensing.
Optical fibers and optical fiber components (laboratory).
Optical amplifiers and lasers based on rare-earth-doped glasses.
Optical microresonators for lasers and sensors.
Introduction to photonic crystals.
Introduction to microstructured optical fibers.