Spring 2015 Tu/Th 12:30-2:20
Instructor: Lih Y. Lin
The
2014 Nobel Prize in Physics was dedicated to the invention of blue
LEDs, which is one of the topics this course will cover. Another topic,
laser, was another invention that led to a Nobel Prize. Photonics and
optoelectronics has profoundly influenced our life, and the impact
continues. In this course, we plan to cover the following topics. The
class will include homework and a final project.
Optical Processes in Semiconductors
- 0-D, 1-D, and 2-D materials
- Electron-hole pair generation
- Transition probability in electron-photon interaction
- Absorption coefficient
- Various absorption mechanisms
- Relationship between absorption and emission
Light Emitting Diodes
- P-N junction
- LED principles, structures and overall efficiency
- Emission spectrum and photon output
- Frequency response and modulation bandwidth
Optical Waveguides
- Modes in planar waveguides
- Ray-optic approach
- Electromagnetic wave approach
- Modes in rectangular waveguides
Photodetectors and Solar Cells
- Photoconductors
- Junction photodiodes
- Avalanche photodiodes
- Solar cells
Lasers: Operating Principles
- Emission, absorption and gain in a two-level system
- Emission, absorption and gain in a semiconductor
- Laser cavity and lasing threshold conditions
- Laser mode structures
Lasers: Structures and Properties
- Threshold current and power output
- Heterojunction lasers
- DFB lasers and coupled-mode theory
- Other laser structures
- Modulation of lasers
