Photonic Materials and Devices
Photonic devices and the materials that make them work are the subject of this MIT OpenCourseWare course. Topics move from optical materials design in semiconductors, dielectrics and polymers through ray optics, electromagnetic optics and guided wave optics, then into light-matter interaction physics and device design for LEDs, lasers, photodetectors, modulators, fiber and waveguide interconnects, optical filters and photonic crystals. Fabrication coverage includes crystal growth, substrate engineering, thin film deposition, etching and process integration for dielectric, silicon and compound semiconductor materials, plus microphotonic integrated circuits used in telecom and datacom systems. Coursework centers on four design projects applying these principles at the materials, device and systems level. Materials are freely available through MIT OpenCourseWare under a Creative Commons license, with no certificate offered. Suited to advanced students already comfortable with electromagnetics and solid-state device fundamentals.