Semiconductor Optoelectronics: Theory and Design
This MIT OpenCourseWare course examines how photons interact with semiconductor materials. Band theory of solids is used to calculate absorption and gain in semiconductor media, and rate equation formalism builds up concepts of laser threshold, population inversion, and modulation response. Matrix methods and coupled mode theory are applied to resonator structures including distributed feedback lasers, tunable lasers, and microring devices. The course also covers noise models for semiconductor devices and applications to fiber optic communications. Materials include lecture notes and problem sets from MIT's course 6.977, worth 12 Engineering Design points in the original curriculum. No certificate is offered, and all materials are free to access under MIT's open license. Suited to advanced electrical engineering students with a background in solid-state physics and photonics.