ECE 4370 - Photonics and Lasers: Devices and Applications

Spring. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: ECE 3030. Culminating design experience (CDE) course.

C. Poitras.

Introduction to the operation, physics, and application of lasers. Gaussian beams, optical resonators, the interaction of radiation with matter, stimulated emission, rate equations. Examples of coherent radiation to nonlinear optics, communication, and leading-edge research are frequently used. Physical principles of optical waveguides. Wave equation solutions to the mode structure in waveguides, numerical analysis, mode coupling, dispersion and bandwidth limitations, optical materials, photonic band gap structures. Project design of planar optical components.

Outcome 1: Be able to analytically calculate the allowed modes in different waveguides.

Outcome 2: Be able to numerically simulate wave propagation in waveguides.

Outcome 3: Be able to design, simulate and measure an integrated device and communicate the results effectively.

Outcome 4: Understand and be able to predict the effects of attenuations in fibers and waveguides and its implications on the wave propagation.

Outcome 5: Learn to predict radiation losses in different structures such as bends and couplers.