The course will provide students with a foundation in integrated optics and semiconductor lasers. Topics will include: solutions to the wave equation in semiconductor & planar waveguide structures; the operation of semiconductor lasers; materials used in semiconductor lasers; semiconductor lasers for specific applications; fabrication of semiconductor lasers and integrated optic devices.

2 lectures per week.

1 laboratory class of 3 hours

None

None

75% Written Assignment, including Essay (Technical essays)

25% Report (Lab report)

The aims of this course are to:

■ provide a firm foundation in the theory of guided wave optics and semiconductor lasers;

■ identify linkages between material properties and the performance of semiconductor lasers; and

■ explain how semiconductor lasers and integrated photonic circuits are designed for specific applications.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ explain the operation of semiconductor lasers, including basic concepts such as stimulated emission;

■ use analytic and numerical approaches to find solutions in semiconductor and planar dielectric structures;

■ relate the performance of optoelectronics systems to constituent device structures and underlying material physics;

■ design semiconductor lasers for specific applications, including DFB and DBR lasers; and

■ design process flows for fabricating semiconductor lasers and integrated optic devices.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components of the course's summative assessment.

Students must attend the timetabled laboratory classes.