Photonics for Materials

Objectives

The aim of the Photonics in Materials discipline is to teach the basic concepts of applied physics and materials science related with light-matter interaction. The discipline introduces the students to the areas of wave optics, quantum mechanics and solid state physics, so that they gain fundamental knowledge in such domains which will later be developed in subsequent disciplines in the next years of their degree.

The discipline has a strong practical character, since the topics lectured in the classes are presented in the context of current research and technological development in related scientific fields. For instance, the lesson on numerical simulation and the laboratory work highly contribute in that respect, as they allow the students to follow a real R&D experiment in nano-photonics and execute the inherent steps of design, fabrication, characterization and results interpretation.

The lessons are divided in 6 modules:

1)   Introduction – presentation of the discipline and what is expected from the students. Introductory seminar about the main historical developments related with the fields of the discipline.

2)   Applied Optics – fundamental concepts of classical optics, electromagnetism and wave-nature of light, starting by introducing analogous principles of classical mechanics (oscillators and waves).

3)   Quantum Mechanics – introduction to quantum physics, with focus in the aspects related with particle-wave duality and photonics.

4)   Solid State Physics – basic fundaments of solid state physics with the aim of describing and deriving the properties of matter (i.e. band structure, refractive index, etc) that explain its interaction with light.

5)   R&D Topics – scientific and technological principles involved in the current research work related with photonics for photovoltaics (i.e. light trapping in solar cells) and molecular detection (i.e. SERS) performed in the MEON group of CENIMAT-UNINOVA, covering main aspects of the R&D activities performed in the group: computational simulation, experimental development, device fabrication and characterization.

6)   Laboratory – lessons conducted in the laboratories of CENIMAT-UNINOVA where the students participate in an experiment covering the characterization of two different types of light trapping structures for solar cells: a plasmonic back reflector and a dielectric wave-optical micro-structure, aimed to be integrated in the rear and front contacts of thin film photovoltaics devices, respectively. 

General characterization

Code

11509

Credits

6.0

Responsible teacher

Manuel João Dias Mendes

Hours

Weekly - 4

Total - Available soon

Teaching language

Português

Prerequisites

Available soon

Bibliography

Physics for Scientists and Engineers – by P. M. Fishbane, S. Gasiorowicz, S. T. Thornton. Prentice Hall, 1996

Physics for Scientists and Engineers, with Modern Physics – by R. A. Serway & J. W. Jewett. Brooks/Cole, Boston USA, 2014

Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles – by C. F. Bohren & D. R. Huffman. John Wiley & Sons, 1983

Óptica – by Eugene Hecht. Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, 2002

 

Additional:

Introduction to Solid State Physics – by C. Kittel. Wiley, 2004

Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering – by A. Luque & S. Hegedus. Wiley, 2010

Teaching method

Available soon

Evaluation method

Available soon

Subject matter

Introduction:


Objectives and Program. Discipline organization. Evaluation methods.


Historical description of main developments leading to the present fields of photonics and quantum mechanics. 

 

Electromagnetism and classical optics:

Harmonic oscillator (simple, damped and forced), resonances, and general applications.

Wave equation. Stationary and propagating waves in 1, 2 and 3 dimensions. Energy in waves.

Electromagnetic (EM) waves. Poyinting vector and energy transfer via EM waves. Dipole antenna and radiation of EM waves.

Geometric (ray) optics. Wave nature of light. Fresnel laws. Young double and multiple slits. Light wave interference.

Thin-film interference. Interferometers. Single-slit diffraction. Diffraction gratings. Bragg’s law. X-ray diffraction.

EM in complex notation. Propagation of light in matter. Refractive index. Lambert-Beer law. Rayleigh and generic particle scattering.

 

Quantum Mechanics:

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics. Planck’s law and Black body radiation. Quanta of light and the Photo-electric effect.

 

Compton shift effect. Wave properties of particles. Revised Double-slit. Quantum particles. Uncertainty principle.


Wave function. Particle in a box. Schrödinger equation. Potential wells. Tunnel effect. Harmonic oscillator.

 

Solid State Physics:

Periodic crystals. Atomic Bonding. Free-electrons in metals. Band theory. Electric conduction. Semiconductor physics.


Lorenz and Drude models. Band structure in solid state physics. Thin film optical and electrical characterization methods.

 

Seminars:

Fundaments and applications of plasmonics. Near and far scattered fields by particles. Optical nano-antennas.

 

Fundaments and applications of Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for molecular detection. 

Principles, fabrication and characterization of photonic nano/micro-structures for light trapping in solar cells.

Tutorial and numerical (FDTD) simulations performed in class to compute the opto-electronic response of plasmon-enhanced thin film silicon solar cells.

 

Laboratory:

Analysis of light trapping structures developed in CENIMAT-CEMOP, via their morphological (SEM imaging) and optical (Spectrophotometry) characterization. Presentation of fabrication techniques.

Programs

Programs where the course is taught: