The course is foreseen for MSc and postgraduate students. The course is freely selectable in MSc programme in Photonics. It is also a part of the Erasmus Mundus Masters programme in Photonics. The course is given in English.
The topics of the course include:
Basics of crystalline and band structure of semiconductor materials, free and bound electrons and holes, excitons, plasmons and phonons.
Optical measurement techniques.
Interband, intraband, excitonic and phonon optical transitions.
Semiconductor nanostructures, including technology and optical properties of quantum dots.
Properties of the near field radiation, including generation, detection and analysis.
Principles of operation and construction of a scanning near field optical microscope (SNOM).
Plasmonics of thin metallic layers and nanoparticles.
During the course, the students will learn the basics of semiconductor optics. The studied topics include properties of electronic and phonon optical transitions in bulk materials and nanostructures, and as well as electric field and nonlinear effects. In addition, the students will examine some topics that are at the frontiers of contemporary nanooptics. The students will thoroughly analyse the near field radiation and its applications in microscopy and nanophotonics and familiarise themselves with optical properties of metals (plasmonics).
After the completed course, the students should be able to:
- Have basic knowledge about band structure of semiconductor materials, free and bound carriers, excitons, plasmons and phonons, and their influence on optical spectra.
- Define distinctions between direct and indirect, radiative and nonradiative, and allowed and forbidden transitions in semiconductors and their nanostructures.
- Calculate exciton transition energies and energy levels in quantum wells.
- Define distinctions and common features between far and near field light, nano- and conventional optics.
- Characterise near field optical microscopy conditions needed to evaluate such optical properties as luminescence, transmission and refraction. This includes identifying advantages and drawbacks of the technique and making optimal tradeoffs for specific tasks.
- Describe basics and identify important issues in technology and applications of semiconductor nanostructures and plasmonic structures.
- Determine conditions of plasmon generation in planar and spherical plasmonic structures.
Besides, the students will improve their literature search, seminar preparation and presentation skills.