Photonic switching
Code 148II
Credits 9
Learning outcomes
Objectives
The curse introduces the fundamentals of photonic technologies by considering the photonic devices on a structural, functional and manufacturing point of view. Moreover it will be given the basis of the photonic switching techniques by means of nonlinear photonic devices based on semiconductor and fibres. The curse includes practical in the laboratory.
Syllabus
1) Semiconductors for Photonics
a. Optical Proprieties of Semiconductors.
b. LEDs.
c. Optical guiding and cavities, losses and threshold condition.
d. DBR lasers, DFB lasers, VCSELs, quantum-cascaded lasers, microcavity lasers.
e. Key design parameters and degradation mechanisms in semiconductor lasers.
f. Semiconductor optical amplifiers.
g. PIN and avalanche receivers.
2) Photonic Passive and Functional Integrated Devices
a. Integrated guided optics.
b. Passive integrated devices.
c. Functional integrated devices.
d. Nonlinear devices.
3) Deposition and Compound Semiconductors Growth Techniques
a. Oxidation, sputtering, evaporation.
b. “Plasma enhanced” and “low-pressure” CVD.
c. Liquid-phase (LPE/) and vapour-phase (VPE/MOCVD) epitaxy.
d. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).
4) Processing/Manufacturing Devices
a. Lithography (electron-beam lithography, laser-beam lithography, optical lithography) and metallization.
b. "wet“ e “dry” etching techniques.
c. Ion implantation techniques, diffusion, annealing.
d. Device packaging.
5) Material/Device Testing and Characterization
a. Characterization equipment for materials (x-ray diffraction, photo-luminescence, Hall measurements, spectroscopy and microscopy techniques).
b. Characterization equipment for devices, examples of test setup.
6) Photonic Crystals Devices
a. Basic principles.
b. One-, two-, and three-dimensional PCD: typology, fabrication and characterization techniques.
7) Optical Fiber Technologies
a. Step- and graded-index fiber technology.
b. Micro-structured Fibers.
c. Fibre devices.
d. Optical fiber amplifiers.
e. Opical fiber sensors.
f. Fiber-guide coupling.
8) Glass-on-Silicon Technology.
9) Polarisation switching in a highly nonlinear fibre.
10) Signal inversion through XGM in a SOA.
11) Mode locked pulse characterization.
12) NOLM characterization through optical pulses.
13) AND photonic logic gate in a HNLF.
14) RZ packet generation.
Course structure
9 credits consisting of front lectures and exercise. Exam consists in a colloquium concerning course concepts and it could include the evaluation of reports on the experimental activities.
The curse introduces the fundamentals of photonic technologies by considering the photonic devices on a structural, functional and manufacturing point of view. Moreover it will be given the basis of the photonic switching techniques by means of nonlinear photonic devices based on semiconductor and fibres. The curse includes practical in the laboratory.
Syllabus
1) Semiconductors for Photonics
a. Optical Proprieties of Semiconductors.
b. LEDs.
c. Optical guiding and cavities, losses and threshold condition.
d. DBR lasers, DFB lasers, VCSELs, quantum-cascaded lasers, microcavity lasers.
e. Key design parameters and degradation mechanisms in semiconductor lasers.
f. Semiconductor optical amplifiers.
g. PIN and avalanche receivers.
2) Photonic Passive and Functional Integrated Devices
a. Integrated guided optics.
b. Passive integrated devices.
c. Functional integrated devices.
d. Nonlinear devices.
3) Deposition and Compound Semiconductors Growth Techniques
a. Oxidation, sputtering, evaporation.
b. “Plasma enhanced” and “low-pressure” CVD.
c. Liquid-phase (LPE/) and vapour-phase (VPE/MOCVD) epitaxy.
d. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE).
4) Processing/Manufacturing Devices
a. Lithography (electron-beam lithography, laser-beam lithography, optical lithography) and metallization.
b. "wet“ e “dry” etching techniques.
c. Ion implantation techniques, diffusion, annealing.
d. Device packaging.
5) Material/Device Testing and Characterization
a. Characterization equipment for materials (x-ray diffraction, photo-luminescence, Hall measurements, spectroscopy and microscopy techniques).
b. Characterization equipment for devices, examples of test setup.
6) Photonic Crystals Devices
a. Basic principles.
b. One-, two-, and three-dimensional PCD: typology, fabrication and characterization techniques.
7) Optical Fiber Technologies
a. Step- and graded-index fiber technology.
b. Micro-structured Fibers.
c. Fibre devices.
d. Optical fiber amplifiers.
e. Opical fiber sensors.
f. Fiber-guide coupling.
8) Glass-on-Silicon Technology.
9) Polarisation switching in a highly nonlinear fibre.
10) Signal inversion through XGM in a SOA.
11) Mode locked pulse characterization.
12) NOLM characterization through optical pulses.
13) AND photonic logic gate in a HNLF.
14) RZ packet generation.
Course structure
9 credits consisting of front lectures and exercise. Exam consists in a colloquium concerning course concepts and it could include the evaluation of reports on the experimental activities.