Single-Course Engelsk 5 ECTS

Optical properties of materials

Overall Course Objectives

The course delivers an introduction to the basics of optics and photonics aiming to familiarise the students with the concept of light as a ray and as an electromagnetic wave, and its interaction with materials in a broad range of frequencies. We will start with simple geometrical concepts, describing behavior of light rays when moving from one media to another (lens, mirrors, prisms). Afterwards, we will use more advanced wave concepts (wavelength, speed of light, frequency) and, introduce material properties, defining light propagation. We will use these properties to classify various media (metals, dielectrics, semiconductors) and discuss the propagation of light in these media (transmission) as well as what happens when light passes from one medium to another (reflection, refraction). We conclude the course by introducing the concept of smart artificial materials (metamaterials, metasurfaces) and consider their design principles and applications. We focus on the current trends in developing of advanced artificial materials. The course will also discuss the possibilities and challenges in fabrication of smart nanomaterials for the optical spectra.

See course description in Danish

Describe why a material can be classified as metal, semiconductor or dielectric on on classical and quantum levels
Describe the principal difference in light behavior as a ray and as a wave
Describe the physical meaning of Maxwell’s equations
Derive the wave equation and find and explain its simplest solutions in different media
Explain the concept of permittivity and permeability in a standard material as well as describe wave propagation in that material
Describe what happens when light reaches the interface between two materials and quantify this transition
Describe the principles of designing smart optical materials
Describe the fabrication possibilities for smart nanomaterials and predict their properties
Discuss the fabrication limitations and their influence on the properties of the structured materials

The following concepts and phenomena will be discussed:
– The light rays propagation
– Imaging principles with lenses and mirrors, how and why an image can be
enlarged/reduced using lens
– Mathematics of vector operations (cross and dot products), the nabla (∇) operator
and the meaning of gradient, curl and divergence
– Maxwell’s equations and wave equation
– Electromagnetic/optical properties of materials
– The free electron gas model in modeling of real metals
– Electric and magnetic fields boundary conditions
– Effective medium approximation and its limitations
– Propagation of the waves in various bulk and structured materials
– Basic nano-fabrication techniques and their limitations
– Influence of the fabrication possibilities on the properties of the smart nanomaterials

34020/10041, or any other courses with basic knowledge of optics and electromagnetism

The lectures are divided into standard (whiteboard) classes, lab exercises where the students will measure and simulate optical properties of materials and presentations where the students will present their results. During the simulation lab exercises, the students will be able to design structures behaving like materials with desired optical properties.

Radu Malureanu

Contact or read more about Radu

Andrei Laurynenka

Contact or read more about Andrei

See course in the course database.

Registration

Language	Engelsk
Duration	13 weeks
Institute	Electro
Place	DTU Lyngby Campus
Course code	34024
Course type	Bachelor
Semester start	Week 36
Semester end	Week 49
Days	Thurs 8-12