Theoretical and digital photonics [SPHYM133]

Learning outcomes

Notion of photonic crystals; their specific properties and applications in photonics. Notion of extended surface plasmons; their applications in plasmonics.

Objectives

Assimilate the concept of a photonic crystal; understand the propagation of light in a photonic crystal starting from the wave equation and based on the analogy with the formalism of quantum mechanics; apply this theory in some typical cases of one-, two- and three-dimensional photonic crystals. Assimilate the concept of extended surface plasmons; understand the operation of typical plasmonic devices based on them.

Content

Concept of one, two, or three dimensional photonic crystal. Analogy with quantum mechanical formalism. Method for determining the harmonic eigenmodes of a photonic crystal. Photonic band diagram. Usefulness of symmetries for the classification of hamrmonic modes. Examples of one-, two- and three-dimensional photonic crystals; their properties and applications. Notion of extended surface plasmons. Methods of excitation of these plasmons. Typical examples of plasmonic devices based on these plasmons.