Fall 2017
Fall 2017: PHYC 581 Adv Topics in Modern Optics--Nanophotonics
Time: Thursday 4-7p,
Location: Regener Labs, Room 118
Instructor: Victor Acosta
Office Hours: Wed 1-3p, CHTM 115A
Recommended background: E&M at the level of ECE 360/PHYC 405 or optics at the PHYC 302 level.
Optional text: Principles of Nano-Optics by Novotny and Hecht. I have a copy you may borrow.
Class schedule: Class Schedule sheet. All dates are tentative but will be updated frequently, so check back often.
In this course we will learn how to tailor light-matter interactions by confining light and emitters to nanometer length scales. Through lectures, review articles, and hands-on use of Lumerical (industry standard nanophotonics simulation tool), we will learn how to design and simulate structures exhibiting, for example:
Fluorescence enhancement of an emitter embedded in a photonic crystal cavity
Plasmonic resonances in metallic nanostructures.
Phase/polarization control of light using dielectric nanopillars
Along the way we will learn about applications of these and other phenomena that are currently being pursued by nanophotonics researchers in academia and industry with a special emphasis on applications in biomedical imaging and sensing.
The course will be structured as follows:
Review of E&M theory: Maxwell’s equations, wave equations, modes, intro to plasmonics, and fundamentals of computational techniques.
Lumerical tutorial, commercial electromagnetics simulation tool
Case studies (3 total). For each, we’ll discuss a review article on an active nanophotonics research area. We will then collaboratively design and simulate (with Lumerical) nanophotonic structures for this application. Along the way, we will cover current hot topics in the relevant area. Anticipated topics are photonic crystals, plasmonics, and dielectric metasurfaces.
Student presentations. In place of a final exam, students will perform a case study on a nanophotonics topic of their choice. They will use Lumerical and/or other forms of analysis to investigate the topic, and they will present results to the class.
Graded assignments:
Assignment 1: Photonic Crystals: design a cavity. (due Sep 28)
Assignment 2: Plasmonics: design a nanoparticle. (due Nov 2)
Assignment 3: Dielectric metasurfaces: design a half waveplate. (due Nov 30)
Assignment 4: Final Exam presentations (Thurs, Dec 14, 4-7p, Regener Hall)
Literature Reviews:
Pairs of students will deliver a literature review on a paper of their choice. Everybody will have a chance to present once. The paper will be selected 1 week prior to class and the entire class is required to read the paper and come with at least one question to ask. Grades will be credit/no credit.
Lit Review 1: Photonic crystal cavities for Purcell enhancement. Faraon 2012. (Acosta, Sep 7).
Lit Review 2a: Biosensing with plasmonic nanosensors, Anker 2008. (Forrest and Max, Oct 5).
Lit Review 2b: Graphene plasmonics, Grigorenko 2012 (Yaser and Maziar, Oct 5).
Lit Review 3a: Flat optics, Yu 2014 (David and Saeid, Nov 9)
Lit Review 3b: Spectrum slitting compound metasurfaces, Yao 2014 (Vineeth, Nov 9)
Some course materials were adapted from Arka Majumdar's pioneering Applied Nanophotonics course at UW.