“And then, there was light”. A vital component in peering through the deepest secrets of the universe we live in, light has been at the forefront and background of much of 20th century’s biggest discoveries. The research work around light has given many bright minds of our times the accolades we have come to know and love them for. A worthy mention here would be Dr. Albert Einstein’s Nobel prize, which was awarded for his breakthrough explanation for the photoelectric effect.

The keyword here is photonics. It is a hybrid between physics and engineering and deals with the generation, propagation, manipulation, control, and detection of light within the ‘optical’ region of the electromagnetic spectrum. This course provides a comprehensive introduction into this important field, from Maxwell’s equations to the level of photonic components and building blocks such as lasers, amplifiers, modulators, waveguides, and detectors. This course is divided into two parts: Fundamentals and applications. The fundamentals include Maxwell’s equations and wave propagation. The applications include nonlinear optics, electro-optics, and acousto-optics.

This course is offered together by the Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering at SBASSE, LUMS.