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MAT_SCI 395-7: Special Topics: Optical Properties of Materials

Description

MAT_SCI 395 will introduce the fundamentals of optical properties of materials. Beginning from Maxwell's equations and constitutive relations, this course covers common models used in the description of the optical constants of metals and insulators, symmetry considerations in nonlinear material properties, as well as a brief treatment of geometric optics and light-guiding structures. This course builds on this information to better understand the optical properties of (micro-)nano-structured and subwavelength materials, including periodic structures (photonic crystals), photonic circuits, and the absorption and scattering properties of dielectric and metallic nanoparticles. While providing a fundamental description of these properties, the course is focused on applications of these systems spanning communications to sensing. The course may also introduce simulation software to effectively design these nanostructures.