Course Information

Course Information

In this web page we provide the syllabus of the course Light and Matter interactions and optical properties of solids, offered by the Department of Physics.

The list of the courses offered during the current accademic year is available here. 

The list of all courses offered by the Department of Physics is available here.

Code Φ-468
Title Light and Matter interactions and optical properties of solids
Category C
ECTS 6
Hours 4
Level Undergraduate
Semester Spring
Teacher V. Apostolopoulos
Program

Monday, 9:00-11:00, Room 3
Thusday, 9:00-11:00, Amphitheater ST
Course Webpage https://eclass.physics.uoc.gr/courses/PH468/
Goal of the Course

The purpose of the course is to teach light and matter interactions starting with classical harmonic oscillator models such as the Lorentz model and building up complexity to pass to modern semiconductor lasers such as VECSELs and Quantum Cascade lasers and phenomena of coherent light and matter interaction as they are encountered in polariton lasers. In this path students will be shown many concepts covering classical optics, quantum optics but also semiconductor physics, the target is to understand the variety of models and concepts needed to understand light and matter interaction and how our understanding is advancing technology. 
The course is suitable for students of the Departments of Chemistry and Materials science and Technology (TEMY) who are in their fourth year.
 
Syllabus
  • Classical theory of matter and light interaction. Optics and EM waves, the Maxwell and wave equations in media and refractive index relations. Forced electronic oscillation and resonant optical response; the Lorentz dispersion theory and comparison with experimental data; Drude-Smith theory, bulk and surface plasmon polaritons. Causality, convolution theorem and the Kramers-Kronig relations, susceptibility as a Transfer function.
  • Theory of anisotropic materials, introduction to susceptibility as a tensor and explanation of wave propagation in Calcite. 
  • Nonlinear materials and nonlinear tensor. Transient optical nonlinear effects such as Kerr and Stark effect. Self phase modulation, Non-linear dispersive wave equations - Schrodinger equation and soliton propagation.
  • Quantum theory of matter and light interaction. The two state atom approximation. Rabi oscillations, the rotating wave approximation and the Bloch sphere. Weak field approximation and back to the classical results of the Lorentz model. 
  • Modern semiconductor quantum well Lasers such as VECSELs and quantum cascade lasers and how they are designed, understanding concepts such as distributed Bragg mirrors, quantum well absorption and excitons. 
  • Strong coupling semiconductor lasers, Light-matter interaction in Semiconductor micro-cavities, Hopfield equation and polariton dispersion, Polariton laser, introduction to polariton quantum simulators. 
Bibliography