This course is offered each Spring semester by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Aarhus University as part of our Photonics Teaching Program.
The course introduces the physical principles and system-level concepts behind modern photonic and lightwave technologies. Students gain a foundation in light propagation, photonic components, and integrated photonic systems, supported by simulations, laboratory demonstrations, and a design-oriented oral exam.
It is aimed at students with prior exposure to electromagnetism and optics who wish to work with photonics in research or advanced engineering contexts.
Watch a 1-minute introduction to the course: MP4
The course covers the fundamental principles and applications of photonics. Key subjects include:
This course provides students with a solid foundation in the principles and applications of photonics. By covering essential topics such as electric and magnetic fields, light propagation, optical fibers, and photodetection, this course prepares electrical engineering students to tackle cutting-edge challenges in telecommunications, medical imaging, and quantum computing. It combines theoretical knowledge with practical lab exercises and offers networking opportunities with industry leaders. This course opens up new avenues for innovation and career opportunities in high-tech industries.
ECTS credits: 5
Prerequisites: Prior knowledge of electromagnetism and optics.
Program requirement: Active participation is mandatory.
Exam and assessment: Oral exam based on an individual design study incorporating one or more research papers in lightwave technologies. Grading follows the seven-point scale and includes an external co-examiner.
Course coordinator: Nick Volet
Lectures:
– Mondays 12:15–14:00
📍 Building 5125 (Edison), Room 120 or online via Teams
Exercises and lab demos:
– Thursdays 10:15–12:00
📍 Building 5128, Room 218
To help us tailor the course to your background and interests, we invite you to complete a short start survey. Your feedback will help shape examples, exercises, and emphasis during the course.
The survey is anonymous and takes about 5 minutes to complete.
Thank you for taking the time to share your input.
— Nick, Asger, Jeppe, Jesper, Lucas & Trishala
Feb. 2 + Feb. 5 (week 6)
Maxwell's equations and complex fields
Fourier decomposition, separation of variables, and trial solution
Pulses, small-signal modulation, and continuous-wave (cw) operation
Wavenumber, attenuation coefficient, and effective refractive index
Expressions for the electric field
Feb. 9 + Feb. 12 (week 7)
Constitutive relations and reduction to the Helmholtz equation
Wave types: plane waves, Gaussian beams, guided modes
Field orientation and orthogonality assumptions
Anisotropic materials and polarization-dependent propagation
Nonlinear material response: second- and third-order effects
Poynting vector, intensity, and optical power
During the exercise session on Thursday, we will use the software EMode.
👉 Information on how to get started can be found here.
Please go through the information provided at this link and install the license.
Feb. 16 + Feb. 19 (week 8)
Boundary conditions at material interfaces, and Snell's law
Total internal reflection and evanescent field
Transverse polarizations: TE and TM waves
Reflection and transmission coefficients
Fresnel’s equations and Brewster’s angle
Phase shifts upon reflection
Multilayer interference: antireflection (AR) coatings, bandpass filters, distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs)
Limits of geometric optics: Goos–Hänchen effect
Internship and Project Day: March 6 (Friday, week 10)
Starting at 7:45 in Building 5122, Room 122.
See this LinkedIn post.
Introduction to Integrated Nonlinear Photonics
March 10 (week 11)
March 23 + March 26 (week 13)
Introduction to Laser Stability:
Ensemble average. Wiener-Khintchine theorem.
Phase noise, frequency noise and intrinsic linewidth.
Lorentzian spectrum of an ideal laser.
Flicker noise and dither tones.
Spectrum of a real laser.
👉 Thursday, week 13: Group presentations and feedback
ECE Research Day: March 25 (Wednesday, week 13)
Pitches starting at 12:30 in Peter Bøgh Andersen Auditory in Building 5335.
Poster session starting at 13:30 in Building 5122, Room 122.
Week 14 (March 30 – April 3): No teaching at AU (Easter week)
April 6 (Monday, week 15): No teaching (Easter Monday)
National Optics Congress at AU: April 8 + 9 (week 15)
Students are encouraged to attend. All expenses related to participation, including transport and accommodation, are covered.
April 20 + April 23 (week 17)
Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)
Dense and Coarse WDM (DWDM, CWDM)
Arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs)
Splitters, combiners, and polarization controllers
Amplification and transmission windows (infrared C-band, EDFAs)
👉 Monday, week 17: Feedback on submitted abstracts
May 11 (week 20)
Course recap, exam prep, student project rehearsal, and future opportunities in photonics.
👉 Course evaluation
👉 May 11 (Monday, week 20): Individual presentations (rehearsal)
We use EMode Photonix to simulate and analyze waveguide modes.
👉 Click here for instructions and resources to get started with EMode Photonix.
Assessment is based on an oral exam centered on an individual design study incorporating one or more research papers in lightwave technologies.
Key dates:
– April 17 (Friday, week 16): Deadline to submit your abstract
– May 11 (Monday, week 20): Individual presentations (rehearsal)
Students wishing to be examined this semester must submit their abstract to Nick Volet by email before the above deadline.
Exam format:
– Oral exam, total duration 20 min
– 10-min presentation followed by 10 min of questions
Further information is available via the study portal.
Slides and other files are available at this SharePoint site.
LaTeX files (for booklets and exercises) are available at this Overleaf project.
