Introduction to Photonics

Lecture 1: Introduction
September 3, 2014
Course syllabus
Introduction to photonics
Optics for communications
Ray optics
Syllabus
Course: ENG EC 560, Introduction to Photonics (4 credits)
Lectures: Mon/Wed 2-4pm, PHO 211
Instructor: Jonathan Klamkin, klamkin@bu.edu, PHO 828
Office Hours: Tue 10-11am, Wed 4-5pm, or by appointment
Textbook: Fundamentals of Photonics, Saleh & Teich
Supplemental Books: Optics, Hecht; Photonics: Optical
Electronics in Modern Communications, Yariv and Yeh;
Integrated Photonics, Pollock and Lipson; Diode Lasers and
Photonic Integrated Circuits, Coldren, Corzine and Masanovic
Grading policy: Homework (30%), Exam 1 (35%),
Exam 2 (35%),
2
Our Book
Fundamentals of Photonics
Second Edition
B. E. A. Saleh, M. C. Teich, John Wiley & Sons Inc., NY (2007)
3
Course Objectives
4
Introduce physical principles and engineering applications of
optical fields and their interactions with materials
Learn design principles governing the behavior of optical
components and photonic devices
Basic theories and key concepts Basic optical components and devices
Ray Optics
Wave Optics
Fourier Optics
Electromagnetic Optics
Polarization Optics
Photonic Crystal Optics
Guided Wave Optics
Fiber Optics
Optical Interconnects and Switches
Integration and Systems
Optical Fiber Communications
Integrated Photonics
Electromagnetic Spectrum
c =
wavelength
frequency
speed
5
Optical Spectrum
6
Optics versus Photonics
7
Optics = Photonics
The Pervasiveness of Optics
8
Communications
Computing
Medicine / Biology
Defense applications
Navigation systems
Data storage
Imaging
Nanotechnology
New industries emerge!
Optics is everywhere!
Photonics: Technology of Light
9
Generate, encode, transmit and detect information with optical carrier signals;
optical waves carry information with enormous data rates (~Tb/s)
Example: nearly 1 million simultaneous TV channels (~6 MHz bandwidth per channel) can
be transmitted using only 1% of a typical laser frequency (10
14
Hz) bandwidth.
K.C. Kao, inventor of optical fiber
Nobel Prize Winner, 2009
PROG. IEE, vol. 113, No. 7, July 1966
Fiber Optics
10
Extremely low loss near 1.55 m
~15 THz of bandwidth available in low-loss region
Telecommunications bands: O-band: 1260 1360 nm; S-band: 1492 1530 nm;
C-band: 1530 1570 nm; L-band: 1570 1612 nm
Loss spectrum for silica single mode fiber
Components to generate, manipulate and detect light near 1.3 and 1.55 m
Fiber Optics
11
Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) Spectrum
WDM increases fiber utilization
40 channels
100 GHz spacing
40 Gb/s per channel
1.6 Tb/s capacity
Optical Fiber Link
12
13
Coaxial Cable Loss
Optical fiber
Miniaturization
Higher performance
Greater functionality
Lower energy
consumption
Lower cost
WDM fiber-optic networks Co-axial cable lines
14
Long Distance Communications
15
Photonics: A Disruptive Technology
A hard disk
A letter
A word
A library
16
Revolution in Long-Haul Communications
Over 420,000 km of fiber in over 100 undersea fiber
optic systems are deployed
Source: J. X. Cai, Tyco Telecommunications
Short-Reach Optical Interconnects
17
Data center to data center
Within data center
Figure of merit: DistanceData Rate
18
Computer to computer
Board to
board
Chip to chip
On chip
Short-Reach Optical Interconnects
Moores Law (1967)
19
The number of transistors on a chip will double every two years.
Metal Interconnects
20
Many levels of metal interconnects for densely integrated circuits
Multi-tier metal interconnects
Microelectronics E(in)volution
21
Technology
cut-off 0.18m
Things get smaller, problems get bigger
RC time constants
R = L/A
C = kA/d
Local wire interconnection limits the device
performance below the 90 nm
The Interconnect Bottleneck
1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
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(
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)
year
From SIA roadmap 2007
Interconnects limit device performance
Power dissipation heating
Delay latency
Spacing crosstalk
Cost per interconnect
22
Power Consumption and Dissipation
23
Integrated Optics/Photonics
24
Short-medium reach
interconnects
Long-haul telecommunications
On-chip interconnects
Research Level: Nanophotonics
Quantum dots
Metal nanostructures
Carbon nanotubes
Molecular sensors
Photonic crystals
Micro resonators
Microcavities
Plasmonic elements
Random lasers
25
Hierarchy of Optics Theories
Rays
Waves
EM waves
Photons
Ray
optics
Start from the center
26
Narcissus,
by Michelangelo Caravaggio,
ca. 1598.
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Ray Optics
Ray optics: geometrical theory concerned with determination of the path of light rays as they
reflect from mirrors of various shapes and traverse boundaries between media of various n
n
1
n
2
n
1
n
2
Mirrors
Boundaries
between
transparent
(homogeneous)
media
n
2
n
1
n
1
n
1
n
1
n
2
Graded-index
media
Planar Concave Convex
Scope of Ray Optics
28
Light travels in the form of rays emitted by light sources and observed by optical
detectors
A transparent medium is characterized by its refractive index n
c = speed of light in the medium = c
o
/n
c
o
= speed of light in free space
Time taken by light to travel a distance d is d/c = nd/c
o
optical path length nd.
In an inhomogeneous medium the optical path length along a path =
Fermat's Principle: rays traveling between two points follow a
path such that time of travel (or optical path length) is an
extremum relative to neighboring paths:
The extremum is usually a minimum: rays travel along the path of least time.
If the minimum time is shared by more than one path, all paths are followed
simultaneously by the rays.
Postulates of Ray Optics
Sir Isaac Newton
Pierre de Fermat
29
Rays
A ray is a line drawn is space corresponding to the
direction of flow of radiant energy
Rays are mathematical constructs, not physical
entities
In uniform media rays are straight
For isotropic media (the same in all directions) rays
are perpendicular to the wavefronts (will be clear in
wave optics)
Rays are a useful concept if we can assume:
0
30
Homogenous Media
31
n = constant
Hero's principle: path of minimum distance (= path of shortest time)
Path of minimum distance between two points is a straight line
Shadows
Fermat's Principle
Light chooses to travel only along paths of
minimum time minimize Optical Path
Length (OPL)
32
Straight ray path in homogeneous medium
Fermats Principle

+ + = =
B
A
dz dy dx z y x n nds OPL
2 2 2
) , , (
Light rays follow optical path extrema
Light bends in nonhomogeneous media
The optical path length (OPL) is measured
in terms of the refractive index n integrated
along the trajectory
33
Observation
The answer is beyond ray optics need wave optics
Wave optics resolves this problem because wave emitted at A propagates in
all directions (with greatly varying amplitude)
The path of optical length extremum is place where constructive
interference occurs between all possible paths
Preview
Fermat's principle shows how the ray's destiny is fulfilled (arrives at point B using
certain path) but does not explain why the light ray arrives at B instead
of some other point
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Law of Reflection
35
Proof
AB + BC must be a min.
Occurs when AB + BC is a min.
when B=B
=

Applies to reflection from mirror or a boundary between two different media

Snells Law
Proof

2
d
1
d
2
d
A
C
B
Apply Fermats principle:
minimize optical path length
n
1
d
1
sec
1
+ n
2
d
2
sec
2
subject to condition
d
1
tan
1
+ d
2
tan
2
= d
Law of Refraction
2 2 1 1
sin sin n n =
36
n
1
n
2
Mirages
Rays always take a route that minimizes the OPL
Refractive index decreases with temperature
37
Why does image on road appear to wobble?
Why does mirage disappear as you approach?
Mirrors
38
Planar: creation of a virtual source
Paraboloidal: parallel rays focus onto a point
Elliptical: point to point imaging
Image
Spherical: no focusing; parallel rays
close to axis approximately focused
Concave R negative
Convex R positive
Focus
Applications
39
What type of mirror is used here?
Paraxial Optics
40
Paraxial approximation: consider only rays
at small inclination angle to the optical axis
sin tan
Paraxial optics = first-order optics = Gaussian optics
Paraxial Optics
41
For paraxial rays, the spherical mirror approximates
paraboloidal mirror and therefore focuses parallel rays
into a single point
For paraxial rays, the spherical mirror approximates
elliptical mirror and therefore focuses rays from a single
point into another single point
In the paraxial approximation ( = only paraxial rays considered),
a spherical mirror has a focusing property like that of the paraboloidal
mirror and an imaging property like that of the elliptical mirror.