In this course you will be introduced into the field of photonics by looking at its history, studying its applications and analyzing the impact of photonics technology on todays economy and society.

This course will teach you about:

1. the interaction of light with matter (i.e. the emission and absorption of light by atoms, dispersion, scattering & interference of light, and more generally propagation of light through dielectrics and light in metals),
2. the propagation of light (i.e. reflection, refraction, total internal reflection, evanescent waves, frustrated total internal reflection, Fermat s principle),
3. geometrical optics (i.e. lenses & lens fabrication),
4. lasers (i.e. Einstein s theory of light-matter interaction, essential elements of a laser, characteristics of laser light, lasertypes & parameters),
5. photovoltaics and how to generate electricity from sunlight.