Nanophotonic Modeling (edX)

This course may be useful for advanced undergraduates with the prerequisites listed below; graduate students interested in incorporating these techniques into their thesis research; and practicing scientists and engineers developing new experiments or products based on these ideas.

This course is part of the Nanoscience and Technology MicroMasters Program.

What you'll learn:

- Photonic bandstructures

- Transfer matrices

- Time-domain simulations

- Finite-element methods

Syllabus

Week 1: Photonic Bandstructures

- Bloch Theorem

- 1D Bandstructures

- 2D Bandstructures

- Photonic Crystals

Week 2: Photonic Bandstructures (continued)

- Photonic Crystals

- Photonic Bandstructure

- Simulation using MIT Photonic Bands (MPB)

Week 3: Transfer Matrices

- Ray Optical Matrices

- Wave Optics Transfer Matrices

- Wave Optics S-Matrices

- Photonic Simulations

- CAMFR

- Metasurfaces

Week 4: Time-Domain Simulations

- Finite Difference Time Domain Method

- MEEP: An FDTD Solver

- Light Trapping in Photovoltaics

- Using MEEP

- MEEP Resonators

- MEEP: Photonic Bandstructures

- FDTD Validation Against Experiment

- Local Density of States

Week 5: Finite-Element Methods

- Simulating Bandstructures in FDTD

- Beam Propagation Method

- Finite Element Method (FEM)

- An FEM Waveguide Mode Solver

- Thermal Transport

- FEM Modeling

- Blackbody Radiation

Prerequisites:

- This course is intended for audiences with a background in the physical sciences or engineering.

- Basic familiarity with the principles of Maxwell’s equations, covered in a first year class on physics, is needed.

- Some working knowledge of integral and vector calculus, as well as basic linear algebra, is assumed.

- Prior experience with basic programming techniques and algorithms is useful but not strictly required; pointers to web-based resources covering these background topics will be available.