Topic outline

  • Course description

    This postgraduate course  covers the following topics concerning Light-Matter Interaction:

    • Electromagnetic optics
    • Photonic-crystal optics
    • Resonator optics
    • Statistical optics
    • Photon optics
    • Photons and atoms
    • Nonlinear optics

    It is based on the book Fundamentals of Photonics, B.E.A. Saleh and M.C. Teich, 2 ed. (John Wiley & Sons).

    *Each week, the attendants (1) participate in a one-hour lecture given by the teacher and a one-hour exercise session, (2) read 20-30 pages of the book and solve 4 related exercises at home, (3) explain 2 exercise solutions per student in the classroom, and (4) evaluate the given presentations. At the end of the course, the attendants pass the exam. A detailed schedule is attached.



  • Workload and grading

    Workload (ca. 130 h in total)

    The course includes 10 hours of lectures, 10 hours of exercise sessions, and 3 hours of the exam. Before each session, the attendants independently study the book material (5 h/week x 10 weeks = 50 h) and solve 4 home exercises (3 h/week x 10 weeks = 30 h). Also, each attendant prepares the exercise solution presentations (6 h in total), including a meeting with the teachers. About 20 h will be spent to prepare for the exam.

    Grading

    The contributions to the grade:

         Exercise solution presentations – max 15 points
         Home exercises – max 35 points
         Final exam – max 70 points

    To pass the course with grade 1, at least 50 points are required. For the grade 5, one has to receive at least 90 points.

  • Lectures

  • Exercises

    Each homework consists of 4 problems on the topic. Please hand in your solutions (in jpeg or pdf format) through the return box appearing on this page; the deadline is every week on Friday at 14:15. 

    During the exercise sessions, 4 problem solutions will be presented by 2 students; 7-10 min per solution presentation. Solution presentations are checked before each session with the assistant, Sagar Sehrawat, on Tuesdays at 14:15 and 15:15. Presentations are peer-evaluated by the students and filled forms are to be returned through email to sagar.sehrawat@aalto.fi after each exercise session.

    If you'd like some help or have any questions, contact the course assistant: sagar.sehrawat@aalto.fi

    Guidelines for making exercise session presentations

    The solution presentation must be started with a clear explanation of the problem. Then the main idea of the solution must be explained. In the next step, the solution is written on the board in detail (if some mathematical details are not important or too simple, they may be omitted). The presentation should end with a short conclusion.

  • Exam

    The exam is on Friday 2.6.2023 in room 2191, Micronova, at 14:00-17:00.