We are at the crossroads of a new epoch: the age of electronics is being replaced by the age of photonics. This book will introduce you to the fascinating development of photonics, avoiding complicated technical terminology and instead explaining the physical fundamentals in a clear way. Based on this, important developments such as the laser and its applications in industry, research and everyday life are described. Complicated physical properties and technical details are explained to the reader in an understandable way. The authors: Dr. Patrick Steglich is lecturer for photonics and optical technologies at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau and scientist at the Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics IHP in Frankfurt (Oder). Katja Heise works as an editor in Berlin. As a trained political scientist and journalist, she specializes in translating complex technical topics into simple language. The authors live together with their son and two daughters in Berlin. This Springer essential is a translation of the original German 1st edition essentials, Photonik einfach erklärt by Steglich Patrick and Katja Heise, published by Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature in 2019.The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation. Springer Nature works continuously to further the development of tools for the production of books and on the related technologies to support the authors.

The growing demand for instant and reliable communication means that photonic circuits are increasingly finding applications in optical communications systems. One of the prime candidates to provide satisfactory performance at low cost in the photonic circuit is silicon. Whilst silicon photonics is less well developed as compared to some other material technologies, it is poised to make a serious impact on the telecommunications industry, as well as in many other applications, as other technologies fail to meet the yield/performance/cost trade-offs. Following a sympathetic tutorial approach, this first book on silicon photonics provides a comprehensive overview of the technology. Silicon Photonics explains the concepts of the technology, taking the reader through the introductory principles, on to more complex building blocks of the optical circuit. Starting with the basics of waveguides and the properties peculiar to silicon, the book also features: Key design issues in optical circuits. Experimental methods. Evaluation techniques. Operation of waveguide based devices. Fabrication of silicon waveguide circuits. Evaluation of silicon photonic systems. Numerous worked examples, models and case studies. Silicon Photonics is an essential tool for photonics engineers and young professionals working in the optical network, optical communications and semiconductor industries. This book is also an invaluable reference and a potential main text to senior undergraduates and postgraduate students studying fibre optics, integrated optics, or optical network technology.

The development of integrated silicon photonic circuits has recently been driven by the Internet and the push for high bandwidth as well as the need to reduce power dissipation induced by high data-rate signal transmission. To reach these goals, efficient passive and active silicon photonic devices, including waveguide, modulators, photodetectors, multiplexers, light sources, and various subsystems, have been developed that take advantage of state-of-the-art silicon technology. Suitable for both specialists and newcomers, Handbook of Silicon Photonics presents a coherent and comprehensive overview of this field from the fundamentals to integrated systems and applications. It covers a broad spectrum of materials and applications, emphasizing passive and active photonic devices, fabrication, integration, and the convergence with CMOS technology. The book’s self-contained chapters are written by international experts from academia and various photonics-related industries. The handbook starts with the basics of silicon as an optical material. It then describes the building blocks needed to drive integrated silicon photonic circuits and explains how these building blocks are incorporated in complex photonic/electronic circuits. The book also presents applications of silicon photonics in numerous fields, including biophotonics and photovoltaics. With many illustrations, including some in color, this handbook provides an up-to-date reference to the broad and rapidly changing area of silicon photonics. It shows how basic science and innovative technological applications are pushing the field forward.

A concise, accessible guide explaining the essential ideas underlying photonics and how they relate to photonic devices and systems.

The main aim of this book is to introduce the concept of photonic information processing technologies to the graduate and post-graduate students, researchers, engineers and scientists. It is expected to give the readers an insight into the concepts of photonic techniques of processing as a system, the photonic devices as required components which are applied in the areas of communication, computation and intelligent pattern recognition.

This book sets out to build bridges between the domains of photonic device physics and neural networks, providing a comprehensive overview of the emerging field of "neuromorphic photonics." It includes a thorough discussion of evolution of neuromorphic photonics from the advent of fiber-optic neurons to today’s state-of-the-art integrated laser neurons, which are a current focus of international research. Neuromorphic Photonics explores candidate interconnection architectures and devices for integrated neuromorphic networks, along with key functionality such as learning. It is written at a level accessible to graduate students, while also intending to serve as a comprehensive reference for experts in the field.

This hands-on introduction to silicon photonics engineering equips students with everything they need to begin creating foundry-ready designs.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction into photonics, from the electrodynamic and quantum mechanic fundamentals to the level of photonic components and building blocks such as lasers, amplifiers, modulators, waveguides, and detectors.The book will serve both as textbook and as a reference work for the advanced student or scientist. Theoretical results are derived from basic principles with convenient, yet state-of-the-art mathematical tools, providing not only deeper understanding but also familiarization with formalisms used in the relevant technical literature and research articles. Among the subject matters treated are polarization optics, pulse and beam propagation, waveguides, light–matter interaction, stationary and transient behavior of lasers, semiconductor optics and lasers (including low-dimensional systems such as quantum wells), detector technology, photometry, and colorimetry. Nonlinear optics are elaborated comprehensively.The book is intended for both students of physics and electronics and scientists and engineers in fields such as laser technology, optical communications, laser materials processing, and medical laser applications who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of photonics.

The book is inexpensive and algebra-based, suitable for post-secondary technical/vocational education. It deals with the physical concepts at the basic mathematical level for the technician student to succeed.

Since it was first published in 1995, Photonic Crystals has remained the definitive text for both undergraduates and researchers on photonic band-gap materials and their use in controlling the propagation of light. This newly expanded and revised edition covers the latest developments in the field, providing the most up-to-date, concise, and comprehensive book available on these novel materials and their applications. Starting from Maxwell's equations and Fourier analysis, the authors develop the theoretical tools of photonics using principles of linear algebra and symmetry, emphasizing analogies with traditional solid-state physics and quantum theory. They then investigate the unique phenomena that take place within photonic crystals at defect sites and surfaces, from one to three dimensions. This new edition includes entirely new chapters describing important hybrid structures that use band gaps or periodicity only in some directions: periodic waveguides, photonic-crystal slabs, and photonic-crystal fibers. The authors demonstrate how the capabilities of photonic crystals to localize light can be put to work in devices such as filters and splitters. A new appendix provides an overview of computational methods for electromagnetism. Existing chapters have been considerably updated and expanded to include many new three-dimensional photonic crystals, an extensive tutorial on device design using temporal coupled-mode theory, discussions of diffraction and refraction at crystal interfaces, and more. Richly illustrated and accessibly written, Photonic Crystals is an indispensable resource for students and researchers. Extensively revised and expanded Features improved graphics throughout Includes new chapters on photonic-crystal fibers and combined index-and band-gap-guiding Provides an introduction to coupled-mode theory as a powerful tool for device design Covers many new topics, including omnidirectional reflection, anomalous refraction and diffraction, computational photonics, and much more.