Photonics and Optical Science
The Graduate Diploma in Photonics and Optical Science and the Master of Photonics and Optical Science are articulated coursework programs.
This section sets out the requirements for coursework postgraduate degrees offered in the Faculty of Science in the area of Photonics and Optical Science. A comprehensive guide to the requirements and units of study of the coursework degrees is listed.
The information in this section is in summary form and is subordinate to the provisions of the relevant degree Resolutions, collected variously in at the end of this section, following the unit of study descriptions, or in the University of Sydney Calendar. The Calendar is available for sale at the Student Centre, for viewing at the faculty office or the Library, or on the Web at:
www.usyd.edu.au/publications/calendar.
Course overview
The Master of Photonics and Optical Science is taken over three semesters of full-time study with two of those semesters comprised of coursework and one semester of study towards a research project carried out under the supervision of academic staff in the School of Physics. Each semester of coursework comprises four 6 credit point units of study in the following subject areas:
- Optical Instrumentation and Imaging
- Guided wave optics and communications applications
- Lasers and optical devices
- Optical materials and methods
- Physical and nonlinear optics
- Quantum optics and nanophotonics
- Biophotonics and microscopy
- Optics in industry
Course outcomes
This course provides a professional level of education in optics and photonics with training applicable to employment in in communications, optical and scientific instruments and optical techniques in biology and medical applications. The course is suitable both for those training for senior positions in optical industries or as preparation for a PhD.
Units of study table
| Unit of study | Credit points | A: Assumed knowledge P: Prerequisites C: Corequisites N: Prohibition | Session |
|---|---|---|---|
Diploma and Masters: Core Units |
|||
| PHYS5021 Optical Instrumentation and Imaging |
6 | A Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics. |
Semester 2 |
| PHYS5022 Optical Materials and Methods |
6 | A Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics, or equivalent. |
Semester 1 |
| PHYS5024 Optical Sources and Detectors |
6 | P Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in Physics, or equivalent. |
Semester 1 |
| PHYS5025 Biophotonics and Microscopy |
6 | A Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics, or equivalent. |
Semester 2 |
| PHYS5026 Physical and Nonlinear Optics |
6 | A Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics, or equivalent. |
Semester 1 |
| PHYS5027 Quantum Optics and Nanophotonics |
6 | A Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics, or equivalent. |
Semester 2 |
| PHYS5028 Optics in Industry |
6 | A Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics, or equivalent. |
Semester 2 |
| ELEC5511 Optical Communication Systems |
6 | A (ELEC3503 Introduction to Digital Communications or ELEC3505 Communications) and (ELEC3402 Communications Electronics or ELEC3405 Communications Electronics and Photonics) or equivalent |
Semester 1 |
Masters: Additional Core Unit |
|||
| PHYS5019 Research Methodology and Project |
24 | P Successful completion of the eight coursework units of the postgraduate coursework Masters degree for which the student is enrolled, equivalent to completion of the requirements for award of the Graduate Diploma. Note: Department permission required for enrolment |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
Unit of study descriptions 2012
ELEC5511 Optical Communication Systems
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 2 hours of lectures and 2 hours laboratory/tutorial per week. Assumed knowledge: (ELEC3503 Introduction to Digital Communications or ELEC3505 Communications) and (ELEC3402 Communications Electronics or ELEC3405 Communications Electronics and Photonics) or equivalent Assessment: Final Exam (75%), Assignment (25%)
This course will provide an understanding of the fundamental principles of optical fibre communication systems. It commences with a description of optical fibre propagation characteristics and transmission properties. We will then consider light sources and the fundamental principles of laser action in semiconductor and other lasers, and also the characteristics of optical transmitters based on semiconductor and electro-optic modulation techniques. The characteristics of optical amplifiers will also be discussed. On the receiver side, the principles of photodetection and optical receiver sensitivity will be discussed. Other aspects such as fibre devices and multiple wavelength division multiplexing techniques will also be discussed. Finally, the complete optical fibre communication system will be studied to enable the design of data transmission optical systems, local area networks and multi-channel optical systems.
PHYS5019 Research Methodology and Project
Credit points: 24 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Prerequisites: Successful completion of the eight coursework units of the postgraduate coursework Masters degree for which the student is enrolled, equivalent to completion of the requirements for award of the Graduate Diploma. Assessment: Report, research seminar (100%)
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
In this unit a research project is undertaken. The topic of the project will be determined in consultation with the course coordinator. In addition, the processes involved in conducting various forms of research, basic data analysis and interpretation, research writing and presentation skills are covered.
PHYS5021 Optical Instrumentation and Imaging
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Gordon Robertson Session: Semester 2 Classes: Total of 20 lectures, 10 two hour practicals. Assumed knowledge: Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics. Assessment: One 2-hour exam, tutorial papers, practical reports (100%)
Optical instrumentation covers the basics of geometrical optics before moving on to a detailed overview of the principles and practice of optical design principles of image formation, lenses and mirrors, aberrations and tolerancing. The course will cover different design examples - collimators, cameras, objective lenses. Students will gain experience in working with optical design software.
The Imaging component of the course provides training in the mathematical techniques used to analyse an image recorded by an electronic camera to recover information of interest. Students will be given an overview of image processing principles, and learn about processing in the spatial and frequency domains. The course covers noise removal, tomography and image restoration techniques. This section of the course will be complemented by laboratory sessions in which students manipulate images using one of the data processing packages (IDL, Matlab).
The Imaging component of the course provides training in the mathematical techniques used to analyse an image recorded by an electronic camera to recover information of interest. Students will be given an overview of image processing principles, and learn about processing in the spatial and frequency domains. The course covers noise removal, tomography and image restoration techniques. This section of the course will be complemented by laboratory sessions in which students manipulate images using one of the data processing packages (IDL, Matlab).
PHYS5022 Optical Materials and Methods
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Maryanne Large Session: Semester 1 Classes: Two hours of lectures and a one hour practical per week. Assumed knowledge: Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics, or equivalent. Assessment: One 2-hour examination, practical reports, and assignments (100%)
This unit of study introduces students to the properties and use of modern optical materials such as glasses, semiconductors, polymers and liquid crystals. We analyse the effect of electronic and crystallographic properties on the generation and propagation of light in these materials. We study fundamental methods for producing modern optical materials, which includes techniques to fabricate optically active glasses, to grow bulk semiconductor crystals and compound semiconductor heterostructures, and to deposit organic semiconducting polymers.
We will discuss advanced concepts such as generating abrupt interfaces, p-i-n junctions and doping profiles that are important concepts in the context of band gap engineering and low-dimensional semiconductor heterostructures, such as Quantum Wells or Quantum Dots. Students are then introduced to methods of micro-fabricating optical devices from these materials, including patterning by conventional optical lithography and novel Nanoimprint lithography, structuring by wet and dry etching and deposition of electrical contacts. The properties and fabrication techniques for optical thin films will also be covered.
Students will receive training in the use of modern microfabrication tools (e.g. electron beam lithography, reactive ion etching, thin film deposition).
We will discuss advanced concepts such as generating abrupt interfaces, p-i-n junctions and doping profiles that are important concepts in the context of band gap engineering and low-dimensional semiconductor heterostructures, such as Quantum Wells or Quantum Dots. Students are then introduced to methods of micro-fabricating optical devices from these materials, including patterning by conventional optical lithography and novel Nanoimprint lithography, structuring by wet and dry etching and deposition of electrical contacts. The properties and fabrication techniques for optical thin films will also be covered.
Students will receive training in the use of modern microfabrication tools (e.g. electron beam lithography, reactive ion etching, thin film deposition).
PHYS5024 Optical Sources and Detectors
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr David Moss Session: Semester 1 Classes: Two hours of lectures and a one hour tutorial/ practical per week averaged over the semester. Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in Physics, or equivalent. Assessment: One 2-hour examination, and two assignments (100%)
This unit of study provides a detailed overview of sources and detectors of optical radiation as well as optical amplifiers. Lasers, light emitting diodes, optical amplifiers and other sources of radiation are covered. Students will study the principles of operation and application of a range of different lasers including diode lasers, fibre lasers and solid state diode-pumped lasers; modelocking and short pulse lasers and high power gas lasers. The properties of semiconductor lasers, amplifiers and detectors will be explained in terms of the materials properties of semiconductors.
PHYS5025 Biophotonics and Microscopy
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Boris Kuhlmey Session: Semester 2 Classes: One 1-hour lecture per week and an average of 0.5 hour tutorials and 1.5 practical hours per week over the semester. Assumed knowledge: Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics, or equivalent. Assessment: One 2-hour examination, three assignments, and practical assessment (100%)
Biophotonics is the use of optical techniques to probe living tissue either via imaging or spectral analysis. In this course we cover the basics of imaging in tissue and cover the principles of the main microscopy techniques: fluorescence imaging, confocal microscopy, two-photon microscopy, optical coherence tomography and endoscopic imaging. Using EMU facilities, students will be provided with practical training in these techniques. Approaches to biochemical detection, Raman spectroscopy, surface plasmon sensors will be covered. The course will also include lectures on laser tweezers and microfluidics, both of which are used for analyzing small biological samples.
PHYS5026 Physical and Nonlinear Optics
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Professor Martijn de Sterke Session: Semester 1 Classes: Two hours of lectures and one hour tutorial, alternated with 3-5 hours laboratory work per week. Assumed knowledge: Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics, or equivalent. Assessment: One 3-hour examination, assignments, and laboratory work (100%)
This unit of study provides a rigorous introduction to physical optics and to nonlinear optics. Physical optics includes polarization, coherence, diffraction, Fourier properties of lenses and optical systems, spatial filtering and holography. Nonlinear optics starts with nonlinear polarization and covers Chi-2 effects (electro optic effect, second harmonic generation) and Chi-3 effects (self and cross phase modulation). Nonlinear wave propagation is examined by solving the nonlinear Schrodinger equation, which elucidates a range of physical phenomena including four wave mixing and soliton generation and their impact on communications systems.
Textbooks
"Light and Matter" by Yehuda Band (Wiley, 2006)
PHYS5027 Quantum Optics and Nanophotonics
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: A/Prof. Stephen Bartlett Session: Semester 2 Classes: One 1-hour lecture, one hour tutorial, and one hour seminar per week. Assumed knowledge: Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics, or equivalent. Assessment: One 2-hour examination and assignments (100%)
Quantum optics will introduce the quantization of light and photon statistics, and cover a range of topics of current interest including intensity interferometry, quantum cryptography, optical quantum computing and atom optics including Bose Einstein condensates and atom lasers. Emphasis will be on qualitative understanding rather than rigorous mathematical descriptions.
Nanophotonics covers light propagation through materials with sub-wavelength structuring so light is guided not only by refraction but also diffraction. This leads to the study of photonic crystals including photonic crystal fibres, plasmonics, photonic 'nanowires' and metamaterials. The course also provides opportunities for students to use powerful finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation packages to design devices like high Q nano-resonators using these materials, and discusses how such devices are actually made.
Nanophotonics covers light propagation through materials with sub-wavelength structuring so light is guided not only by refraction but also diffraction. This leads to the study of photonic crystals including photonic crystal fibres, plasmonics, photonic 'nanowires' and metamaterials. The course also provides opportunities for students to use powerful finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation packages to design devices like high Q nano-resonators using these materials, and discusses how such devices are actually made.
PHYS5028 Optics in Industry
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Chris Walsh Session: Semester 2 Classes: One 1-hour lecture per week, and two hours of tutorials per week. Assumed knowledge: Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering, with a major in physics, or equivalent. Assessment: One 2000-word essay and practical assessments (100%)
This unit of study will first provide students with a detailed optical analysis of a consumer or industry product whose operation embodies many of the principles discussed in this course. Examples include a phone camera or a DVD player.
Next, students will study the factors that become increasingly important when working as a professional in an industry/commercial environment. These include Intellectual property, Business plans and Project Management. This component of the unit will comprise lectures from University staff with industry experience and guest speakers from industry.
There will be a project-based activity in which students will be required to develop a business case for a specific product and draw up a project plan.
Next, students will study the factors that become increasingly important when working as a professional in an industry/commercial environment. These include Intellectual property, Business plans and Project Management. This component of the unit will comprise lectures from University staff with industry experience and guest speakers from industry.
There will be a project-based activity in which students will be required to develop a business case for a specific product and draw up a project plan.