Photonics – the technology of generating and harnessing light, pervades industries with immense market potential, including medical, information technology, telecommunications and electronics. Photonics is defined as encompassing optics, light sources, imaging, fiber optics, electro-optics, optoelectronics and related instrumentation and systems.
Photonics is already a major global industry. The world market in year 2000 for photonic components and systems is US$90 billion (Photonics Spectra Jan 2000). At a compound annual growth rate of 30-40%, its growth rate rivals the Internet, infocomms and bio-tech industries. Although there are already many important applications, it will have even more exciting impact in the future due to its many big potentials and numerous active R&D worldwide. Examples: Terabit/sec per fiber link – commercially available now; Terabyte storage on a single disk in 5 years – Bell Lab & 3M; Petaflop computer – a hot research area. (Question: How much/fast is a Petaflop?)
Photonics is a core part of electrical and electronic engineering. Photonics curriculum is a common feature of B.Eng (EE) programme in world-class universities such as MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Imperial College, etc. For the EE profession, we find in the IEEE that its Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (LEOS) is an important part of this international institution for EE engineers. In NTU, many EEE core subjects provide the foundation for photonics-based principles, devices, instrumentation, and systems. These include Engineering Physics, Semiconductor Fundamentals, Mathematics 2A and 2B, and Engineering Electromagnetics.
In Singapore – EDB conducted a survey of local companies in end 1999 as part of their planning study for the photonics industry in Singapore. The report (Jan 2000) stated that :-
Singapore is currently host to a wide range of industries that extensively use photonics in their process – from medical, information technology and telecommunications to microelectronics.
This multi-billion dollar industry has been enjoying double digit growth every year and there is tremendous growth potential for Singapore to tap. Singapore can become a centre of excellence in this knowledge-intensive cluster.
Final Year Specialisation in Photonics is urgently needed to meet the current shortage of 220 photonics engineers, and additional 370 new positions for the next 3 years. (Note: Actual shortage is greater as these figures only included existing companies, whereas a number of new photonics investments are already in the pipeline.)
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EE4815 Optical Design
Acad Unit : 2.0
Prerequisite : Nil
Contents : The students are taught key design concepts pertaining to photonic instrumentation. Students are required to carry out optical component design exercises using software to develop and optimise an imaging lens system, and to design diffractive optical elements that are important in many photonic systems. Students will study photonic measurement and instrumentation techniques for interfacing between optics and electronics, with design exercises on the characterization of lasers and the calibration of photodetectors.
EE4816 Photonic Devices & Systems Design
Acad Unit : 2.0
Prerequisite : Nil
Contents : The students are taught the principles and advanced concepts of photonic systems design for the major application areas of optical data storage, fiber optic sensors, and fiber optic communication systems. Students are required to carry out design exercises to develop photonic systems integrating optics, optoelectronics and electronics for practical applications.
EE4836 Semiconductor Optoelectronics
Acad Unit : 4.0
Prerequisite : Nil
Contents : Dielectric photonic materials. Semiconductor photonic materials. Integrated optics. Photodetectors. Light emitting diodes. Semiconductor lasers. Light modulators and switches.
EE4838 Laser Engineering and Applications
Acad Unit : 4.0
Prerequisite : Nil
Contents : Laser fundamentals. Laser cavities. Laser oscillation. Laser techniques. Design of laser systems. Laser applications in sensing, metrology and data storage. Laser applications in industry. Laser applications in medicine and biology.
EE4839 Fibre Optic Communications
Acad Unit : 4.0
Prerequisite : Nil
Contents : Fundamental concepts. Types and properties of optical fibres. Light sources, transmitters, receivers and amplifiers. Connectors, splicers, passive and active components. Fibre optical measurements. System concepts, fibre system standards, and system design. Optical networks.
EE4648 Flat Panel Display Technologies
Acad Unit : 4.0
Prerequisite : Nil
Contents : Overview of display technologies. Ergonomics of displays. Liquid crystal cell. Liquid crystal displays technologies. Field emission displays. Plasma displays. Electroluminescent displays. Recent advances in display technologies.
EE4695 Semiconductor Physics
Acad Unit : 4.0
Prerequisite : Nil
Contents : Elements of quantum mechanics. Crystal structure. Thermal properties of semiconductor crystals. Bands structures of semiconductor crystals. Dielectric, optical and transport properties of semiconductors. Semiconductor microstructures and lasers.
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InfoCommunications Industry:
Internet growth requires broadband metropolitan optical networking, resulting in explosive 42% annual growth (Reuters, 14/2/2000) in photonics components. Current acute global shortage of trained photonics engineers implies handsome remuneration, etc. Potential employers in Singapore include Lucent Technologies, Cisco, Fujitsu Quantum Devices, Fujikura Asia, Anritsu, etc.
Optoelectronics and Related Manufacturing:
Agilent Technologies (formerly Hewlett Packard) – superbright LEDs for brake/traffic lights; Hewlett Packard – wireless IR devices, scanners, iRDA transceivers; Siemens, EG&G Hiemann Optoelectronics; II-VI Epitaxial; Philips, Sony Precision, - optical read/write disks; Schott Glass Singapore; 3M Singapore, etc.
Optical Instrumentation and Systems:
Qioptiq, Chartered Electro-Optics, ST Electronics, Melles Griot, Zugo Technology, Carl Zeiss, Leica; & the 12 wafer fabs in Singapore – photolithography and wafer characterization.
Research and Development:
DSO National Labs (Electro-Optics, advanced systems, RF photonics), Gintic Institute of Manufacturing (Optical Technology Center), Data Storage Institute (Optical Division), Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (Optoelectronics and Photonics Program), PSB(Technology Development Division), NUS Centre for Optoelectronics, NTU Network Technology Research Centre, and last but not least the School of EEE’s Photonics Research Group requiring >40 photonics research engineer/fellows for its many externally funded research projects.
Please browse the EEE School website for complete information.
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