2021 Faculty Courses School of Science Department of Physics Graduate major in Physics
Light and Matter III
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Physics
- Instructor(s)
- Masaya Notomi
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Tue
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- PHY.C448
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2021
- Offered quarter
- 3Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
In this course, the instructor will explain light propagation, optical transition, and light-mater interactions in continuous media and condensed matter. First, the instructor will explain optical properties in homogeneous media, and then explain how such properties change in artificially-made nanostructures. The students will learn what determines the optical properties of materials and how they are limited. Furthermore, they will learn how these limitations can be overcome by introducing nanostructures.
Course description and aims
At the end of this course, students will be able to
(1) understand how optical dispersion, optical transition, and optical nonlinearity arise in condensed matter.
(2) understand the origin of limitations for light confinement strength, light velocity, and optical transition rate in homogeneous media
(3) understand those limitations in homogeneous media can be overcome by introducing wavelength-scale periodic structures, metallic nanostructures, and sub-wavelength-scale circuit elements.
Keywords
Optics, Optical dispersion, Optical transition, Optical nonlinearity, Nanophotonics, Photonic crystal, Plasmonics, Metamaterial, Cavity quantum electrodynamics
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Lecture note will be provided. The instructor uses a projector.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Light in condensed matter and continuous media | What were approximated in Maxwell equations in matter? What is the limitation of light confinement and light velocity? |
| Class 2 | Light in periodic structure (photonic crystal) | What is photonic band theory? How can we create an ultrasmall optical cavity? |
| Class 3 | Light in metal and metallic nanostructure (plasmonics) | Can we regard an electric signal in a metallic wire as light? How does plasmonics overcome the limitation of light confinement? |
| Class 4 | Light in circuit elements (metamaterial) | How can we create artificial permittivity/permeability? What is right-hand/left-hand in electromagnetics? |
| Class 5 | Imaging and focusing | What are super-resolution and perfect imaging? |
| Class 6 | Optical transition I (Quantum-optic approach) | Why is optical transition so slow? Can we accelerate optical transition by light confinement? |
| Class 7 | Optical nonlinarity | Why is optical nonlinearity so small? Can we achieve optical nonlinearity by a single photon? |
| Class 8 | Optical transition II (Circuit approach) | Where is quantum-ness? Can we make an antenna operating at optical frequency? |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Lecture note will be provided.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
None specified.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Evaluated by report (depending on the status of coronavirus) .
Related courses
- PHY.C446 ： Light and Matter I
- PHY.C447 ： Light and Matter II
Prerequisites
No prerequisites.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
notomi[at]phys.titech.ac.jp 03-5734-3831