EECS 434: Principles of Photonics 
Instructor:   
Prof. Tal Carmon 
3105 ERB I, phone 734-615-2749, email tal.carmon@gmail.com 
  
Class:  MW 3:30-5:30pm EECS 3433; 
Lecture 3:30 to 5:00. 
Discussion 5:00 to 5:30 
Topics for discussion: 
1) HW 
2) Research related questions where optics is relevant 
3) How to solve optics related problems (and maybe win $15,000...)  
see problems in appendix below 
 
Lab: Four labs in ERB1 1st Floor Lab meeting at the lobby. 
  
Prerequisites:  EECS 330 or 334 or permission of instructor. 
  
Office Hours: TBA:   
Please send email before coming to office hour that contain the following details: 
1) Topic you want to discuss in office hour 
2) Time and date you want to meet 
 
Grading:  homework 10%, Laboratory 30%, midterm 30%, final 30% 
  
Homework policy:  TBA 
  
Software requirements: 
1) Comsol Multiphysics version with RF module version 3.3a or higher. Available at 
CAEN labs (or remotely accessed). 
  
Textbooks:  B.E.A. Saleh and M.C. Teich, "Fundamentals of Photonics" 
                             John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1991. 
                       
  
Alternate References: 
E. Hecht, "Optics." 

A. Yariv, "Optical Electronics." 
                 Saunders College Publishing, Fourth Edition, 1991. 

H.A. Haus, "Waves and Fields in Optoelectronics." 
                 Prentice Hall, 1984. 

Course Description 
EECS 434 provides an introduction to photonics, lasers, and fiber-optic.  The course starts 
from Maxwell's equations to derive appropriate equations for optics.  After treating reflection at 
interfaces, mirrors and interferometers are studied.  Guided wave optics is discussed, including 
the important areas of dielectric waveguides and fiber optics.  Other topics are also covered, such 
as  resonator  optics,  laser  oscillation  and  electro-optic  modulators.   Then,  the  attention  turns  to 
optical  design  optical  devices  and  research  in  optics.  The  course  includes  four  hands-on 
laboratories using interferometers, lasers, fibers and detectors. 


EECS 434 (Rough Schedule:  taught from Saleh & Teich)
1 Sep 9
Lecture 1 Ch. 5 S&T: Electromagnetic Optics
2 Sep 14
Lecture 2 Ch. 5 S&T: Electromagnetic Optics
3 Sep 16
Lecture 3 Ch. 5 S&T: Absorption and Dispersion
4 Sep 21
Lecture 4 Ch 6 + notes. Reflection of Plane Waves from
Interfaces
5 Sep 23
Lecture 6 Ch 7+notes S&T: Fabry-Perot and Interferometers
6 Sep 28
5 LAB: Michelson Interferometer or Scanning Fabry-Perot, No lecture on this day.
7 Sep 30
Lecture 7 Project: interactive photonic website.
8 Oct 5
Lecture 8: Ch 9 S&T: Resonator Optics
9 Oct 7
Lecture 9 Ch 9 S&T: Dialectric resonators.
10 Oct 12
Lecture 10 Ch. 14 S&T: Lasers
11 Oct 14
Lecture 11 Midterm Exam, open notes, open book (S&T)
12 Oct 21
Lecture 12 Ch. 8 S&T: Plane Mirror Waveguides
13 Oct 26
Lecture 13 Ch. 8 S&T: Planar Dielectric Waveguides
14 Oct 28
14 LAB: Lasers, No lecture on this day.
15 Nov 2
Lecture 15 Ch. 9 S&T: Fiber Optics: Step Index Fibers
16 Nov 4
Lecture 16 Ch. 9 S&T: Fiber Optics: Multimode & Graded
Index Fibers
17 Nov 9
Lecture 17 Ch. 9 S&T: Fiber Optics: Attenuation and
Dispersion
18 Nov 11
18 LAB: Fiber Coupling, No lecture on this day.
19 Nov 16
Lecture 19 Ch. 9 S&T: Fiber Optics: Attenuation and Dispersion
20 Nov 18
Lecture 20 Notes: Bent fiber modes and ring resonators
21 Nov 23
Lecture 21 Notes: Electro-optics, Modulators
22 Nov 25
LAB 22: Fiber Sensor, no lecture at this day
23 Nov 30
Lecture 23 Notes: Non-imaging optics and concentrating light
24 Dec 2
Lecture 24 Notes: Optical Design, thermally stable lens and structures.
25 Dec 7
Lecture 25: Ch. 19 S&T: Acousto-optics
26 Dec 9
Lecture 26: Exam preparation
27 Dec 14
Final Exam: 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm, room TBA, open notes, open book
(S&T)