Photonics – Harnessing Light in the Microscopic World
Feb/11/2009 11:50 Filed in: Seminars
Magdalena Nawrocka, Ph.D.
Nanophotonics and Nanofabrication Research Group
College of Engineering and Computing
Florida International University
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Seminar at 4:30 p.m. in Science Center 128
Nanophotonics and Nanofabrication Research Group
College of Engineering and Computing
Florida International University
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Seminar at 4:30 p.m. in Science Center 128
Magdalena Nawrocka received a Ph.D. degree in Physics and an M.S. in Electronics and Telecommunications from Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland, in 2001, and 1996, respectively. In 2001, she was awarded the NATO Science Fellowship by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to work on fiber-optic sensors for dynamic pressure and temperature measurements at the University of Quebec at Ottawa. She is currently a Visiting Scientist with the Nanophotonics and Nanofabrication Research Group at Florida International University, Miami, where her research includes characterization of micro- and nano-photonic structures and devices and their integration with optical fibers. She has authored and co-authored over thirty research papers and conference presentations in the field of microphotonics and fiber optics.
“Photonics – Harnessing Light in the Microscopic World”
ABSTRACT
The ability to confine and manipulate light at micro- and nano-level has lead to the discovery of physical phenomena existing beyond intuitive explanation, facilitating the development of extremely sensitive, fast and accurate devices. Photonics, the science that explores photons and one of the 21st century’s key technologies, enables ultrafast telecommunications and computing along with highly-responsive sensing.
Various materials have been studied for application in photonic devices. Silicon photonics has emerged from advances made in electronic technology and due to possibility of creating submicrometer waveguides based on silicon’s high refractive index. Photonic structures, their applications and future trends will be presented, using examples of microring resonator with its thermal tuning, and silicon-waveguide cantilever for nano-displacement and nano-mass detection. Polymers enable the creation of refractive-index-tunable and mechanically-flexible optical structures and as an example, polymer photonic crystals will be discussed. Metallic nanoparticles possess attractive properties at optical frequencies. Single-molecule sensing through surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is one of their promising applications.
Beyond their use as telecommunication components, optical fibers are remarkably relevant to sensing applications. Two of the most significant advantages of fiber-optic sensors lie in their immunity to electromagnetic interference and possibility of multiparameter distributed measurements. Highly-birefringent fibers in interference-polarization systems for dynamic measurements of pressure, temperature, mass and elongation and current trends in fiber optics will also be discussed.
“Photonics – Harnessing Light in the Microscopic World”
ABSTRACT
The ability to confine and manipulate light at micro- and nano-level has lead to the discovery of physical phenomena existing beyond intuitive explanation, facilitating the development of extremely sensitive, fast and accurate devices. Photonics, the science that explores photons and one of the 21st century’s key technologies, enables ultrafast telecommunications and computing along with highly-responsive sensing.
Various materials have been studied for application in photonic devices. Silicon photonics has emerged from advances made in electronic technology and due to possibility of creating submicrometer waveguides based on silicon’s high refractive index. Photonic structures, their applications and future trends will be presented, using examples of microring resonator with its thermal tuning, and silicon-waveguide cantilever for nano-displacement and nano-mass detection. Polymers enable the creation of refractive-index-tunable and mechanically-flexible optical structures and as an example, polymer photonic crystals will be discussed. Metallic nanoparticles possess attractive properties at optical frequencies. Single-molecule sensing through surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy is one of their promising applications.
Beyond their use as telecommunication components, optical fibers are remarkably relevant to sensing applications. Two of the most significant advantages of fiber-optic sensors lie in their immunity to electromagnetic interference and possibility of multiparameter distributed measurements. Highly-birefringent fibers in interference-polarization systems for dynamic measurements of pressure, temperature, mass and elongation and current trends in fiber optics will also be discussed.
