ECE 495 Class Calendar (NOTE THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

 

August 2025
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

 

 

 

 

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You must have a current Lab Safety Training certificate that you can show the TA.

Link

AND laser safety training

Link

Go to the top bar and click "Training" and towards the bottom you should see "Laser Safety."

Both must be current to take part in the physical labs!

Course Introduction

Lecture Slides

History Of Lasers

 

26

No Lab this week.

27

Fundamentals: Emission and Absorption

Lecture Slides

Stimulated Emission and Optical Gain

 

 

28

 

29

 

30

 

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September 2025
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1

Labor Day. No classes. 

2

No Lab This Week.

 

3

Fundamentals: Laser Gain

Lecture Slides

Renk Book Chapter (A's and B's)

Laser Oscillation

 

4

 

5

 

6

 

7

 

8

Fundamentals: Threshold and Lab Writeup Discussion

Lecture Slides

HeNe Laser

Linewidth Broadening Mechanisms

 

9

Lab 1

Lab

Example Lab Report Grade Sheet

Detector data sheets

Si No Attenuator

Si Attenuator

Ge No Attenuator

Ge Attenuator

Please go to the DRS Website and under the "Training" tab at the top, complete the "Laser Safety" training module. Print the certificate and bring it with you to the first lab. You will not be allowed to peform the labs without taking the training. If you have already done this training (but within the past 2 years), you may bring a copy of an existing certificate.

10

Fundamentals: Output Power

Lecture Slides

Laser output Power

 

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Resonators: Modes

Lecture Slides

Cavity (or Resonator) Notes

 

16

Lab 2

Please read the introductory material BEFORE coming to lab.

Lab

Camera Quick Guide

 

17

Resonators: Fabry-Perot Interferometers

Lecture Slides

Interferometer Notes 1

Interferometer as a Spectrum Analyzer

 

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22

Resonators: Gaussian Beams

Lecture Slides

Gaussian Beams

Gaussian Beams

 

 

23

Lab 3

Lab

Example GDS Layout File

 

24

Photonic Integrated Circuits - Introduction and Labs 3 & 4 Discussion

Lecture Slides

Si Photonics

Hybrid Si Photonics

 

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Photonic Integrated Circuits, Waveguides

Lecture Slides

Si Waveguides

Y Branch

Y Branch 2

Rectangular Dielectric Waveguides

Discussion of the Effective Index Method

30

Lab 4 Silicon Photonics (MZI Design). 2 week lab.

NOTE: Appendix A is performed on a Windows machine.

 

 

October 2025
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
 

 

1

Mach Zehnder Interferometers

Lecture Slides

Coupling Light Into Si Waveguides

Si Photonics Lithography

In destructive interference, where does the light go???

 

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4

 

5

 

6

Tutorial on Layout

See Lab 4 for more detailed instructions on building an MZI

KLayout Tutorial

 

7

Lab 4, Continued

Lab

We will be in the lab during regular times to help debug, etc. If after 1 hour nobody comes to the lab, we'll assume everyone in that section is all set.

8

Semiconductor Light Absorption

Lecture Slides

Review of Semiconductors

Review of Semiconductors

 

9

 

10

 

11

 

12

 

13

Photodetectors

Lecture Slides

Photodiodes

14

Lab 5, Photodetectors

Lab

Please see Lab 1 for detector responsivity curves.

 

15

Semiconductor Light Emission

Lecture Slides

The LED

 

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20

Light Emitting Diodes

Lecture Slides

***Final Project Guidelines***

 

21

Lab 6, LEDs

Lab

 

22

Edge Emitting and VCSEL Diode Lasers

Lecture Slides

Laser Diodes

***Final Project Guidelines***

 

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27

Semiconductor Laser Efficiency

Lecture Slides

VCSELs

 

28

No lab this week!

 

29

Optical Confinement in EELs, Introduction to VCSELs

Lecture Slides

DBRs in VCSELs

 

30

 

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November 2025
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

 

 

 

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3

VCSEL Confinement and Modes

Lecture Slides

Transverse Modes in VCSELs

VCSEL Confinement

VCSELs: Commercial Application Notes

Please Have Your Final Projects Identified by Today

We will have an in-class discussion of your final project ideas today.

 

4

Lab 7, Diode Lasers

Lab

We will be in 5074 ECEB for this and all remaining labs.

 

5

Fiber Lasers and Amplifiers

Lecture Slides

Optical Fiber Basics

 

6

 

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8

 

9

 

10

Optical Fiber Amplifiers and Lasers

Lecture Slides

 

11

Lab 8, Fiber Amplifiers and Lasers

Lab

We'll again be in 5074ECEB this week for lab.

Pump Laser Data Sheet, the Thick Black Line is the LI Curve

12

Fiber Lasers and Amplifiers

Lecture Slides

 

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Fiber Lasers Continued

Lecture Slides

 

18

No lab this week!

 

19

Optical Interconnects

Lecture Slides

 

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Fall Break

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Fall Break

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Fall Break

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Fall Break

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Fall Break

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Fall Break

 30

Fall Break

   

     

 

December 2025
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1

In lab silicon photonics lecture / demo. Please come to ECEB 5074 per instructions provided in the classmail. PLEASE READ THE CLASSMAIL CAREFULLY!

Lecture Slides

 

2

Lab 9, Silicon Photonics: Measurements

Lab

Sample data in case you can't get your devices to work.

 

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Optical Interconnects

Lecture Slides

 

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Final Project Presentations

Be sure to upload your slides to the BOX before today.

Final Project Schedule and Guidelines

 

9

No Lab this week.

10

Final Project Presentations.

Be sure to upload your slides to the BOX before today.

Final Project Schedule and Guidelines

 

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READING DAY 

 

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Final Project Report Due Last Day of Finals

 

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Final Project Report Due Today. This is a FIRM deadline.

 

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