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CODE 61864
ACADEMIC YEAR 2024/2025
CREDITS
SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR FIS/01
LANGUAGE Italian
TEACHING LOCATION
  • GENOVA
SEMESTER 2° Semester
TEACHING MATERIALS AULAWEB

OVERVIEW

This is a course on the optical properties of materials and nanomaterials, the spectroscopic experimental methods to study them, and their applications in the field of photonics. The course is primarily aimed at students of physics and materials science but may also be useful for students of chemistry and engineering. As far as physics students are concerned, the course is useful for studies in the physics of matter, applied physics, and detector physics. Regarding materials science students, the training activities are suitable for both the ‘Materials Scientist: Research Specialist’ profile and the ‘Materials Scientist: Technology Specialist’ profile.
The course includes a laboratory, demonstrative and practical part.

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AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will develop up-to-date skills on the application of spectroscopic methods to the study of the optical properties of composite nano-materials of interest in the field of photonics. Through laboratory, demonstration and experiential activities, students will acquire basic skills in optical spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

To provide a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the interaction processes of light with various classes of materials, with reference to the latest scientific and technological applications of photonics, including quantum technologies and materials for the ecological transition.  A relevant part of the course concerns the application of optical methods to nanomaterials such as ultrathin functional films, nanoparticles, quantum dots, new two-dimensional semiconductor materials, nanocomposites. Through laboratory, demonstrative and hands-on activities based on a wide range of state-of-the-art instruments, basic operational skills are to be developed in various optical spectroscopies and micro-spectroscopies used in materials physics laboratories, such as broadband spectroscopic ellipsometry and Raman spectroscopy.

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PREREQUISITES

Knowledge of electromagnetism and waves, at the level of general physics courses, and basic knowledge of quantum mechanics are required. Basic knowledge of optics and elementary notions of solid-state physics are useful.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures. Interactive laboratory demonstrations.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

A. Light & materials (I): fundamental optical processes.
1. Absorption, scattering and scattering
1.1 Dielectric function and complex refractive index in the linear response regime of homogeneous and isotropic materials (OI)
Models for bound electrons. Multiple resonances.  Kramers- Kronig relations.  Dense dielectrics. Phenomenological models for normal dispersion (Sellmeier, Cauchy).  Consequences of dispersion. Models for simple metals.  Plasma frequency.  Non-metallic conducting materials.
1.2 Beyond OI materials
Composite materials: effective medium models and Maxwell-Garnett and Bruggemann modifications of the Clausius-Mossotti relation. Anisotropy: dielectric tensor and birefringence.

B.   Interfaces, metamaterials.
2. Reflection and refraction.  Multiple interfaces.
Planes of incidence and s and p polarisation. Fresnel coefficients.  Brewster angle. Critical angle.  Calculation of reflection and transmission coefficient for thin films and isotropic dielectric multilayers. Bragg reflectors and interferential optical filters. Perfect mirrors.  

3.  Experimental methods (I).  Jones formalism. Optical systems for polarisation manipulation.  Transmission experiments. Experimental methods for single-wavelength ellipsometry and broadband spectroscopy.  Kretschmann configuration and surface plasmon resonance (SPR).

C.   Light & Materials (II). Band structure and optical properties.
4.  Interband transitions
Band structure of semiconductors. Fundamental absorption threshold. Direct gap: Fermi's golden rule and probability of optical transition near the threshold.  Semiconductor colour. Indirect gap: phonon-assisted transitions.  Comparison with experimental data.  Low temperature effects. Transitions away from threshold and band effects.  Effect of defects and doping. Band structure and interband transitions in noble metals.
5.  Excitons and luminescence.
Excitons in pure semiconductors.  Strongly and weakly bonded excitons. Luminescence processes. Materials for radiation generation and detection and for photovoltaic applications. Molecular semiconductors.
6. Optical properties of amorphous optical materials.  
Amorphous semiconductors and insulators. Mixed amorphous transition metal oxides. Fundamental absorption threshold. Urbach tail and correlation with structural properties. Optical absorption from localised states. Applications in interferometry.   

7. Experimental methods (II)
Raman spectrometry and micro-spectrometry. Photoluminescence measurementsInterferential optical techniques: measurement of optical losses in dielectric layers in the normal dispersion regime.

D.    Light & Materials (III). Nanophotonics (with invited expert seminars).
8.  Plasmonics and excitonics.
Materials, methods and models for nano-plasmonics in the visible and UV. Plasmonic sensors. New 2D semiconductors and dielectrics and ultrathin heterostructures.  New quantum dot materials. Plasmonic-excitonic hybrid materials (‘Plexcitonics’).
9.  Ultra-thin metamaterials
Hyperbolic materials. Epsilon-near-zero materials. MIM (metal-insulator-metal) systems. Nano -multilayers.  Photonic crystals and natural Bragg reflectors (outline). Passive photonic radiators for solar engineering. Self-organising organic monolayers and applications for optical biosensors.
10. Experimental methods (III).  
Spatially resolved optical spectroscopies. Time-resolved ultrafast optical spectroscopies.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

TEXTS/BIBLIOGRAPHY
Textbooks: M. Fox, Optical properties of Solids, Oxford University press
B. Culshaw - Introducing Photonics ( SPIE- Cambridge)
Course notes (slides, in English) will also be available on TEAMS.
Useful texts for reference (available at the Puggia Valley Library):
 H. Arwin, Thin Film Optics and Polarized Light
O. Stenzel The Physics of Thin Film Optical Spectra, Springer
E. Hecht, Optics, Addison Wesley
H. Tompkins, W.A. Mc Gahan, Spectroscopic Ellipsometry and Reflectometry, Wiley,

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

MAURIZIO CANEPA (President)

FRANCESCO BISIO

LESSONS

LESSONS START

First week of march 2025

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination includes a seminar of approximately 30' on a topic of your choice included in the syllabus. Discussion. Follow-up questions will be asked. 

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Seminar content. Synthesis skills.  Clarity of exposition.

Exam schedule

Data appello Orario Luogo Degree type Note
14/02/2025 09:00 GENOVA Esame su appuntamento
29/07/2025 09:00 GENOVA Esame su appuntamento
19/09/2025 09:00 GENOVA Esame su appuntamento

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Sergio Di Domizio (sergio.didomizio@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.