In optics and photonics, we study and control the properties of light and its interaction with matter. Matter is often structured on length scales comparable to the optical wavelength, which is a few hundred nanometers long.
The concrete topics that optics and photonics deal with are very broad. They start with fundamental investigations of novel phenomena, which are often further developed in the context of concrete applications. Optics and photonics is a self-contained scientific discipline. However, it often also develops methods and instruments that can be used to successfully address interesting new questions in other subfields of physics and in other scientific disciplines. A prototypical example is the development of high-resolution microscopes with which structures previously inaccessible in biology can be observed.
We reflect this interdisciplinarity in our study program. Therefore, in addition to core subjects in theoretical, numerical, and experimental optics and photonics, we also offer many lectures that interface with other subjects. Examples are biology (in the context of biophotonics), chemistry (in the context of spectroscopy), or engineering (in the context of photovoltaics or communication technology).
Core subjects of our education are:
- Solid-State Optics
- Nano-Optics
- Theoretical Optics
- Theoretical Nanooptics
- Molecular Spectroscopy
- Nonlinear Optics
- Photovoltaics
In addition, we offer a number of special lectures which are usually closely related to our research interests. For example, these include lectures on:
- X-ray Physics
- Experimental Biophysics
- Theoretical Quantum Optics
- Computational Photonics
- Quantum Optics at the Nanoscale
These lectures are complemented by exercises, in which you can acquire practical skills or already deal in detail with current literature in this subject area. We regularly offer advanced seminars in which you can deal with individual topics very intensively and individually and exchange ideas with other students. All these offers provide an excellent basis for successfully working on qualification projects in one of our working groups.