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Textbook Handbook of Optoelectronics Vol 1 Concepts Devices and Techniques 2Nd Edition John P Dakin Ebook All Chapter PDF
Textbook Handbook of Optoelectronics Vol 1 Concepts Devices and Techniques 2Nd Edition John P Dakin Ebook All Chapter PDF
1:
Concepts, Devices, and Techniques
2nd Edition John P. Dakin
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Handbook of Optoelectronics
Second Edition
Series in Optics and Optoelectronics
Series Editors:
E. Roy Pike, Kings College, London, UK
Robert G. W. Brown, University of California, Irvine, USA
Handbook of Optoelectronics, Second Edition: Concepts, Devices, and
Techniques – Volume One
John P. Dakin and Robert G. W. Brown (Eds.)
Handbook of Optoelectronics, Second Edition: Enabling Technologies – Volume Two
John P. Dakin and Robert G. W. Brown (Eds.)
Handbook of Optoelectronics, Second Edition: Applied Optical Electronics – Volume Three
John P. Dakin and Robert G. W. Brown (Eds.)
Handbook of GaN Semiconductor Materials and Devices
Wengang (Wayne) Bi, Hao-chung (Henry) Kuo, Pei-Cheng Ku, and Bo Shen (Eds.)
Handbook of Optoelectronic Device Modeling and Simulation: Fundamentals, Materials,
Nanostructures, LEDs, and Amplifiers – Volume One
Joachim Piprek (Ed.)
Handbook of Optoelectronic Device Modeling and Simulation: Lasers, Modulators,
Photodetectors, Solar Cells, and Numerical Methods – Volume Two
Joachim Piprek (Ed.)
Nanophotonics and Plasmonics: An Integrated View
Dr. Ching Eng (Jason) Png and Dr. Yuriy Akimov
Handbook of Solid-State Lighting and LEDs
Zhe Chuan Feng (Ed.)
Optical Microring Resonators: Theory, Techniques, and Applications
V. Van
Optical Compressive Imaging
Adrian Stern
Singular Optics
Gregory J. Gbur
The Limits of Resolution
Geoffrey de Villiers and E. Roy Pike
Polarized Light and the Mueller Matrix Approach
José J Gil and Razvigor Ossikovski
Handbook of Optoelectronics
Second Edition
Concepts, Devices, and Techniques
Volume 1
Edited by
John P. Dakin
Robert G. W. Brown
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made
to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all
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Series Preface ix
Introduction to the Second Edition xi
Introduction to the First Edition xiii
Editors xv
Contributors xvii
1 An introduction to optoelectronics 3
Alan Rogers and Vincent Handerek
2 Introduction to optical materials 21
Neil J. Ross
3 Incandescent, discharge, and arc lamp sources 41
David O. Wharmby
4 Detection of optical radiation 65
Antoni Rogalski, Zbigniew Bielecki, and Janusz Mikolajczyk
5 Propagation along optical fibers and waveguides 125
John Love
6 Introduction to lasers and optical amplifiers 175
William S. Wong, Chien-Jen Chen, and Yan Sun
vii
viii Contents
This international series covers all aspects of the- photonic devices, nonlinear optics, interferom-
oretical and applied optics and optoelectronics. etry, waves, crystals, optical materials, biomedical
Active since 1986, eminent authors have long been optics, optical tweezers, optical metrology, solid-
choosing to publish with this series, and it is now state lighting, nanophotonics, and silicon photon-
established as a premier forum for high-impact ics. Readers of the series are students, scientists,
monographs and textbooks. The editors are proud and engineers working in optics, optoelectronics,
of the breadth and depth showcased by published and related fields in the industry.
works, with levels ranging from advanced under- Proposals for new volumes in the series may be
graduate and graduate student texts to professional directed to Lu Han, executive editor at CRC Press,
references. Topics addressed are both cutting edge Taylor & Francis Group (lu.han@taylorandfrancis.
and fundamental, basic science and applications- com).
oriented, on subject matter that includes: lasers,
ix
Introduction to the Second Edition
There have been many detailed technological changes fundamentally new directions of optoelectronics
since the first edition of the Handbook in 2006, with research—and likely new component technologies
the most dramatic changes can be seen from the far for the near future. One of the most significant
more widespread applications of the technology. To new areas of activity has been in nano-optoelec-
reflect this, our new revision has a completely new tronics; the use of nanotechnology science, pro-
Volume III focused on applications and covering cedures, and processes is to create ultraminiature
many case studies from an ever-increasing range of devices across the entire optoelectronics domain:
possible topics. Even as recently as 2006, the high laser and LED sources, optical modulators, pho-
cost or poorer performance of many optoelectronics ton detectors, and solar cell technology. Two new
components was still holding back many develop- chapters on silicon photonics and nanophotonics,
ments, but now the cost of many high-spec compo- and graphene optoelectronics attempt to cover
nents, particularly ones such as LEDs, lasers, solar the wide range of nanotechnology developments
cells and other optical detectors, optoelectronic in optoelectronics this past decade. It will, how-
displays, optical fibers and components, including ever, be a few years before the scale-up to volume-
optical amplifiers, has reduced to such an extent that manufacturing of nano-based devices becomes
they are now finding a place in all aspects of our lives. an economically feasible reality, but there is much
Solid-state optoelectronics now dominates lighting promise for new generations of optoelectronic
technology and is starting to dominate many other technologies to come soon.
key areas like power generation. It is revolutionizing Original chapters of the first edition have been
our transport by helping to guide fully autonomous revised and brought up-to-date for the second edi-
vehicles, and CCTV cameras and optoelectronic dis- tion mostly by the original authors, but in some cases
plays are seen everywhere we go. by new authors, to whom we are especially grateful.
In addition to the widespread applications
now routinely using optoelectronic components,
since 2006 we have witnessed growth of various
xi
Introduction to the First Edition
Optoelectronics is a remarkably broad scientific but we have also covered closely related areas of
and technological field that supports a multibil- electro-optics, involving devices that are essen-
lion US$ per annum global industry, employing tially optical in nature but involve electronics (such
tens of thousands of scientists and engineers. The as crystal light modulators).
optoelectronics industry is one of the great global To provide firm foundations, this Handbook
businesses of our time. opens with a section covering “Basic Concepts.”
In this Handbook, we have aimed to produce The “Introduction” is followed immediately by a
a book that is not just a text containing theoreti- chapter concerning “Materials,” for it is through
cally sound physics and electronics coverage, nor the development and application of new materials
just a practical engineering handbook, but a text and their special properties that the whole busi-
designed to be strong in both these areas. We ness of optoelectronic science and technology now
believe that, with the combined assistance of many advances. Many optoelectronic systems still rely
world experts, we have succeeded in achieving this on conventional light sources rather than semi-
very difficult aim. The structure and contents of conductor sources, so we cover these in the third
this Handbook have proved fascinating to assem- chapter, leaving semiconductor matters to a later
ble, using input from many leading practitioners of section. The detection of light is fundamental to
the science, technology, and art of optoelectronics. many optoelectronic systems, as are optical wave-
Today’s optical telecommunications, display, guides, amplifiers, and lasers; so, we cover these
and illumination technologies rely heavily on in the remaining chapters of the “Basic Concepts”
optoelectronic components: laser diodes, light section.
emitting diodes, liquid crystal and plasma screen The “Advanced Concepts” section focuses
displays, etc. In today’s world, it is virtually impos- on three areas that will be useful to some of our
sible to find a piece of electrical equipment that intended audience, both now, in advanced optics
does not employ optoelectronic devices as a basic and photometry—and now and increasingly in
necessity—from CD and DVD players to televi- the future concerning nonlinear and short-pulse
sions, from automobiles and aircraft to medical effects.
diagnostic facilities in hospitals and telephones, “Optoelectronics Devices and Techniques” is
from satellites and space-borne missions to under- a core foundation section for this Handbook, as
water exploration systems—the list is almost end- today’s optoelectronics business relies heavily on
less. Optoelectronics is in virtually every home and such knowledge. We have attempted to cover all
business office in the developed modern world, in the main areas of semiconductor optoelectronics
telephones, fax machines, photocopiers, comput- devices and materials in the 11 chapters in this
ers, and lighting. section, from light emitting diodes and lasers of
“Optoelectronics” is not precisely defined in great variety to fibers, modulators, and amplifi-
the literature. In this Handbook, we have covered ers. Ultrafast and integrated devices are increas-
not only optoelectronics as a subject concerning ingly important, as are organic electroluminescent
devices and systems that are essentially electronic devices and photonic bandgap and crystal fibers.
in nature, yet involve light (such as the laser diode), Artificially engineered materials provide a rich
xiii
xiv Introduction to the first edition
source of possibilities for next generation optoelec- possibly do justice to all the myriad inventive
tronic devices. schemes and capabilities that have been developed
At this point the Handbook “changes gear”— to date. However, we have tried hard to give a broad
and we move from the wealth of devices now overview within major classification areas, to give
available to us—to how they are used in some you a flavor of the sheer potential of optoelectron-
of the most important optoelectronic systems ics for application to almost everything that can be
available today. We start with a section covering measured. We start with the foundation areas of
“Communication,” for this is how the developed spectroscopy—and increasingly important surveil-
world talks and communicates by internet and lance, safety, and security possibilities. Actuation
email today—we are all now heavily dependent and control—the link from optoelectronics to
on optoelectronics. Central to such optoelectronic mechanical systems is now pervading nearly all
systems are transmission, network architecture, modern machines: cars, aircraft, ships, industrial
switching, and multiplex architectures—the focus production, etc.—a very long list is possible here.
of our chapters here. In “Communication,” we Solar power is and will continue to be of increasing
already have a multi-tens-of-billions-of-dollars- importance—with potential for urgently needed
per-annum industry today. breakthroughs in photon to electron conversion
‘Imaging and displays’ is the other industry efficiency. Medical applications of optoelectronics
measured in the tens of billions of dollars per are increasing all the time, with new learned jour-
annum range at the present time. We deal here nals and magazines regularly being started in this
with most if not all of the range of optoelectronic field.
techniques used today from cameras, vacuum Finally, we come to the art of practical opto-
and plasma displays to liquid crystal displays and electronic systems—how do you put optoelec-
light modulators, from electroluminescent dis- tronic devices together into reliable and useful
plays and exciting new 3-D display technologies systems, and what are the “black art” experiences
just entering the market place in mobile telephone learned through painful experience and failure?
and laptop computer displays—to the very differ- This is what other optoelectronic books never tell
ent application area of scanning and printing. you—and we are fortunate to have a chapter that
“Sensing and Data Processing” is a growing addresses many of the questions we should be
area of optoelectronics that is becoming increas- thinking about as we design and build systems—
ingly important—from noninvasive patient but often forget or neglect at our peril.
measurements in hospitals to remote sensing in In years to come, optoelectronics will develop
nuclear power stations and aircraft. At the heart in many new directions. Some of the more likely
of many of today’s sensing capabilities is the busi- directions to emerge by 2010 will include optical
ness of optical fiber sensing, so we begin this sec- packet switching, quantum cryptographic com-
tion of the Handbook there, before delving into munications, 3-D and large-area thin-film dis-
remote optical sensing and military systems (at plays, high-efficiency solar-power generation,
an unclassified level—for herein lies a problem for widespread biomedical and biophotonic disease
this Handbook—much of the current development analyses and treatments, and optoelectronic puri-
and capability in military optoelectronics is classi- fication processes. Many new devices will be based
fied and unpublishable because of its strategic and on quantum dots, photonic crystals, and nano-
operational importance). Optical information stor- optoelectronic components. A future edition of
age and recovery is already a huge global industry this Handbook is likely to report on these rapidly
supporting the computer and media industries in changing fields currently pursued in basic research
particular; optical information processing shows laboratories.
promise but has yet to break into major global uti- We are confident you will enjoy using this
lization. We cover all of these aspects in our chap- Handbook of Optoelectronics, derive fascination
ters here. and pleasure in this richly rewarding scientific and
“Industrial, medical, and commercial applica- technological field, and apply your knowledge in
tions” of optoelectronics abound, and we cannot either your research or your business.
Editors
John P. Dakin, PhD, is professor (Emeritus) at the Robert G. W. Brown, PhD, is at the Beckman
Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Laser Institute and Medical Clinic at the University
Southampton, UK. He earned a BSc and a PhD at of California, Irvine. He earned a PhD in engineer-
the University of Southampton and remained there ing at the University of Surrey, Surrey, and a BS in
as a Research Fellow until 1973, where he supervised physics at Royal Holloway College at the University
research and development of optical fiber sensors of London, London. He was previously an applied
and other optical measurement instruments. He physicist at Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, IA,
then spent 2 years in Germany at AEG Telefunken; where he carried out research in photonic ultra-
12 years at Plessey, research in Havant and then fast computing, optical detectors, and optical
Romsey, UK; and 2 years with York Limited/York materials. Previously, he was an advisor to the
Biodynamics in Chandler’s Ford, UK before return- UK government, and international and editorial
ing to the University of Southampton. director of the Institute of Physics. He is an elected
He has authored more than 150 technical and member of the European Academy of the Sciences
scientific papers, and more than 120 patent appli- and Arts (Academia Europaea) and special profes-
cations. He was previously a visiting professor at sor at the University of Nottingham, Nottingham.
the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. He also retains a position as adjunct full profes-
Dr. Dakin has won a number of awards, includ- sor at the University of California, Irvine, in the
ing “Inventor of the Year” for Plessey Electronic Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic,
Systems Limited and the Electronics Divisional Irvine, California, and as visiting professor in the
Board Premium of the Institute of Electrical and department of computer science. He has authored
Electronics Engineers, UK. Earlier, he won open more than 120 articles in peer-reviewed journals
scholarships to both Southampton and Manchester and holds 34 patents, several of which have been
Universities. successfully commercialized.
He has also been responsible for a number of Dr. Brown has been recognized for his entrepre-
key electro-optic developments. These include the neurship with the UK Ministry of Defence Prize
sphere lens optical fiber connector, the first wave- for Outstanding Technology Transfer, a prize from
length division multiplexing optical shaft encoder, Sharp Corporation (Japan) for his novel laser-
the Raman optical fiber distributed temperature diode invention, and, together with his team at
sensor, the first realization of a fiber optic passive the UK Institute of Physics, a Queen’s Award for
hydrophone array sensor, and the Sagnac location Enterprise, the highest honor bestowed on a UK
method described here, plus a number of novel company. He has guest edited several special issues
optical gas sensing methods. More recently, he of Applied Physics and was consultant to many
was responsible for developing a new distributed companies and government research centers in
acoustic and seismic optical fiber sensing system, the United States and the United Kingdom. He is a
which is finding major applications in oil and gas series editor of the CRC Press “Series in Optics and
exploration, transport and security systems. Optoelectronics.”
xv
Contributors
xvii
xviii Contributors
Basic concepts
1
An introduction to optoelectronics
ALAN ROGERS
University of Surrey
VINCENT HANDEREK
Fotech Solutions Ltd.
3
4 An introduction to optoelectronics
projectiles, of some kind, could explain satisfacto- However, there arose persistently the problem
rily the fact that light appeared to travel in straight of the nature of the “aether” in which these oscil-
lines. However, Newton recognized the difficulties lations occurred and, in particular, how astro-
in reconciling some experimental data with this nomical bodies could move through it, apparently
view and attempted to resolve them by ascribing without resistance. A famous experiment in 1887,
some rather unlikely properties to his corpuscles; by Michelson and Morley, attempted to measure
he retained this basic corpuscular tenet, however. the velocity of the earth with respect to this aether,
Such was Newton’s authority, resting as it did and consistently obtained the result that the veloc-
on an impressive range of discoveries in other ity was zero. This was very puzzling in view of the
branches of physics and mathematics, that it was earth’s known revolution around the sun. It thus
not until his death (in 1727) that the views of other appeared that the medium in which light waves
men such as Euler, Young, and Fresnel began to propagate did not actually exist!
gain their due prominence. These men believed that The null result of the aether experiment was
light was a wave motion in a “luminiferous aether,” incorporated by Einstein into an entirely new
and between them, they developed an impressive view of space and time in his two theories of rela-
theory, which well explained all the known phe- tivity: the special theory (1905) and the general
nomena of optical interference and diffraction. The theory (1915). Light, which propagates in space
wave theory rapidly gained ground during the late and oscillates in time, plays a crucial role in these
eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. theories.
The final blow in favor of the wave theory is Thus, physics arrived (ca. 1920) at the posi-
usually considered to have been struck by Foucault tion where light appeared to exhibit both particle
(1819–1868), who, in 1850, performed an experi- (quantum) and wave aspects, depending on the
ment that proved that light travels more slowly in physical situation. To compound this duality, it
water than in air. This result agreed with the wave was found (by Davisson and Germer in 1927, after
theory and contradicted the corpuscular theory. a suggestion by de Broglie in 1924) that electrons,
For the next 50 years, the wave theory held previously thought quite unambiguously to be par-
sway until, in 1900, Planck (1858–1947) found it ticles, sometimes exhibited a wave character, pro-
mathematically convenient to invoke the idea that ducing interference and diffraction patterns in a
light was emitted from a radiating body in dis- wave-like way.
crete packets, or “quanta,” rather than continu- The apparent contradiction between the per-
ously as a wave. Although Planck was at first of vasive wave–particle dualities in nature is now
the opinion that this was no more than a math- recognized to be the result of trying to picture all
ematical trick to explain the experimental rela- physical phenomena as occurring within the con-
tion between emitted intensity and wavelength, text of the human scale of things. Photons and
Einstein (1879–1955) immediately grasped the electrons appear to behave either as particles or as
fundamental importance of the discovery and waves to us only because of the limitations of our
used it to explain the photoelectric effect, in which modes of thought. We have been conditioned to
light acts to emit electrons from matter: the expla- think in terms of the behavior of objects such as
nation was beautifully simple and convincing. It sticks, stones, and waves on water, the understand-
appeared, then, that light really did have some ing of which has been necessary for us to survive,
corpuscular properties. as a species, at our particular level of things.
In parallel with these developments, there were In fact, the fundamental atomic processes of
other worrying concerns for the wave theory. From nature are not describable in these terms, and it
early in the nineteenth century, its protagonists had is only when we try to force them into our more
recognized that “polarization” phenomena, such as familiar framework that apparent contradictions,
those observed in crystals of Iceland spar, could be such as the wave–particle duality of electrons and
explained if the light vibrations were transverse to photons, arise. Electrons and photons are neither
the direction of propagation. Maxwell (1831–1879) waves nor particles but entities whose true nature is
had demonstrated brilliantly (in 1864), by means somewhat beyond our conceptual powers. We are
of his famous field equations, that the oscillating very limited by our preference (necessity, almost)
quantities were electric and magnetic fields. to have a mental picture of what is going on.
1.3 The wave nature of light 5
Present-day physics with its gauge symmetries If we take Cartesian axes Ox, Oy, Oz (Figure 1.1),
and field quantizations rarely draws any pictures we can write a simple sinusoidal solution of the
at all, but that is another story… free-space equations in the form:
Ex
O z
C Π=
ExHy
Hy
Unit area
λ
with frequency is a phenomenon known as optical and the force is proportional to the product of the
dispersion and is very important in optoelectronic current and the magnetic field; hence, the force is
systems, not least because all practical optical proportional to the product of electric and mag-
sources emit a range of different optical frequen- netic field strengths. The flow of energy, that is,
cies, each with its own value of refractive index. the rate at which energy is transported across unit
We turn now to the matters of momentum, area normal to the direction of propagation, is just
energy, and power in the light wave. The fact that equal to the vector product of the two quantities;
a light wave carries momentum and energy is evi-
dent from a number of its mechanical effects, such ∏ = E×H
as the forced rotation of a conducting vane in a vac-
(the vector product of two vectors gives another
uum when one side is exposed to light (Figure 1.2).
vector whose amplitude is the product of the
A simple wave picture of this effect can be obtained
amplitudes of the two vectors multiplied by the
from a consideration of the actions of the electric
sine of the angle between their directions (in this
and magnetic fields of the wave when it strikes the
case sin 90° = 1) and is in a direction orthogonal to
conductor. The electric field will cause a real cur-
both vectors, and along a line followed by a right-
rent to flow in the conductor (it acts on the “free”
handed screw rotating from the first to the second
electric charges in the conductor) in the direc-
vector. Vectors often combine in this way; so, it is
tion of the field. This current then comes under
convenient to define such a product).
the influence of the orthogonal magnetic field of
Clearly, if E and H are in phase, as for an elec-
the wave. A current-carrying conductor in a mag-
tromagnetic wave traveling in free space, then the
netic field that lies at right angles to the current
vector product will always be positive. Π is known
flow experiences a force at right angles to both the
as the Poynting vector. We also find that, in the
field and the current (motor principle) in a direc-
case of a propagating wave, E is proportional to H,
tion that is given by Fleming’s left-hand rule (this
so that the power across unit area normal to the
direction turns out to be, fortunately, the direction
direction of propagation is proportional to the
in which the light is traveling!). Hence, the effect
square of the magnitude of either E or H. The full
on the conductor is equivalent to that of energetic
quantitative relationships will be developed in later
particles striking it in the direction of travel of the
chapters, but we may note here that this means that
wave; in other words, it is equivalent to the trans-
a measurement of the power across unit area, a
port of momentum and energy in that direction.
quantity known as the intensity of the wave (some-
We can take this description one stage further.
times, the “irradiance”) provides a direct measure
The current is proportional to the electric field
of either E or H (Figure 1.1). This is a valuable
inferential exercise since it enables us, via a sim-
ple piece of experimentation (i.e., measurement of
Intense light beam
Very high optical power), to get a handle on the way in which
vacuum the light will interact with atomic electrons, for
example. This is because, within the atom, we are
dealing with electric and magnetic fields acting on
moving electric charges.
The units of optical intensity, clearly, will
be Wm−2.
Vanes
rotate 1.4 POLARIZATION
The simple sinusoidal solution of Maxwell’s wave
Vacuum
pump equation for E and H given by Equation 1.1 is only
one of an infinite number of such solutions, with E
Figure 1.2 Force exerted by light falling on a and H lying in any direction in the xy plane, and
conducting vane. with ω taking any value greater than zero.
8 An introduction to optoelectronics
It is customary to fix attention on the electric field and the tip of the vector is now observed as it pro-
to investigate general electromagnetic wave behav- gresses in time. Such a wave is said to be elliptically
ior, primarily because the effect of the electric field polarized. (The word “polarized,” being associated,
on the electrical charges within atoms tends to be as it is, with the separation of two dissimilar poles,
more direct than that of the magnetic field. But the is not especially appropriate. It derives from the
symmetry which exists between the E and H fields attempt to explain crystal–optical effects within
of the electromagnetic wave means that conclusions the early corpuscular theory by regarding the light
arrived at for the electric field have close equivalence corpuscles as rods with dissimilar ends, and it has
for the magnetic field. It is simply convenient only to persisted.) Of notable interest are the special cases
deal with one of them rather than two. where the ellipse degenerates into a straight line
Suppose that we consider two orthogonal elec- or a circle (Figure 1.3b and c). These are known as
tric field components of a propagating wave, with linear and circular polarization states, respectively,
the same frequency but differing phases (Figure and their importance lies not least in the fact that
1.3a): any given elliptical state can be resolved into cir-
cular and linear components, which can then be
E x = e x cos (ωt – kz + δ x ) dealt with separately. Light will be linearly polar-
ized, for example, when either ex or ey = 0, or when
E y = e y cos (ωt – kz + δy ) . δy − δx = mπ. It will be circularly polarized only
when ex = ey and δy − δx = (2m + 1)π/2, where m is a
From Figure 1.3, we can see that the resulting elec- positive or negative integer: circular polarization
tric field will rotate as the wave progresses, with the requires the component waves to have equal ampli-
tip of the resulting vector circumscribing (in gen- tude and to be in phase quadrature. A sensible,
eral) an ellipse. The same behavior will be appar- identifiable polarization state depends crucially on
ent if attention is fixed on one particular value of z the two components maintaining a constant phase
(a) ex
ey
δ
Elliptical polarization: ex , ey , δ(= δy – δx)
(b)
θ θ
Linear polarization: ex , ey , δ = mπ
e0
(c)
e0
π
2
π
Circular polarization: ex = ey = e0 , δ = (2m + 1)
2
Figure 1.3 Linear and circular polarization as special cases of elliptical polarization.
1.5 The electromagnetic spectrum 9
and amplitude relationship. All of these ideas are links can benefit from a combined use of polariza-
further developed in Chapter 7. tion control and optical path separation to double
The polarization properties of light waves are the communication capacity of a link in a tech-
important for a number of reasons. For example, in nique called polarization division multiplexing.
crystalline media, which possess directional proper-
ties, the propagation of the light will depend upon its
polarization state in relation to the crystal axes. This 1.5 THE ELECTROMAGNETIC
fact can be used either to probe the crystal struc- SPECTRUM
ture or to control the state of the light via the crys-
tal. Furthermore, the polarization state of the light Hitherto, in this chapter, we have dealt with optical
can provide valuable insights into the restrictions phenomena in fairly general terms and with sym-
imposed on the electrons that gave rise to it. Non- bols rather than numbers. It may help to fix ideas
crystalline optical materials such as glasses might somewhat if some numbers are quoted.
be expected to be free from polarization-dependent The wave equation allows single-frequency
effects due to their amorphous structures being free sinusoidal solutions and imposes no limit on the
from directional effects. Materials free from direc- frequency. Furthermore, the equation is still satis-
tional properties are called “isotropic” materials. fied when many frequency components are pres-
However, in practice, glasses typically suffer from ent simultaneously. If they are phase-related, then
non-uniform internal strains that introduce small the superposition of the many waveforms provides
constraints on the motion of electrons in the mate- a determinable time function via the well-known
rial, and this leads to polarization-dependent propa- process of Fourier synthesis. If the relative phases
gation effects. Also, when light strikes a boundary of the components vary with time, then we have
between optical materials of different refractive “incoherent” light; if the spread of frequencies in
index, polarization-dependent reflections will occur this latter case exceeds the bandwidth of the opti-
if the light is traveling in any direction other than cal detector (e.g., the human eye), we sometimes
perpendicular to the boundary, even if the materials call it “white” light.
themselves are perfectly isotropic. The electromagnetic spectrum is shown in
Wherever there is directionality (i.e., the prop- Figure 1.4. In principle, it ranges from (almost)
erties of the medium vary with spatial direction) zero frequency to infinite frequency. In practice,
in the medium in which the light is traveling, the since electromagnetic wave sources cannot be
polarization state of the light will interact with it; markedly smaller than the wavelength of the radi-
this is an extremely useful attribute with a num- ation that they emit, the range is from the very low
ber of important applications. For example, the frequency (∼103 Hz) radio waves (λ ∼ 300 km) to
propagation path taken by light can be controlled the very high frequency (∼1020 Hz) gamma radia-
via polarization-dependent reflection in passive tion, where the limit is that of the very high energy
components such as optical isolators and circula- needed for their production.
tors. These can be used for preventing unwanted The most energetic processes in the universe
instabilities and noise in active optical devices are those associated with the collapse of stars and
such as optical amplifiers and lasers, and can also galaxies (supernovae, black holes), and it is these
be used to optimize efficiency in optical reflec- that provide the radiation of the highest observable
tometers by separating reflected from transmitted frequencies.
light without introducing any significant opti- Visible radiation lies in the range of 400–700 nm
cal power loss. Also, when the directionality of (1 nm = 10−9 m), corresponding to a frequency range
the medium is controlled by electric or magnetic of 7.5 × 1014 to 4.3 × 1014 Hz. The eye has evolved a
fields, the resulting effects can be used for polar- sensitivity to this region as a result of the fact that
ization control and modulation of light. Examples it corresponds to a broad maximum in the spec-
of polarization-based modulation of light are tral intensity distribution of sunlight at the earth’s
given in Sections 7.7.7 and 7.7.8. Today, probably surface: survival of the species is more likely if the
the most common use of polarization modula- sensitivity of the eye lies where there is most light!
tion is in liquid crystal displays, as discussed in The infrared region of the spectrum lies just
Volume 2, Chapter 6. Optical communication beyond 700 nm and is usually taken to extend to
10 An introduction to optoelectronics
Orange
Yellow
Indigo
Green
Violet
Blue
Red
Frequency: 3 × 1019 3 × 1017 3 × 1014 3 × 1011 3 × 1018 3 × 105 (Hz)
f
(Hz)
Microwaves
Ultraviolet
Radio Radio Very low
Infrared
Visible
γ-rays X-rays medium long frequency (VLF)
waves waves radio waves
λ
Wavelength: 1 pm 1 nm 1 µm 1 mm 1m 1 km
about 300,000 nm (≡300 μm; we usually switch to absorb energy from the waves, as with all naturally
micrometers for the infrared wavelengths, in order resonant systems interacting with sympathetic
to keep the number of noughts down). driving forces. This approach seemed to provide
The ultraviolet region lies below 400 nm and a natural and reasonable explanation for both the
begins at about 3 nm. Clearly, all of these divisions emission and absorption spectral characteristics of
are arbitrary, since the spectrum is continuous. particular atomic systems.
It is worth noting that the refractive index of However, it was soon recognized that there were
silica (an important optical material) in the vis- some difficulties with these ideas. They could not
ible range is ∼1.47, so the velocity of light at these explain why, for example, in a gas discharge, some
wavelengths in this medium is close to 2 × 108 ms−1. frequencies were emitted by the gas and yet were
Correspondingly, at the given optical frequencies, not also absorbed by it in its quiescent state; nei-
the wavelengths in the medium will be ∼30% less ther could they explain why the energy with which
than those in air, in accordance with the relation: electrons were emitted from a solid by ultraviolet
λ = c/f. (The frequency will remain constant.) light (in the photoelectric effect) depends not on
It is important to be aware of this wavelength the quantity of absorbed light energy but only on
change in a material medium, since it has a number the light’s frequency.
of noteworthy consequences that will be explored We now understand the reasons for these obser-
in Chapter 2. vations. We know that atoms and molecules can
exist only in discrete energy levels. These energy
levels can be arranged in order of ascending value:
1.6 EMISSION AND ABSORPTION E1, E2, ..., Em (where m is an integer) and each such
PROCESSES sequence is characteristic of a particular atom or
molecule. The highest energy level corresponds
So far in our discussions, the wave nature of light to the last level below the one at which the atom
has dominated. However, when we come to con- becomes ionized (i.e., loses an electron).
sider the relationships between light and mat- Fundamental thermodynamics (classical!)
ter, the corpuscular or (to use the modern word) requires that under conditions of thermal equilib-
“particulate” nature of light begins to dominate. In rium, the number, Ni, of atoms having energy Ei is
classical (i.e., pre-quantum theory) physics, atoms related to the number Nj having energy Ej by the
were understood to possess natural resonant fre- Boltzmann relation:
quencies resulting from a conjectured internal
elastic structure. These natural resonances were
believed to be responsible for the characteristic fre-
Ni (E i − E j ) (1.6)
= exp − .
quencies emitted by atoms when they were excited Nj kT
to oscillate by external agencies. Conversely, when
the atoms were irradiated with electromagnetic Here k is Boltzmann’s constant (1.38 × 10−23 JK−1)
waves at these same frequencies, they were able to and T is the absolute temperature.
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