Optical Properties of Materials

Unit - IV

Optical Properties of Materials

Classification of optical materials - Optical processes in semiconductors: optical absorption and emission, charge injection and recombination, optical absorption, loss and gain. Optical processes in quantum wells - Optoelectronic devices: light detectors and solar cells - light emitting diode - laser diode - optical processes in organic semiconductor devices - excitonic state - Electro-optics and nonlinear optics: Modulators and switching devices - plasmonics.

Introduction

The optical characteristics of materials are determined by the type of interaction between the electromagnetic radiation and the electrons of the atoms in the material.

We see many of the common optical characteristics of materials such as. their colour, brightness, transparency, reflectivity etc.

Besides, these common properties, there are many more special optical properties of materials which make them useful in a wide range of optical devices.

Some of the commonly used optical materials and devices are window glasses, lenses, mirrors, antireflection coatings etc.

Some of the most recently developed high-technology optical devices are lasers, optical fibers, photodiodes, optical memories (CD-ROM), electro-optic modulators.

Definition

The materials which are sensitive to light are known as Optical materials. These optical materials exhibit a variety of optical properties.