Entry requirements

120 credits in Science and Technology including Solid State Physics I. Micro and nanotechnology I and participation in Mikro- och nanoteknik II.

Learning outcomes

After a successfully completed course the student should be able to:

• explain and discuss how light is absorbed in a semiconductor and the fundamental excitations that occur,
• explain the band structure of semiconductor materials, excitons, plasmones and phonons, as well as their influence on optical spectra and transport processes,
• conduct analyses of electronic and optical properties of semiconductors as well as understand the relationship between chemical composition, dimensionality, electron structure and optical properties,
• calculate energy levels in low-dimensional materials, as well as energies of excitation transitions in different materials,
• explain how dispersion relationships affect optical properties, phonons and plasmons, as well as explain their frequency and size dependent properties,
• explain how optical properties find applications in optical and electronic devices such as sensors, light sources, photovoltaics and photocatalysts.

Content

Fundamental physical electronic and optical properties and processes in semiconductor materials: band structure, excitons, as wella as the influence of temperature, structure, chemical composition (defects and doping), external forces and external fields. Absorption in semiconductors. Optical transitions and recombination processes. Inelastic light scattering. Optical properties of phonons and plasmones. Properties of free charge carriers and excitons in low-dimensional systems. 1D, 2D and 3D quantum constraints (quantum confinements). Electronic effects and charge transport.

Instruction

Lectures and independent work in the form of a case study.

Assessment

Written exam (4 credits) and written presentation of the independent work (1 credit).