RTG 1464: Micro- and Nanostructures in Optoelectronics and Photonics

Optoelectronics and photonics are key technologies of the 21st century that provide products for many areas of life, including communication, traffic, medicine, culture and entertainment. While communication via optical fibers is pretty established, products like liquid crystal displays or semiconductor laser diodes are currently subject of a spectacular gain of sales. The University of Paderborn, a profile university with the motto "University of the Information Society", supports extensively research on fundamentals, manufacturing and applications of micro- und nanostructures that are indispensable in optoelectronics and photonics.

Based on a broad spectrum of experimental and theoretical research projects devoted to characterisation of material properties, semiconductor physics, integrated optics and photonics, optical communication engineering and sensors, the Research Training Group will offer an interdisciplinary studying programme that provides an excellent professional qualification for PhD students.

The corresponding research programme is focused on topical subjects concerning manufacturing, phenomena and applications of two particular kinds of systems, namely periodic structures and optical microresonators. Periodical structures are needed in integrated optics in order to use non-linear optical properties efficiently (e.g. in periodically poled crystals) and can be used in order to alter and even tailor optical properties, sometimes in a spectacular manner (photonic crystals, metamaterials). Microresonators with embedded semiconductor nanoemitters show remarkable optical effects that are not only of fundamental importance but may serve for the development of threshold-less lasers and single photon sources, which in turn are needed, for example, in optical data transmission or cryptography.

DFG Programme Research Training Groups

Spokesperson Professor Dr. Heinz-Siegfried Kitzerow