Why Optics?
The importance of optical technologies as a key technology of the industrial progress will more and more increase during the next decades. Optics are about to penetrate all fields of our modern society. The applications of optical technology already range from information and communication technologies to medicine and the energy- and environmental technology.
Specific Applications
During the last decades the increased use of optical technologies in manufacturing engineering brought along an enormous gain in accuracy. The automotive and ship manufacture were revolutionized by the various application possibilities of laser, as it now is possible to work much more accurate on surfaces. Earlier this would only have been possible in that manner with an extremely high expenditure and manufacturing cost. Another field that experienced an accuracy improvement is the optical metrology. By means of contact-free surface metrology it is possible to measure precisely accurate in the nanometer range. Furthermore optics loom large in high speed transmission of data. If we are e.g. surfing the internet the generated data stream travels the greatest part of its way as a sequence of extremely short light impulses in fiber optic cables.
Combination with informatics
Modern simulations nowadays enable an improved understanding of the light propagation and encourages optimal development of new technologies. In so doing, the computer became an essential tool for design and application of optical processes, The introduction of Computational Optics as an technical application subject (Technisches Anwendungsfach TAF) makes the specialization in this field possible for students of Computational Engineering.
Compulsory Bachelor Lectures
The lectures are read in both faculties that of engineering and that of natural sciences. Based on the compulsory lectures listed below a specialization on e.g. modeling of problems of field propagation in optical systems or other branches possible.
1st semestre
- Experimental Physics for Natural Scientists I (5 + 2,5 ECTS) (mechanics, thermodynamics)
2nd semestre
- Experimental Physics for Natural Scientists II (5 + 2,5 ECTS) (electricity, optics, structure of matter)
3rd semestre
- Basic Course Optics I: Geometrical and technical Optics (2,5 + 2,5 ECTS) (geometrical and paraxial optics, Ray-Tracing, image defects, important optical tools)
4th semestre
- Basic Course Optics II: Physical Optics (2,5 + 2,5 ECTS) (optics in association with linear system theory, Fourier analysis, information technology)
5th semestre
- Photonics I (2,5 + 2,5 ECTS) (technical and physical basics of lasers, overviews of different laser types)
- Prakticum Photonics/Laser Technnology 1 (5 ECTS) (Practical Experiments to the lecture Phototonics 1)
6th semestre
- Optical Transmission Technology (2,5 + 2,5 ECTS) (construction, construction and structure of modern optical communication networks)
Study Plan
To be found on the CE-Homepage at Important Documents.