About Mathematical Methods in Nanophotonics

Find out what solid-state physics has brought to Electromagnetism in the last 20 years. This course surveys the physics and mathematics of nanophotonics-electromagnetic waves in media structured on the scale of the wavelength. Topics include computational methods combined with high-level algebraic techniques borrowed from solid-state quantum mechanics: linear algebra and eigensystems, group theory, Bloch's theorem and conservation laws, perturbation methods, and coupled-mode theories, to understand surprising optical phenomena from band gaps to slow light to nonlinear filters. Note: An earlier version of this course was published on OCW as 18.325 Topics in Applied Mathematics: Mathematical Methods in Nanophotonics, Fall 2005.