Lecturer: Guido Giuliani  

Course name: Costruzioni optoelettroniche
Course code: 064122
Degree course: Ingegneria Elettronica
Disciplinary field of science: ING-INF/01
The course relates to:
University credits: CFU 5
Course website: http://www-3.unipv.it/optoele/didattica/Costruz_OE/Cost
ruz_OE.html

Specific course objectives

The goal of the course is to provide students with skills aimed at designing and assembling photonic and optoelectronic systems and instruments for applications to data transmission or the measurement of physical quantities. The course is application-oriented, and it complements the knowledge supplied by previous courses in photonics. Students will learn how to analyze and define the specifications of a given apparatus, and subsequently finalize its design. Experimental team work is a key issue of this course.

Course programme

The course is divided into two parts. The first part is devoted to the analysis of case studies, represented by photonic or optoelectronic instruments or apparatus available in the laboratory, that will be experimentally characterized and disasselmbled, with the goal of understanding their design guidelines. The second part is devoted to specific projects aimed at the full development of a new instrument or apparatus intended for data transmission or the measurement of physical quantities, including the definition of specifications, the design, the practical realization.

Examples of case studies
Fiber optic transmission systems for local area networks; OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer); laser vibrometer; optical giroscope; interferometer for the measurement of displacements; Michelson interferometer; image intensifier.

Examples of projects
Tunable external cavity semiconductor laser; doped-fiber optical amplifier; absolute distance measurement by triangulation, interferometric or time-of-flight techniques; measurement of the speed of a rough surface; vibration measurement; spectroscopic gas analysis; fiber-optic transmission system; bar-code reader; laser Doppler velocimeter for fluids; other projects, selected according to students’ interests and suggestions.

Course entry requirements

Basic knowledge of: electronic systems and devices; data acquisition and processing systems; basic principles of photonics and optoelectronics (semiconductor lasers and LEDs, photodetectors, optical fibers, propagation of electromagnetic waves).

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 12
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 8
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 22
Project work (hours/year in lecture theatre): 44

Suggested reading materials

S. Donati. Electro-optical instrumentation. Prentice Hall.

Testing and exams

The oral examination will be centered on the analysis of the laboratory log-book and reports, and a discussion of the presentation of the specific project activities.