Photonics

Photonics is a high-tech subject which has evolved during the past two decades as a result of the fusion of optical technology with electronics. The subject has been hailed as the science and technology for the next millennium. Photonics has made its impact in various areas like communications, computing and control as well as in fields such as medicine, industry, defence and entertainment. CUSAT is one of the first Universities/Institutions in the country where due importance is given to research, development and teaching activities in Photonics and related areas.

The International School of Photonics (ISP) came into existence in 1995 restructuring and delinking the laser laboratories from the Physics Department. Research activities include the design and fabrication of various laser systems and laser components, detailed investigations of non-linear phenomena in different materials using photo thermal, photo acoustic and related techniques, time and space resolved studies on laser induced plasmas from a variety of targets, design and characterization of fibre optic sensors, fabrication and characterization of polymer fibers, preparation and investigation of photonic materials and studies on photonics theory. Most of these activities are supported by funding agencies like DST, AICTE, DRDO and UGC.

ISP at present offers a 4-semester M.Tech. Degree in Opto Electronics and Laser Technology and an M.Phil in Photonics in addition to the Ph.D. programmes. Manpower development in this modern high technology field and establishment of collaborative research activities with various institutions in India and abroad are the major objectives of ISP. Many of the alumni from ISP are now working in advanced laboratories in various parts of the world.

Four of the faculty has won recognition through Fellowships/Awards.

ISP is one of three actively participating departments on the UGC Sponsored Centre of Excellence in Lasers and Optoelectronic Sciences (CELOS). ISP has strong collaboration and interaction with a number of institutions such as Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands; Sulta Quaboos University in Oman, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai; Sri Chitra Medical Centre, Trivandrum; NIMHANS, Bangalore; AIMS Cochin. Leading organizations such as ISRO, SAMEER, NeST select students from ISP through campus interviews.

Major facilities includes Master Optical Parametric Oscillator, High Power Nd:YAG laser, 12 Watt Argon Ion Laser, Optical Fiber Drawing facility and Ring Dye Laser.

The department site