Inverse design in photonics has been one of the hot topics in academia in the last decade. The term generally refers to the use of efficient optimization methods to explore a large space of tunable parameters and create devices that vastly outperform conventional designs. Inverse design has also come to focus for industry applications due to demonstrations of integrated photonics devices that are significantly smaller and more efficient than their traditional counterparts. This has been further strengthened by the progress in enacting fabrication constraints that make optimized designs compatible with foundry fabrication specifications. This course will explain the fundamentals of inverse design, showcase the latest achievements in creating the next generation of photonic devices, and help design engineers with no prior experience add this powerful tool to their arsenal.

This course will provide attendees with a basic understanding of the optical properties and the potential device applications of photonic crystal systems. We will introduce the audience to the fundamental concepts, such as band diagrams, photonic band gaps, and optical modal pictures. We will then use these concepts to explore a number of unusual phenomena in a photonic crystal structures, including complete light localization, novel waveguides and cavities, super-prisms, self-collimations, photonic crystal fibers (holey fibers), and also the potential device applications associated with these phenomena.