In this unit, we will learn how to confine photons just as we do with electrons. This gives us power over the allowed modes of emission, allowing us to enhance the performance of lasers as well as develop 'threshold-less' lasers. I hope you enjoy this exciting topic as much as I do.

In this module, you will learn about the basics of detection and the key performance metrics that are used to evaluate detectors including noise equivalent power and detectivity. This lays the building blocks for fundamental understanding, design, and use of different photonic detection technology. This is core information that should be in the wheelhouse of any photonics researcher or engineer.

In this unit, you will learn about the fundamentals of how metal insulator semiconductor devices operate, their advantages and challenges they face. This information is particularly useful for understanding the operation of charge-coupled devices, discussed in the next section.

In this module, you will learn about two powerful detection technologies: charge coupled devices (CCDs) based on metal insulator semiconductor structures and photoconductors. These technologies are very useful for photonic systems.

In this module, you will learn about another very important detector technology: p-n junctions. These junctions can be used to be photodiodes as well as avalanche photodiodes. We will learn these important technologies function, with applications ranging from microscopy to light detection and ranging (LIDAR).