Photonics technology is a realm that combines the academic disciplines of electrical engineering, physics, chemistry, materials and control.  Such a prospective technology needs talent with solid technology literacy to make innovation and do researches.  Currently, the photonics industry has been growing rapidly in Taiwan.  In the future, continuous development of photonics technology is still needed, and Taiwan should take a leading position in the field of photonics.  To cultivate talents with solid fundamental knowledge of photonics technology is really a predominant job of the Department.

The Graduate Institute of Photonics of National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) was founded in 1993.  The fields of study of the faculty cover laser physics, optical semiconductor materials, organic materials, flat panel display, components and packaging, optical communication, and photonic system and application. When the program for promoting teaching excellence universities and National Science and Technology Program for System-on-Chip, a solid foundation for research and teaching had been established in both qualitative and quantitative aspects.  Later on, in order to achieve the greatest effect in teaching and research, and meet the great global demand of talents in the photonics industry, the Graduate Institute of Photonics integrated the strong resources of science and engineering to establish the Department of Photonics in 2008, starting to recruit undergraduate students to cultivate excellent talents with fundamental photonics knowledge.  With this core goal in the department, more high-technology talents are cultivated for the new century.

The Department and Graduate Institute has three main fields as the research directions:

ž  Field of photonic materials and components:  It mainly provides students with the basic knowledge of the related fields of photonic materials and components through their learning of the basic courses of Electronics, Modern Physics, and Introduction to Solid-state Physics; and also establishes the basic knowledge in the related fields of photonic materials and components.  The contents primarily cover the transfer of the knowledge extended from the application of photonics in the related field of optical semiconductor.  The courses include Introduction to Photonics Engineering, Photonics, Semiconductor Physics and Introduction to Nanoengineering.  These courses are of great help to the research and development (R&D) of the themes relating to optical semiconductor materials, film materials, nanomaterials, optical semiconductor components and their integration.

ž  Field of optical communication and optical information:  The field of optical communication and optical information covers a broad range of research contents.  Student can learn the knowledge step by step by taking the basic courses of Electromagnetics, Geometrical Optics, and Physical Optics, and by taking the core courses of Signals and Systems, Fiber-optic Communication Systems, Fourier Optics and Opto-Electromagnetism.  Through the gradual learning process from the basic knowledge to the more difficult knowledge, the students will receive professional training on studies.  In the future the courses of this field will involve the field of advanced light information, such as propagation of light and storage of light, and provide students with more diversified professional knowledge.

ž  Field of display and alternative energy:  In recent years display and alternative energy technology have been developing rapidly.  The contents covered include material development, component manufacturing and system integration.  The basic courses not only contain the traditional ones such as Electromagnetics, Electronics, Geometric Optics, and Physical Optics, but also include Introduction to Organic Photonics, Introduction to Alternative Optical Power, and Introduction to Displays.  In the cultivation process of students through these basic courses, students are prepared for future learning of the related fields in the Graduate Institute, and for future employment.

Moveover, this Department was once selected as a Planning Center for National Sun Yat-sen University’s implementation of different huge programs, and also joined various large programs, including Five-year NT$50-billion Academic Excellence Program of the Ministry of Education, large academic special technological research programs such as the Academic Technological Development Project of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, large academic research programs of Industrial Technology Research Institute, and the R&D program collaborated with enterprises.  In recent years, the Department even signed cooperation agreement with the Department of Electrical Engineering of the University of California San diego (UCSD), a famous public university in the United States, providing our faculty members and students with more opportunities to connect with the international academies.

Apart from excellent faculty members, this Department also possesses the most advanced research equipment in Taiwan.  We have established a shared laboratory, and provided high-cost instruments for students to fully use the resources.  The Department insists on stressing the importance of the qualities of both teaching and research.  Students are able to have more opportunities to use instruments to carry out design and do experiments.  Meanwhile, there may also be opportunities for cooperation with other laboratories.  Through these opportunities, students are cultivated to have the abilities to do independent research and have teamwork leadership.

The Department not only provides the graduate students with the formal learning methods for Master’s and Ph.D. students, but also offers the undergraduate students another channel, the Five-Year Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree System.  Through this opportunity, graduate students with excellent performance can complete Bachelor’s Program and Master’s Program in five years, and then immediately achieve both bachelor’s degree and master’s degree.  This Department also plans to arrange the undergraduate students being seniors to join the laboratory teams led by different professors, providing students with the opportunity to participate in special studies.  It is hoped that in addition to the knowledge learned in class, the students can also do hands-on researches.  It is also hope that no matter the students will choose to subsequently study at the graduate school or start working in the related industries, they can make preparation in advance.  The Department would like to cultivate excellent talents with master’s and Ph.D. degrees, so that they can have outstanding performance in the academic field and the related industries.