Education

 
 
Here you can find information for prospective students, PhD and MSc thesis carried out in our group, awards granted to our students, and optics-related subject lectured by our staff members.
 

Prospective Students 

If you are interested in pursuing your bachelor's, master's or PhD thesis on any of our research topics, please contact our academic staff.
 

PhD Thesis

Below you can find some PhD Thesis that have been published in our group.
Summary: Spectral filters are key components for many applications of integrated photonics, from optical communications to astronomy. In this PhD thesis, we propose a new technique to achieve filters with an arbitrary spectral shape using integrated Bragg gratings in the silicon on insulator platform. The design of filters with different spectral specifications is carried out, including multichannel flat-top filters for DWDM applications and multinotch filters for OH emission line suppression in astronomical observations. The proposed concept is validated through fabrication and experimental characterization of these designs.
  • Abdelfettah Hadij El Houati, "Highly efficient distributed Bragg deflectors for silicon photonic waveguide devices", 2022
Summary: This thesis focuses on the comprehensive study of integrated photonic couplers pertaining to the category of distributed Bragg deflectors (DBDs) and their implementation in the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. This device converts a channel waveguide mode into a slab confined beam by using a grating formed in the waveguide core. The DBD was first proposed by Stoll in 1978. Stoll foresaw a multitude of applications of DBDs including beam expansion, polarization filtering, beam splitting and modulation. However, DBDs have typically suffered from high insertion losses that hindered their use in practical applications. In this thesis, we develop strategies to dramatically reduce the excess loss and demonstrates various low-loss DBD-based devices in the SOI platform.
Summary: This Thesis is devoted to the study of subwavelength grating (SWG) structures: extremely versatile optical metamaterials that have become a fundamental tool for the design of ultra high-performance photonic devices. The importance of SWG structures arises from their capability to synthesize artificial materials with tailorable optical properties, including refractive index, dispersion or anisotropy. A complete framework for SWG metamaterials is provided along the Thesis, including a revision of the different procedures and electromagnetic tools used along this Thesis to demonstrate proposed SWG topologies and devices, a theoretical study of wave propagation through SWG structures and the models predicting their homogeneous behavior, and the proposal, design and experimental characterization of various SWG topologies and devices.
  • Jonas Leuermann, "Silicon Photonics Mach-Zehnder Biosensor with Coherent Detection for Point-of-Care Devices", 2021
Summary: Integrated photonic biosensors are a highly promising technology platform for biochemical diagnostics. In general, they have demonstrated impressively low detection limits and can offer highly multiplexed operations in real time, but point-of-care solutions require a portable and inexpensive device. In this thesis we investigate a coherently read symmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer that overcomes its typically associated drawbacks and show that it is an attractive solution for point-of-care devices. Within this work cutting-edge state-of-the-art detection limits were reached in typical bulk sensing and biosensing (with C-reactive protein) performance verification. Finally, targeting a real application scenario, the specific detection of IgG and IgE amoxicillin antibodies was demonstrated applying amoxicillin haptenised PAMAM G2 dendrimers on the sensing area.
Summary: The mid-infrared band offers potential, attractive applications in the fields of free-space communications and sensing. In this PhD thesis, novel waveguide platforms based on Group IV semiconductors have been proposed to operate in the mid-infrared wavelength range. Specifically, suspended silicon and suspended germanium integrated structures with subwavelength lateral cladding — namely, waveguides, bends, and beamsplitters — have been experimentally demonstrated. Additionally, fiber-chip surface couplers with high efficiency and broad bandwidth have been designed.
Summary: This work is devoted to the design, and characterization of an integrated polarization controller achieving state-of-the-art perfomances and, the implementation and characterization of a coherent receiver with polarization diversity, both of them with a remarkable improvement on the tolerances to fabrication deviations. Furthermore, a contribution in the field of photonic integrated metamaterials is described.
Summary: The main objectives of this Thesis are to study and evaluate numerically new multiport coherent detection schemes for fiber optic communication systems. 
Summary: In this work we discuss the design of efficient fiber-to-chip grating couplers, integrated and highly tolerant polarization rotators, as well as a novel architecture for receivers for coherent optical communications with polarization multiplexing that does not require polarization rotators or splitters. 
Summary: In this Thesis we present the design, realization and characterization of an analog, high-performance six-port I/Q downconverter, covering the 3.1GHz to 10.6GHz band without calibration.
Summary: The main contribution of this Thesis is the implementation of a computer aided design tool for integrated photonic devices, aimed at improving the ratio precision/computing time of commercial simulators.
Summary: A photonic reflectometer on Silicon-on-Insulator is designed and experimentally characterized. The reflectometer is a six-port device, composed of multimode interference couplers (MMIs). We propose a design approach for high-performance MMIs, and describe a minimum phase technique to characterize both the MMIs and the reflectometer. Furthermore, a single-etch fibre-to-chip grating coupler is demonstrated. 
Summary: The main objective of this Thesis is the development of simulation tools to analyze photonic structures. The simulation tools proposed in this work belong to a bigger family of numerical techniques known as Spectral Methods.
  • José de Oliva Rubio, "Development and validation of finite difference techniques for linear and non-linear optical devices", 2006
 

Awards

Here are few of the awards that have recently been granted to our students
  • Premio San Gabriel 2022 del COIT Andalucía Oriental y Melilla a la Mejor Trayectoria Académica en Máster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación: Alejandro Fernández Hinestrosa (2022).
  • Premio al mejor Trabajo Fin de Estudios en la titulación de Máster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Málaga: Ana Sánchez Ramírez (2021).
  • Premio en la Categoría Mejor Patente de inventor/a joven concedido por la Oficina Española de Patentes y Marcas a José Manuel Luque González, por su patente ES2736899: "Guía de onda, método de fabricación de dicha guía de onda y divisor de polarización que hace uso de dicha guía de onda".
  • Best Student Paper Award of The 23rd European Conference On Integrated Optics (ECIO 2022) for the paper entitled "Curved waveguide grating demultiplexer (CWG) with flattened response via bimodal output waveguides": Abdelfettah Hadij El Houati (2022).
  • Silver Prize of Silicon Photonics PhD Student Contest 2021 for the paper entitled "High-efficiency conversion from waveguide mode to on-chip beam using a metamaterial engineered Bragg deflector", Huawei Technologies: Abdelfettah Hadij El Houati (2021).
  • Premio de Investigación de la Universidad de Málaga Kazuyo Sejima por el trabajo titulado: “An Ultracompact GRIN-Lens-Based Spot Size Converter using Subwavelength Grating Metamaterials”, Fundación general de la Universidad de Málaga (FGUMA): José Manuel Luque González (2021).
  • First place in Best Student Paper Award for the oral presentation “Integrated metamaterial surface-emitting antenna for beam steering applications”, 2021 IEEE Group IV Photonics Conference: Pablo Ginel Moreno (2021).
  • Premio ERICSSON al Mejor Trabajo Fin de Máster en Innovación para la Sociedad Conectada Responsable, XLI edición de los Premios COIT/AEIT: Carlos Pérez Armenta (2021).
  • Premio Carlos Gómez-Reino por la contribución “Towards a silicon-on-insulator bimodal refractive index sensor with a coherent readout”, XII Reunión Española de Optoelectrónica (OPTOEL 2021): Antonia Torres Cubillo (2021).
  • Premio al mejor Trabajo Fin de Estudios en la titulación de Máster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Málaga: Carlos Pérez Armenta (2020).
  • Premio al mejor Trabajo Fin de Estudios en la titulación de Máster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Málaga: Pablo Ginel Moreno (2020).
  • Premio Extraordinario Fin de Estudios en la titulación de Máster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Málaga: Carlos Pérez Armenta (2020).
  • Premio al mejor Trabajo Fin de Estudios en la titulación de Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías de Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Málaga: Umaima Bousdar Ahmed (2020).
  • Premio San Gabriel 2020 de Andalucía Oriental y Melilla a la Mejor Trayectoria Académica en Máster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación: Carlos Pérez Armenta (2020).
  • Premio XVIII Noche de las Telecomunicaciones de Andalucía Oriental y Melilla a la Mejor Tesis Doctoral en Telecomunicaciones: José Darío Sarmiento Merenguel (2019).
  • Premio XVIII Noche de las Telecomunicaciones de Andalucía Oriental y Melilla a la Mejor Trayectoria Académica en Grado en Tecnologías de Telecomunicaciones: Carlos Pérez Armenta (2019).
  • Premio Extraordinario Fin de Estudios en la titulación de Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías de Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Málaga: Carlos Pérez Armenta (2018).
  • Premio al mejor Trabajo Fin de Estudios en la titulación de Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías de Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Málaga: Pablo Ginel Moreno (2018).
  • Premio DEKRA al Mejor Trabajo Fin de Máster en el ámbito de la Ingeniería de Telecomunicación: Abdelfettah Hadij El Houati (2018).
  • Premio COIT-AEIT al Mejor Trabajo Fin de Máster en Fundamentos y Tecnologías Básicas de la Información y las Comunicaciones, y sus aplicaciones, XXXVIII edición de los Premios COIT/AEIT: José Manuel Luque González (2018).
  • Premio REINTEL al Mejor Trabajo Fin de Máster en Redes de fibra óptica de alta capacidad, XXXVIII edición de los Premios COIT/AEIT: Daniel Pereira Martín (2018).
  • Premio al mejor Trabajo Fin de Estudios en la titulación de Máster en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Málaga: José Manuel Luque González (2017).
  • Premio TELTRONIC al Mejor Trabajo Fin de Máster en Soluciones para Comunicaciones Críticas, XXXVII edición de los Premios COIT/AEIT: David González Andrade (2017).
  • Premio XIV Noche de las Telecomunicaciones de Málaga a la Mejor Trayectoria Académica en Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías de Telecomunicación: Abdelfettah Hadij El Houati (2016).
  • Premio FUNDACIÓN TELEFÓNICA al Mejor Proyecto Fin de Carrera en Tecnología y Educación, XXXVI edición de los Premios COIT/AEIT: Alejandro Sánchez Postigo (2016).
  • Premio UBICA Correduría de Seguros a la Mejor Trayectoria Académica, XXXVI edición de los Premios COIT/AEIT: Alejandro Sánchez Postigo (2016).
  • Premio Cellnex Telecom en la XIV Noche de las Telecomunicaciones a la Trayectoria Académica en Ingeniería de Telecomunicación, Asociación Andaluza de Ingenieros de Telecomunicación: Alejandro Sánchez Postigo (2016).
  • Premio Extraordinario Fin de Estudios en la titulación de Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías de Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Málaga: Abdelfettah Hadij El Houati (2015).
  • Premio al mejor Trabajo Fin de Estudios en la titulación de Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías de Telecomunicación de la Universidad de Málaga: Abdelfettah Hadij El Houati (2015).
  • Best student paper in CONF. 9516, INTEGRATED OPTICS: PHYSICS AND SIMULATIONS for the oral presentation "A subwavelength structured multimode interference coupler for the 3-4 micrometers mid-infrared band", SPIE Optics+Optoelectronics 2015, Prague (Czech Republic): Alejandro Sánchez Postigo (2015).
 

Master of Science and Bachelor Thesis

Here are few of the MSc and BSc Thesis that have been carried out in our group.

  • Abdelfettah Hadij, "Design of integrated optical demultiplexers", Bachelor thesis supervised by Íñigo Molina Fernández, 2015
  • José Manuel Luque González, "Design of a chip-fiber coupler for the mid-infrared", Bachelor thesis supervised by Alejandro Ortega Moñux, 2015.
  • Iván González Muriel, "Control of an infrared camera and image processing", Bachelor thesis supervised by Alejandro Ortega Moñux, 2015.
  • Alejandro Sánchez Postigo, "Analysis and design of new sensing structures in the mid-infrared", Master thesis supervised by Gonzalo Wangüemert Pérez, 2015.
  • Fernando Sánchez Madrigal, "Design of photonic biosensors based on ring resonators in silicon-on-insulator", Master thesis supervised by Alejandro Ortega Moñux, 2014.
  • Álvaro Corrales Sedeño, "Coherent optical receiver for polarization multiplexed QAM modulation",  Master thesis supervised by Pedro Reyes Iglesias, 2014
  • José Darío Sarmiento Merenguel, "Polarization management in integrated optical devices", Master thesis supervised by  Rober Halir, 2013
  • Diego Pérez Galacho, "Analysis and aplication of optical sub-wavelength gratings", Master thesis supervised by Gonzalo Wangüemert Pérez, 2013
  • María Luisa Marí Altozano, "Analysis and design of optoelectronic modulators and switches, " Master thesis supervised by Alejandro Ortega Moñux, 2012
  • Pablo Segovia Smith, Development of models for the simulation of imperfections in an optical six-port implemented with bulk optics", Master thesis supervised by José de Oliva Rubio, 2011
  • Alejandro Maese-Novo, "Design of MMI devices for integrated optics", Bachelor thesis supervised by Íñigo Molina Fernández, 2010
  • Antonio Jesús Benítez de Haro, "Analysis of non-linear optical devices with a finite-difference beam propagation method", Master thesis supervised by José de Oliva Rubio, 2001

 

Subjects and courses related to optics

Our staff members lecture the following optics-related courses.

  • Gonzalo Wangüemert Pérez and Alejandro Ortega Moñux, "Systems and components for optical communications", Master in telecomunications engineering.
  • Pedro Reyes Iglesias, "Optical communication systems", Bachelor in telecommunication systems.
  • Jose de-Oliva Rubio, "Optical communications laboratory", Master in telecomunications engineering. This course is part of Lumerical's CUE programm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LATEST NEWS

Read our review on subwavelength metamaterial structures in Nanophotonics

Check out our LPoR on ultra-broadband, high-efficiency surface grating couplers

Check out our LPoR on novel bricked subwavelength grating metamaterials

Read our paper on machine learning for photonic design in Nature Communications

 

 

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