We are all now at a stage when our dependence on electronics is extremely high. It is therefore required to build better devices that can make our life much more easier. Electronics refers to making devices on the basis of movement of electrons through a material. We can make novel devices and explore new phenomena by using PHOTONICS - use of photons (the particle nature of light) to make new systems. This class will be a survey of basic principles of photonics, history, present state, and future impact of photonics.

Silicon electronics has ruled the world for the last 50 odd years. But, it is almost certain that silicon will reach its maximum capability in the near future. In this course we will discuss the limitations of the presently existing silicon electronics, the needs of the future, wide-bandgap material alternatives to silicon and their present & future applications.

Silicon has ruled the world economy for atleast the last 2 decades. It is hard to imagine a world without silicon devices. But, we will reach the threshold of this technology in the near future. In this course we will talk about Materials and how their study influences electronics. We will also talk about alternatives to silicon, their applications and scope for the near future. Emphasis will be given to semiconductors that are actually being researched upon at laboratories in Cornell.

Serendipity, means a "fortunate happenstance" or "pleasant surprise". In this course students learn about many innovations and discoveries in various fields that have been attributed to chance happenings. Students will learn about different cases of serendipitous discoveries, question them, and learn about how and why these discoveries happened. Students will also learn to investigate whether serendipity was actually the cause for those innovations and they will learn about some adverse effects of completely depending on serendipity.