Photonics
Whether intelligent street lighting, highly sensitive sensors or state-of-the-art production facilities - all of this would not exist without photonics and optics systems. The ZHAW trains you to develop these systems to a next level.
Professional career outline
Photonics is a key enabling technology that interdisciplinarily connects different application fields. With the MSE in Photonics you can dive into a range of industries from medical technologies to biotechnology, from sensing to metrology, in additive and subtractive manufacturing, up to light generation.
Profile contents
In the MSE Photonics you can gain an fundamental understanding of the following topics:
- Fundamentals and applications of laser-material interaction, optics, imaging and beam delivery related to industrial munifacturing (Laser welding, cutting, drilling, marking, sintering and 3D additive/ subtractive processes)
- Optical measurements (Imaging systems, spectroscopy and interferometry)
- Optoelectronics and electro-optics (Lasers, LEDs, OLEDs, displays and thermal sources)
- Design and modelling of photonic systems (Ray tracing, wave optics simulation and thin film design, Prototyping, testing, measuring, validating, and optimizing of photonic components, modules or systems, Fibre-optics, integrated optics and optical microsystems)
- Micro technology
Institutes and centres
Applying for the MSE you chose an institute to study Photonics. The institutes interpret the profiles individually.
Institute of Applied Mathematics and Physics (IAMP)
Institute of Computational Physics (ICP)
Institute of Signal Processing and Wireless Communications (ISC)
Professional skills
During the MSE Photonics you develop a fundamental understanding of physical principles and processes involved in Photonics on a strong scientific background. You are skilled in the application of light and lasers as well as in designing and developing optical sensing systems for automation and production. You will have the competences to numerically simulate multidisciplinary systems that include photonics elements.
Recommended modules
Technical Scientific Specialisation (TSM):
- Applied photonics (TSM_AppPhot)
- Laser and laser applications (TSM_Laser)
- Optical engineering and metrology (TSM_OpEngMe)
- Advanced thin film technology (TSM_ThinFilm)
Fundamental Theoretical Principles (FTP):
- Applied statistics and data analysis (FTP_AppStat)
- Ordinary differential equations and dynamical systems (FTP_OrdDiff)
- Physics on micro and nano scale
- Digital image processing
Context Modules (CM):
- Ethik und Unternehmensverantwortung (CM_Ethics)
- Innovations- und Changemanagement (CM_InnChang)
- Scientific writing and presenting
Differentiation to bachelor level
The MSE introduces and fosters a scientific approach that allows you to develop a broader vision of your field and design new solutions. In this way, you have all the prerequisites to lead projects in an industrial environment and work on current research topics.
Additional information
Information events and application
Study Application
Registrations for the autumn semester (starting in September) are possible from the beginning of February until the end of April. For the spring semester of the next year (starting in February) from the beginning of August until the end of October.
Information events