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University of San Carlos

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Nasipit, Talamban, Cebu City
Cebu, Philippines

A Report on
PHOTONIC MATERIALS AND THERMAL PROPERTIES OF
MATERIALS

In partial fulfillment of the requirements in

ME 324M - Materials Engineering

Submitted by:
Pasok, John Linwell
Pasquil, Michelle Yvone
Roma, Allcris

Submitted to:
Engr. Van Gaitano N. Vergara, ME, MsManE
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I. INTRODUCTION

Can you imagine a world that doesnt have just a tiny particle of light?
Maybe its too hard to picture out what is in your imagination right now. Our
professor in thermodynamics once said that darkness doesnt exist it is just
only the absence of light. He said that there is no such thing or device that
will measure darkness. Will it be funny to hear that someone measures the
intensity of darkness?

Optics is the science that studies light and the way it affects and is
affected by other things. In relation to optics there exist a branch of physics
that deals with the properties and applications of photons (a tiny particle of
light or electromagnetic radiation) especially as a medium for transmitting
information. Optical or Photonic materials play a critical role in the
infrastructure of our communications and information technology and it
greatly played a big role in the development of many other technologies
related to medicine, manufacturing, and astronomy.

Thermal properties of materials is helpful when it comes to

understanding the mechanical failure of materials when the temperature
changes; in designing processes in which materials must be heated; or in
selecting materials to transfer heat rapidly.

In metallic materials, electrons transfer heat. In ceramic materials, the

conduction of heat involves phonons. In certain other applications, such as
thermal barrier coatings or space shuttle tiles, we want to minimize the heat
transfer through the material. Heat transfer is also important in many
applications ranging from, for example, polystyrene foam cups used for hot
beverages to sophisticated coatings on glasses to make energy efficient
buildings.
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II. SCOPE

ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

- it is the entire range of wavelengths or frequencies of

electromagnetic radiation extending from gamma rays to the longest
radio waves and including visible light.

Spectrum a plot of intensity of light at different frequencies or the

distribution of wavelengths and frequencies.
Radiation - energy emitted in the form of waves (light) or particles
(photons).
Photons a tiny particle of light or electromagnetic radiation.
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TYPES OF EM RADIATION THAT MAKE UP THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM

Visible light
Radio waves
Microwaves
Infrared light
Ultraviolet light
X-rays
Gamma-rays

REFRACTION

- deflection from a straight path undergone by a light ray or energy

wave in passing obliquely from one medium (as air) into another (as glass)
in which its velocity is different.

Index of Refraction it is the ratio between the speed of light

in a vacuum and the speed of light in the material.

Snells Law the relationship between the angles of

incidence and refraction and the indices of refraction of the two media.

REFLECTION

- it occurs when a beam of photons strikes a material, the photons

interact with the valence electrons and give up their energy but photons
of identical energy are immediately emitted by the material.

Reflectivity the fraction of the incident beam that is

reflected and is related to the index of refraction.

ABSORPTION

- That portion of that incident beam that is not reflected by the

material is either absorbed or transmitted through the material. The
fraction of the beam that is related to the thickness of the material and
the manner in which the photons interact with the materials structure.
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Rayleigh scattering photons interact with electrons orbiting

an atom and are deflected without any change in photon energy.
Tyndall effect is light scattering by particles in a colloid or
particles in a fine suspension.
Compton scattering is the inelastic scattering of a photon by
a quasi-free charged particle.
Photoelectric effect occurs when the energy of photon is
fully absorbed, resulting in the ejection of an electron in an atom.

TRANSMISSION

- the fraction of the beam that is not reflected or absorbed is

transmitted to the material.
Photoconduction occurs in semiconducting materials if the
semiconductor is part of an electrical circuit.
Solar cells is an electrical device that converts the energy
of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect.

SELECTIVE ABSORPTION

- the absorption of only certain frequencies of electromagnetic or

acoustic waves by a surface, object or region.

EMISSION PHENOMENA

Gamma Rays

- is a packet of electromagnetic energy photon. They are the most

energetic photons in the electromagnetic spectrum. Gamma rays are
emitted from the nucleus of some unstable (radioactive) atoms. Because
of their high energy, they travel at the speed of light and can cover
hundreds to thousands of meters in air before spending their energy. They
can pass through many kinds of materials, including human tissue.

X-rays

-are a type of radiation called electromagnetic waves. Like radio

waves and other electromagnetic radiation, X-rays have a wide range of
wavelengths:
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Hard X-rays - strong, deeply penetrating, and highly

destructive rays with short wavelengths
Soft X-rays - longer wavelengths and less penetrating
power, the type used in medical and dental diagnosis

Luminescence

-the emission of light by certain materials when they are relatively

cool. Luminescence emission occurs after an appropriate material has
absorbed energy from a source such as ultraviolet or X-ray radiation,
electron beams, chemical reactions, and so on.

Two forms of luminescence:

Fluorescence - refers to the release of light that lasts no more than

about 10 nanoseconds after it begins.
Phosphorescence - refers to the release of light that lasts longer
than 10 nanoseconds.

Other forms of luminescence:

Bioluminescence
Chemiluminescence
Electroluminescence

Light emitting diodes

-commonly called LEDs. It is a semiconductor device that emits

visible light when an electric current passes through it. LEDs are just tiny
light bulbs that fit easily into an electrical circuit. But unlike
ordinary incandescent bulbs, they don't have a filament that will burn out,
and they don't get especially hot.

Benefits of LEDs:

Low power requirement

High efficiency

Long life
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Laser

- stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation."A

laser is an optical amplifier - a device that strengthens light waves. Lasers
are amazing light beams powerful enough to zoom miles into the sky or
cut through lumps of metal.

FIBER-OPTIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Fiber Optics

- is the branch of science and engineering concerned with

such optical fibers.

Optical Fiber

- is a transparent thin fiber, usually made of glass or plastic, for

transmitting light. The optical fiber can be used as a medium
for telecommunication and networking because it is flexible and
can be bundled as cables.

Following are the two major types of fiber-optic cable:

Single-mode
-uses a specific light wavelength. The cable's core
diameter is 8 to 10 micrometers.
Multi-mode
-uses a large number of frequencies (or modes). The
cable's core is larger than that of single-mode fiber.

Heat Capacity

-the amount of heat (usually expressed in calories, kilocalories, or

joules) needed to raise the system's temperature by one degree (usually
expressed in Celsius or Kelvin). It is expressed in units of thermal energy per
degree temperature.
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Two subtopics for heat capacity:

Molar Heat Capacity

-the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of

one mole of a substance by one degree is the molar heat
capacity. It can be expressed either at constant pressure, Cp, or at
a constant volume, Cv. At high temperatures, the heat capacity for
a given volume of material approaches:

Specific Heat Capacity

-the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of

one gram of a substance by one degree is the specific heat
capacity. The relationship between specific heat and heat
capacity is:
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Thermal Expansion

- is the tendency of matter to change in volume in response to a

change in temperature, through heat transfer.

Linear coefficient of thermal expansion

- Is the change in the dimensions of the material per unit length.

- It is the degree of expansion divided by the change in temperature
and generally varies with temperature.

Formula in getting the linear coefficient of thermal expansion:

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Volume coefficient of thermal expansion

- Is the change in volume when the temperature of the material is

changed.
v = 3

Thermal Stress

- Stresses introduced into a material due to differences in the amount of

expansion
or contraction that occur because of a temperature change.

Thermal Conductivity

- A microstructure-sensitive property that measures the rate at which

heat is transferred through a material.

The conductivity relates the heat Q transferred across a given plane of

area A per second when a temperature gradient.

Mechanisms of Heat Conduction

- Heat is transferred by phonons (lattice vibration waves) and electrons.

The thermal conductivity of a material is defined by combined
contribution of these two mechanisms.
k = k l + ke

where kl and ke are the lattice and electronic thermal conductivities.

Lattice conductivity - transfer of thermal energy phonons

Electron conductivity - free electrons equilibrate with lattice vibrations in hot

regions, migrate to colder regions and transfer a part of their thermal energy
back to the lattice by scattering on phonons.

Phonon - packet of elastic waves. It is characterized by its energy, wavelength,

or frequency, which transfers energy through a material.
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Thermal Shock

- Is the failure of a material caused by stresses induced by sudden

changes in temperature.
- It occurs when a thermal gradient causes different parts of an object
to expand by different amounts.

Thermal shock behavior is affected by several factors:

1. Coefficient of thermal expansion: A low coefficient minimizes dimensional

changes and reduces the ability to withstand thermal shock.

2. Thermal conductivity: The magnitude of the temperature gradient is

determined partly by the thermal conductivity of the material. A high thermal
conductivity helps to transfer heat and reduce temperature differences quickly
in the material.
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3. Modulus of elasticity: A low modulus of elasticity permits large amounts of

strain before the stress reaches the critical level required to cause fracture.

4. Fracture stress: A high stress required for fracture permits larger strains.

5. Phase transformations: Additional dimensional changes can be caused by

phase transformations.

Thermal Shock Parameter

- The robustness of a material to thermal shock, or thermal shock

resistance

Thermal Shock Resistance

- The ability of material to withstand thermal stresses due to the rapid

cooling/heating.

III. REFERENCES

The Science and Engineering of Materials 6th edition by Donald R.

Askelend, Pradeep P. Fulay and Wendelin J. Wright.

Other e-sources

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.html

http://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYALT/2015/ENU/?guid=BoL_Abs
orption_reflection_and_refraction_of_light