Photonics is the science and engineering of light that generates, utilizes, detects and manipulates photons, quanta of light, in various media. Being a multidisciplinary field of science and technology, it is already defined as the key enabling technology by the European Union and an innovative area for the future by the United States. It is regarded that the 21^st century will be the century of the photon much as the 20^th century was the century of electron.

Department of Photonics was established within the body of IZTECH Faculty of Science in 2015, UNESCO World Light Year. One of the main objectives of the Department is to train individuals as qualified human resources for the photonics industry, in addition to providing skillful researchers who could conduct scientific research. The Department offers MSc, PhD, and BSc degrees since 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively.

The graduates of the Department should be considered as professionals, who have analytical thinking abilities, are able to work in multidisciplinary projects as a team player, and able to evolve and transform their skills depending on job requirements; and who can follow scientific and technological advances in the field, taking responsibilities and having good communication skills. In addition to these, graduates are expected to have the decision-making ability to define technical challenges and to find solutions during their education and in their professional lives.

Main research and education areas of the Department are:

• Molecular photonics and photonic devices
• Quantum photonics and optical spectroscopy
• Biophotonics and medical photonics
• Laser engineering and integrated photonic circuits