Statement of Purpose

Many people around the world want to build a career in Optics and Photonics and I am
just one of them but I am different from others because of my eternal enthusiasm to study in
this area. I started to dream about photonics and optical systems when I was at secondary
school. In high school I started drawing optical systems. This made me more and more eager
to study about optics and photonics. Step by step I was starting to make the little boy’s dream
come true.

After high school I decided to study Material Science or Physics to become more
familiar with optic and photonic components. I started studying Materials Science and
Metallurgical Engineering at Sakarya University Engineering Faculty at 2004. At university, I
was selected student of honors for 4 times. I was a quite active student here and I became the
chairman of the Material Science and Engineering Club. More important is that I started to
improve my skills about photonics. That’s why, TUBITAK ( Turkish National Scientific and
Technical Research Center) Materials Institute was very good place for me, so I started to do
my training there in Electron Microscopy and XRD-Spectroscopy Laboratories. In TUBITAK
I focused on spectroscopy techniques, photonics systems, photonic detection and
characterization. Compulsory official training time was 1 month but I extended the time to 5
months for my self. My training result was (AA – in German System 1.0) excellent.
Furthermore as a compulsory engineering design project I worked on Silicon-Germanium-
Nitrogen nanocables.
 Moreover, I thought that having a good international experience about photonics
would be the best thing I could do on the way to improve my skills and enlarge my vision. I
applied to ERASMUS scholarship for Karlsruhe Technical University. As soon as I won the
scholarship I searched for a team to work with nanophotonics at UniKATH. Prof. Siegel’s
team at Micro and Nano Electronic System Institute was the perfect team for improving my
self in photonic materials and devices. I started to work with Dr. I’lin and my task was
optimization of deposition process of ultra thin NbN films for high sensitive superconducting
single photon detector. In this study I used a Reactive Magnetron 2DC PVD device, standard
ellipsometer device, standard critical temperature and current measurement device. When I
was there for the first time critical temperature of films was about 10,5 ºK but after I
optimized the deposition process critical temperature increased up to 16,5 ºK for a film
thickness of above 10 nm. I also worked in clean room for photo lithography of NbN films. I
used ion milling device for creating bridges by etching. In addition to this I have joined to a
laser practice group at Karlsruhe Research Center (FZK). In this practice I had a chance to
experience with all kind of laser systems.

After I returned back to my country I decided to characterize NbN samples those I

produced in Germany. Because there was no XRD, XPS, TEM, Raman or such kind of
facilities to investigate films structure and superconducting energy band gap. In order to do
these analysis I started working at TUBITAK.TUBITAK offered me to complete my
dissertation project about my samples characterization in their institution and they paid for all
expenditures. I prepared all of TEM samples by myself and also other samples for different
characterizations. I operated all of the devices by myself except TEM.

As a result I believe that I have the skill needed for studying and working at your
prestigious institution because I am quite eager to work in photonic materials and devices in
my master degree as well as doctorate.

Best Regards,
Mehmet KANIK