9452287 Bibby We will develop an optics laboratory to teach modern applied optical techniques to a spectrum of students ranging from Physics majors to Electrical and Mechanical Engineering majors. The technical focus of this project is on optical signal processing and on the use of interferometry. The experiments that will be developed will emphasize interferometry in optical metrology and include holography and fiber optics. Two categories of students will benefit from this project-- upper-level Physics students, who are taking the main sequence of optics related lab courses, and students from other disciplines such as Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials, and Geo-Environmental Engineering, who seek to learn applied optics as a tool to solve problems in various branches of engineering. Recent advances in applied optics offer new tools which these students can use to approach a variety of technical challenges.
