Physics (13) Continued demand by industry for optics-trained scientists and engineers suggests there is a need for expanded educational opportunities in this field. In particular, employers desire optics graduates who are good problem solvers, communicate well, and can work successfully within a team. These qualities are rarely addressed within the traditional laboratory setting. This project expands a project-based, advanced optics laboratory course to serve as a capstone for the experimental portion of the new undergraduate optics curriculum at Albright College. Students in this course work in teams to design, implement, and test various optical devices. The projects include a number of funded or published exemplary lab experiments. NSF funded examples include DUE-9952773, "Enhancement of an Advanced Integrated Student Optics Course"; DUE-9650431, "Intermediate and Advanced Physics Laboratories in Ultra-fast Phenomena"; and DUE-9452517, "Enhancement of the Modern Optics Laboratories at Miami University". Published examples include K.B. MacAdam, et al., "A narrow-band tunable diode laser system with grating feedback and a saturated absorption spectrometer for Cs and Rb", Am. J. Phys. 60, 1098-1111 (1992); R.S. Conroy, et al., "A visible extended cavity diode laser for the undergraduate laboratory", Am. J. Phys. 68, 925-930 (2000); C. Wieman, et al., "Inexpensive laser cooling and trapping experiment for undergraduate laboratories", Am. J. Phys. 63, 317-330 (1995); S. Smith et al., "Inexpensive optical tweezers for undergraduate laboratories", Am. J. Phys. 67, 26-35 (1999); and E. Fort, et al., "Multiplexed fingerprint recognition using holography", Am. J. Phys. 67, 116-119 (1999). These and other projects are chosen to reflect current scientific and commercial optical technology, especially in the areas of fiber optics, diode and ultra-fast lasers, and require students to integrate their knowledge of optics gained from previous coursework. The laboratory is designed for maximum flexibility and versatility to serve the project-based format. The equipment includes optical mounts and components, lasers, pulse-shaping technology, spectroscopic equipment, software for data acquisition and optical design, photodiodes, CCD cameras, and some non-optical equipment such as signal generators, oscilloscopes, and an ion pump. The lab's versatility allows the equipment to be used for experiments and demonstrations in other optics and science courses and in already existing community outreach programs. The course outcomes are matched to the needs of industry by consulting a committee of representatives from local optics companies, who provide advice and ongoing assessment.
