Applied optics plays a critical role in experimental science and engineering research in fields as diverse as atomic physics and fluid dynamics. Training the next generation of scientists and engineers in cutting-edge optical techniques is a national challenge that must be met with hands-on student participation in contemporary research. Dr. Michael Lim of Rowan University will take 15 undergraduate students, between 2017-2019, to perform 10-week-long summer projects hosted by physics groups at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. NTU is a top-tier international university known for its outstanding science and engineering research. Students will have unparalleled access to state-of-the-art laser/optical instrumentation and mentorship by Dr. Rainer Dumke and Dr. Claus-Dieter Ohl, well known international experts in their respective fields of atom optics and fluid flows. The program is designed to immerse students in activities that include designing and constructing optical apparatus, and collecting and analyzing data. Simultaneously, students will build the communication skills needed for future international collaboration. Through mini-projects at Edmund Optics, Inc., they will also connect their academic work to industry, allowing them a first-hand look at the interconnectedness of academic research and international business. A diverse student cohort will be recruited annually from Philadelphia-area institutions that include Rowan University, Rutgers University-Camden, Delaware State University, University of Delaware, Bryn Mawr College, and Temple University.
Leveraging the strong optics education students at this consortium of schools, the selected cohort will be assigned summer projects in the Quantum Technology (Dumke) and Fluid Dynamics (Ohl) research groups, focusing on laboratory measurements in either ultra-cold atomic physics or modern fluid dynamics. They will run projects that use optical manipulation or measurement to study laser-frequency stabilization, laser-cooled atoms near superconductors, pattern formation in microfluidic channels, and laser-produced shockwaves in liquids. This research may result in the co-authorship of refereed journal articles, and all students will be expected to give presentations at scientific professional meetings in the U.S. The scientific knowledge, technical skills, and experience in global collaboration that participants acquire will provide a competitive edge as students embark on their future career paths.
