Equipment for Laboratory for Modern Optics Using the Comprehensive Unified Physics Learning Environment

我们正在将目前从光通信领域获得的技术与全面的基于计算机的学习环境相结合，作为一种以中等成本将信息时代的光学技术引入本科实验室的手段。单片锁模半导体激光器和稀土掺杂光纤放大器的最新进展提供了一种易于维护和相对低成本的方法，将以高重复频率产生的亚皮秒光脉冲引入本科实验室。脉冲的短持续时间和高峰值强度使得除了少数研究人员和高级研究生之外，以前没有过的大量实验对本科生来说是可以获得的。这项技术与计算机化的学习环境相结合，为以图形和易于理解的方式向本科生教授高数据速率光通信背后的许多科学和技术提供了一种手段。CUPLE(综合统一物理学习环境)跨不同媒体使用的一致用户界面，如实验室仪器、数据阵列、图形显示和视频记录，提供了一个强大但易于访问的教学工具，用于传达戏剧性和这个快速发展领域的相对简单的概念。这一领域技术的迅速发展表明，可靠性和易操作性的进一步提高以及成本的降低将使大量用户能够以合理的成本获得这种学习环境。

We are combining current technology obtained from the field of optical communications with a comprehensive computer-based learning environment as a means of bringing information age optical technology into the undergraduate laboratory at moderate cost. Recent advances in monolithic modelocked semiconductor lasers and rare earth doped optical fiber amplifiers are providing an easily maintained and relatively low cost means of introducing subpicosecond optical pulses produced at high repetition rate into the undergraduate laboratory. The short duration of the pulses and the high peak intensities make a large number of experiments that have not been previously available except to a small number of research workers and advanced graduate students, accessible to undergraduate students. This technology combined with the computerized learning environment provides a means for much of the science and technology underlying high data rate optical communications to be taught to undergraduates in a graphic and easily understood manner. The consistent user interface of the CUPLE (Comprehensive Unified Physics Learning Environment) employed across different media, such as, laboratory instruments, data arrays, graphical displays, and video recordings provides a powerful, but easily accessed teaching tool for conveying both the drama and the relatively simple concepts that characterize this rapidly developing area. The rapid evolution of technology in this field suggests that further increases in reliability and ease of operation and reduction in costs will make this learning environment available to a large number of users at reasonable cost.