Laser Spectroscopy and Modern Optics: Integrated Experimentation for Undergraduates in Physics and Chemistry

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The purpose of this project is to initiate a series of laser-based experiments that are integrated into the physics and chemistry programs. This is accomplished by setting up a joint laser laboratory for physics and chemistry that is solely dedicated to housing lasers and related instrumentation. Through the integration of laser-based experiments into the undergraduate physics and chemistry curricula, students learn how (1) to operate and characterize pulsed, continuous-wave (cw), fixed frequency, and tunable lasers; (2) to investigate atomic and molecular species using state-of-the-art techniques in linear and nonlinear laser spectroscopy; (3) to utilize advanced instrumentation and detectors such as digital storage oscilloscopes, fiber optics, linear photodiode arrays, and scanning monochromators; and (4) to use a computer-interfaced data acquisition system to both control an experiment and to collect and analyze data. The new experiments are designed to be well-suited for undergraduate instruction in that they teach important skills in laser spectroscopy, require a level of analysis that is amenable to students, and provide "hands-on" experience with lasers, instrumentation, and computer-interfaced data acquisition.