Optics and Photonics for the 21st Century An Innovative Interdisciplinary Modular Laboratory Curriculum

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Photonics is the use of photons to work with or replace electrons in communications, computing, control, imaging, and information processing. Milwaukee School of Engineering has initiated a significant program to incorporate the principles and applications of modern optics and photonics into the introductory and intermediate physics and engineering courses. An important part of this program is the continuing development of new laboratories in Undergraduate Applied Optics, Photonics and Sensors, and High Speed Vidography. The main goal of the proposed curricular development program will be the creation of a set of modern optics and photonics laboratory Modules for use in undergraduate physics and engineering programs. Modules will be developed for 20 topics including beam splitters, Fabry-Perot interferometers, fiber optics, speckle optics, high speed videography, and spatial ffltering. Some of these modules will include associated computer-multimedia software packages. The modules will be designed to stimulate students' enthusiasm and interest and to optimize their conceptual understanding of the most important and fundamental concepts in optics and photonics. In accord with the most recent pedagogical research, the concepts will not only be embedded in the frameworks of basic principles and history, but will also give students practical experience with the tools and apparatus of modern optics and photonics. The design and evaluation of the modules will be accomplished by an interdisciplinary team of professors and selected students with advice and guidance from Professor Arthur Western of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Professor David Van Baak of Calvin College. After a period of testing and revision, the modules will be used in Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement programs that we will offer as part of our dissemination plan. Later we will use the modules in outreach programs for pre-college teachers and for engineers from industry. The modula r approach will provide the flexibility and adaptability that should ensure use of the modules by a wide variety of institutions, since each school may incorporate one or more modules into their existing courses, or may use a collection of modules as substrates to develop their own new courses.