Acquisition of a solid-state laser, optical table and femtosecond pulse-measurement system for undergraduate research in optics

该MRI奖为购买固态激光器，光学台，功率计和飞秒脉冲测量系统提供资金，用于实施光学本科研究项目，包括散射，非线性光学和超快激光。 使用该设备开始的研究包括以下内容。(1)从非线性材料（包括CdS和蓝宝石）的球体散射，以表征非线性机制，研究由于克尔和光折变非线性引起的自脉冲行为，并测量这些材料中与强度相关的高阶色散。(2)利用棱镜及变形镜于雷射腔中进行像差校正及脉冲压缩之研究。(3)使用非线性材料的非标准锁模腔设计的测试。 (4)用复源点理论计算非球面镜形状匹配腔中空心光束电磁模的激发。 (5)非对称声悬浮染料液滴的激光发射测量。 这些设备将加强圣本尼迪克特学院和圣约翰大学的光学本科研究项目。 女子学院CSB和男子学院SJU共用一个共同的课程，设有联合班级和部门。 物理系提供物理学和应用物理学专业，强调先进的实验室经验和学术年的师生研究。 在过去的十年里，光学研究一直是最受欢迎的专业选择，大多数学生继续研究物理学

This MRI award provides funds for the purchase of a solid-state laser, optical table, power meter and femtosecond pulse-measurement system for implementing undergraduate research projects in optics, including scattering, nonlinear optics, and ultrafast lasers. The research to be commenced with the equipment encompasses the following. (1) Scattering from spheres of nonlinear materials, including CdS and sapphire, to characterize nonlinear mechanisms, study self-pulsing behavior due to Kerr and photorefractive nonlinearities, and measure intensity-dependent high-order dispersion in these materials. (2) Studies of aberration-correction and pulse-compression using prisms and deformable mirrors in laser cavities. (3) Tests of non-standard mode-locking cavity designs using nonlinear materials. (4) Excitation of hollow-beam electromagnetic modes in cavities with non-spherical mirrors matching shapes computed from complex-source-point theory. (5) Measurements of laser emission from asymmetric, acoustically-levitated dye droplets. The equipment will enhance the undergraduate research program in optics at the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University. CSB, a womens college, and SJU, for men, share a common curriculum with joint classes and departments. The physics department offers majors in physics and applied physics, emphasizing advanced laboratory experience and academic-year student-faculty research. Research in optics has been the most popular choice for majors in the past decade, and the majority of the students go on to graduate work in physics