Spectroscopy and Electronic Interferometry for Undergraduate Laboratories

本项目是一项旨在提高物理系应用光学教学和研究水平的长期计划的一部分。这个项目改善了入门和中级的讲座和实验室，也增加了本科生的研究机会。第一个项目目标是通过购买便携式用户友好的快速扫描分光镜来改善涉及光谱的许多课程的教学。计算机显示器或LCD投影仪使每个光谱对多达80名学生可见。在初级和中级课程的讲座和实验中，可以快速比较太阳光、钨丝灯和荧光灯、激光光源和气体管光源。例如，可以检查过滤器，包括透明玻璃、透明塑料和太阳镜对紫外线的吸收。对于物理专业的中高级项目和研究工作，可以对全息形成的滤光片进行表征，测量气管光谱，研究固体的发射、吸收和反射。这一经历为一些物理系学生参加物理系建立的一个强调半导体表面光谱学的新研究实验室奠定了基础。第二个项目目标是加强该部门在电子干涉测量方面的能力。两个现有的学生和教师的研究项目，一个是基于全息测量表面粗糙度的散射激光，另一个是全息干涉测量应用于音乐声学，通过引入电子条纹测量得到加强。这部分项目配备了一台计算机接口CCD摄像机，同时升级了用于课程作业和音乐声学研究的光学台。

This project is part of a long-term program to improve applied optics teaching and research in the Physics Department. This project improves introductory and intermediate lectures and labs and, also, undergraduate research opportunities. The first project goal is to improve instruction in the many courses involving light spectra through the purchase of a portable user-friendly rapid-scan spectroscope. A computer display or LCD projector makes each spectrum visible to classes of up to 80 students. In elementary and intermediate course lectures and labs, sunlight, tungsten and fluorescent lamps, laser sources, and gas tube sources can be quickly compared. Filters can be examined, including UV absorption by clear glass versus clear plastic versus sunglasses, for example. For intermediate to advanced project and research work by physics majors, holographically formed filters can be characterized, gas-tube spectra measured, and emission, absorption, and reflection by solids studied. This experience lays the foundation for some physics students to participate in a new research lab emphasizing spectroscopy of semiconductor surfaces that has been established in the Physics Department. A second project goal is to strengthen the department's capabilities in electronically based interferometry. Two existing student and faculty research programs, one on holographically based measurement of surface roughness using scattered laser light and the other on holographic interferometry applied to musical acoustics are strengthened by the introduction of electronic fringe measurement. A computer-interfaced CCD camera is obtained for this part of the project along with the upgrade of an optical table used both for course work and for musical acoustics research.