Photonics laboratory teaching experiments for scientists and engineers

Walter Johnstone; Brian Culshaw; David G. Moodie; Iain S. Mauchline; Douglas Walsh

doi:10.1117/12.468717

28 May 2002 Photonics laboratory teaching experiments for scientists and engineers

Walter Johnstone, Brian Culshaw, David G. Moodie, Iain S. Mauchline, Douglas Walsh

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Proceedings Volume 4588, Seventh International Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics; (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.468717
Event: Education and Training in Optics and Photonics 2001, 2001, Singapore, Singapore

Abstract

In response to industry's need for scientists and engineers skilled in the design, manufacture and operation of photonics systems, Strathclyde University and OptoSci Ltd. have developed a suite of Photonics Educator Kits, which enable students to experimentally investigate all of the major technical features, principles and design issues of optical waveguides, optical communications systems, erbium doped fiber amplifiers and lasers. To support these applications experiments we have recently added a range of kits enabling students to experimentally investigate the basics of physical optics covering reflection, refraction, polarization, diffraction, coherence and interference. In this paper, we will describe the educational objectives and the design philosophies behind the development of these kits. To illustrate these, full details of the experimental procedures, the results and the benefits to the student will be discussed for the recently upgraded optical communications kit and the erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) system, in particular addressing the crucially important noise characteristics of optical amplifiers.

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Walter Johnstone, Brian Culshaw, David G. Moodie, Iain S. Mauchline, and Douglas Walsh "Photonics laboratory teaching experiments for scientists and engineers", Proc. SPIE 4588, Seventh International Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics, (28 May 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.468717

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