Laser-Photonics Courses

Laser-Photonics Technologies for Technologists
Five online blended course series

​This laser-photonics series is part LASER-TEC’s effort to increase the production of photonics technicians and technologists in the United States to meet industry demand.  
The goals of this project are:
1. To provide education to future photonics technicians of all ages and backgrounds and prepare them for the challenges of the 21st century in the field of photonics
2. To provide professional development to instructors from around the country who want to learn and add laser-photonics content to their existing programs, or create new courses and programs.
3. To provide an opportunity for industry to update their incumbent workers in an efficient and cost effective way.
4. To raise awareness in the community in general about the importance of the field of photonics and light enabled technologies and applications for future technological advancements in the 21st century.

Upcoming Courses

​Introduction to Photonics
Online theory: Jan. 13 - March 6, 2020
Practical: March 16 - 18, 2020
Indian River State College, Ft. Pierce, FL
Fundamentals of Fiber Optics
Online theory: Jan. 13 - March 6, 2020​
Practical: March 19 - 21, 2020 
Indian River State College, Ft. Pierce, FL  
The following material will be prepared for each course:
  1. the textbook, covering the course content in details and following pedagogical norms
  2. the lab book, arrange to support interactive lab data collection and in a form of a lab report
  3. short video of each lecture from the textbook
  4. powerpoint presentation of each course lecture
  5. the test bank of MCQ prepared for students to practice the acquired knowledge and used by the instructors to arrange examinations

​Each of the five courses in the five-course series will be offered as a flipped classroom model in a blended format:
  • the theory (presented online through video lectures and online Q&A sessions)
  • the hands-on practice offered as a 2-3 day workshop at Indian River State College

​Jump to a Course →​

​Course 1. INTRODUCTION TO PHOTONICS
Course 2. GEOMETRICAL AND PHYSICAL OPTICS
Course 3. FUNDAMENTALS OF FIBER OPTICS
Course 4. LASER SYSTEMS AND APPLICATIONS
Course 5. INTRODUCTION TO SPECTROSCOPY
The students will study the material remotely by reviewing the textbook content, watching video lectures, doing assigned homeworks, and engaging with the instructor in the discussions of relevant topics through a Blackboard based online interaction.
The knowledge acquired during the online portion of the course will be examined through an online qualifying exam. Those students who pass the qualifying exam will be qualified to take the hands-on practice workshop offered in the labs at Indian River State College. Upon a successful completion of the workshop and a comprehensive final exam offered at the end of the workshop, the students will be awarded a LASER-TEC approved certification of a successful course completion.
 
In addition to the main course format described above, the course content and corresponding hands–on training may also be reorganized into a format of a full-day or multiple-day workshops. Such workshops may be offered at different conferences, events and venues to target a specific audience that attend those events. LASER-TEC instructional faculty are interested in discussing with the event organizers the intent of such a training with the goal of putting a plan in place for a successful implementation of such a training.

Course 1. Introduction to Photonics

Course Description

This course covers the fundamental principles of light such as the terminology of light, behavior of light in different environments, and concepts of light generation and manipulation. The concepts such as reflection, refraction, diffraction, and absorption of light will be explained theoretically and through simple experiments. The course participants will be exposed to basic optical components used in a photonics lab; they will learn how to use various mounts, understand the importance of proper cleaning of the optical components, and how coatings can change properties of an optical component. The course also provides the basic training on the use of a low power laser and optical power meter with the emphasis on laser safety concepts.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students will be able to:
  1. Describe the dual nature (wave and particle) of light and properties of light
  2. Demonstrate good understanding of language of light such as frequency, wavelength, amplitude, phase, speed, and energy
  3. Describe the electromagnetic spectrum and sketch a diagram of its main optical regions.
  4. Describe line spectra, band spectra, and continuous blackbody radiation.
  5. Describe how light is scattered, absorbed, and transmitted when passing through optical materials.
  6. Chose optical materials for specific use in the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared region.
  7. Clean and inspect surfaces of optical elements for scratches, chips, or digs.
  8. Handle and properly position optical components (such as lenses, mirrors, filters), optical benches and vibration-free tables.
  9. Properly set and perform the measurement of the output optical power using power meter
  10. Understand the anatomy and human eye and the impact of laser sources on it
  11. Understand various laser safety controls and procedures
  12. Have ability to calculate OD of laser safety eyewear for a specific laser type and MPE
  13. Safely operate low power lasers
  14. Communicate with clarity and precision.
  15. Make use of technology to organize, acquire, and convey information.

Course 2. Geometrical and Physical Optics

Course Description

This course teaches principles of geometrical and physical optics that can be applied in the fields of electronics, instrumentation, telecommunications, and biomedical equipment. The first half of the course focuses on the fundamentals of geometrical optics; the participants learn how to manipulate with the light using mirrors and lenses. The theoretical analysis based on ray tracing techniques and mathematical equations will be introduced followed by the lab experiments. In the second half of the course, the audience will dig deeper into the fundamentals of physical optics such as interference patterns through single and double slits, pinholes, and diffraction gratings. The course participants will also be introduced to the basics of laser construction and principles of laser operation. Finally, at the end of the course, both course 1 and course 2 will be summarized for incumbent workers and electronics technicians interested in refreshing their knowledge and skills in the field of photonics.

Pre-requisite: Course 1 – Introduction to Photonics

​Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students will be able to:
  1. State the law of reflection and Snell’s law of refraction at plane and spherical interfaces between different optical media.
  2. Describe the total internal reflection and calculate the critical angle of incidence for the interface between two optical media
  3. Calculate the minimum angle of deviation for a prism and show how this angle can be used to determine the refractive index of a transparent material shaped into a prism.
  4. Explain the propagation of the light ray through binoculars, telescope, and camera
  5. Utilize ray-tracing techniques to locate the images formed by plane and spherical mirrors and lenses.
  6. Determine location, size, orientation, and nature of images formed with spherical mirrors and lenses using mathematical equations.
  7. Implement various optical alignment techniques including the collimation of the diverging laser beam
  8. Recognize the difference between Fraunhofer (far-field) and Fresnel (near-field) diffraction.
  9. Experimentally determine thickness of human hair using the concept of diffraction
  10. Conduct experiments with various diffraction filters and use equations to calculate beam spread and fringe locations
  11. Describe a transmission grating and calculate positions of different orders of diffraction.
  12. Describe how polarizers/analyzers and the law of Malus are used to control light intensity.
  13. Calculate Brewster’s angle and discuss how Brewster windows are used in a laser cavities for a generation of a linearly polarized laser beam.
  14. Describe the main functions of various components of a laser
  15. Implement the acquired skills and knowledge to troubleshoot and solve simple problems in a photonics lab

Course 3. Fundamentals of Fiber Optics

Course Description

This course provides a practical, real world perspective on the fundamentals of fiber optic technology and optical data communications. It examines the reasons why optical fibers are the preferred communications medium, surpassing copper wire in all performance measures.  A thorough explanation of how fibers work is offered, as well as useful coverage of other related optical components and how those components fit into system-level applications. All important elements of a fiber optic link will be introduced and discussed such as transmitters, optical fiber, and receivers. The course participants will learn about the total internal reflection, types of optical fibers used, the connectors and splices, and finally various types of measurements. Various practical skills that a fiber cable installer needs in the field will be practiced through hands-on experiments including cleaning and visual inspection of the connector end face, installation of the connector on the optical fiber, and splicing of two fibers. Finally, the attendants will be trained to use perform various measurements using visual fault locators, optical loss test set (OLTS), and optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) equipment.
 
Pre-requisite: Course 1 – Introduction to Photonics

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students will be able to:
  1. Describe the term fiber optics and outline the progress made in the history of fiber optics
  2. List the parts of a fiber optic data link and understand the function of each part.
  3. Discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of fiber optic systems compared to electrical communications systems.
  4. Explain how optical fibers transmit light including the concept of the total internal reflection, single vs multimode operation, extrinsic and intrinsic losses, attenuation and dispersion of light through a fiber
  5. Understand basics of optical fiber manufacturing including the vapor phase oxidation, direct-melt optical fiber fabrication, and other phases of fiber manufacturing process.
  6. Identify the basic cable components and their function, such as buffers, strength members, and jacket materials.
  7. Describe a fiber optic splice, connector, and coupler and the types of connections they form in systems.
  8. Calculate and provide basic analysis of a fiber link budget.
  9. Explain the difference between Bus, Ring, Star and tree topologies, FDDI, Ethernet, Fibre Channel, wave-length division multiplexing, Passive Optical Networks and FTTH concepts.
  10. Inspect and clean the end face of fiber optic connector.
  11. Install a fiber optic connector on the optical fiber using UNICAM method.
  12. Identify the types of fiber optic mechanical and fusion splices and outline the basic splicing techniques for each type of fiber optic splice.
  13. Properly set the fusion splicer and perform fusion splicing of two optical fibers.
  14. Describe the optical fiber and optical connection laboratory measurements to evaluate fiber optic component and system performance.
  15. Perform Tier 1 (using optical loss test set) and Tier 2 (using OTDR) measurements including proper adjustment of the equipment and understanding of TIA standards.
  16. Describe the value for conducting accurate, reliable and repeatable test measurements as well as importance of writing a detailed test reports and other documentation.

Course 4. Laser Systems and Applications

Course Description

This course builds-on the previously acquired knowledge and skills offered in Courses 1 and 2 of this course series. Advanced concepts of laser construction and operation will be taught including advanced measurement techniques for characterization of various output characteristics of both lower power and high power lasers. The course participants will be given a basic LSO training that includes learning about various laser safety protocols, operating procedures and equipment implemented in a Class 4 laser lab environment. Beam profilers, beam splitters, advanced level power meters, spectrometers and other measurement equipment will be introduced and used in a lab setup. The students will be exposed to the principles and operation of gas lasers (HeNe), ion lasers, semiconductor lasers, fiber optic lasers, and Nd-YAG lasers. A more advanced techniques such as Q-switching, mode locking, and wave division multiplexing will also be studied on theoretical and practical level.
 
Pre-requisite: Course 1 – Introduction to Photonics, Course 2 – Geometrical and Physical Optics

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students will be able to:
  1. Fully understand and implement laser safety rules, protocols, procedures, and equipment on the LSO-equivalent level
  2. Demonstrate a full understanding of OD and NHZ calculation and selection of laser safety eyewear for a specific laser type and MPE as well as other laser safety equipment
  3. Understand differences between various classes of lasers from the perspective of laser safety
  4. Describe spontaneous and stimulated emission, population inversion, laser pumping, and other concepts of laser construction and operation
  5. Categorize lasers according to gain medium, output wavelength, and their applications.
  6. Identify the most important applications of lasers
  7. Name and describe the different kinds of mirrors used in fiber lasers.
  8. Properly align the mirrors in a laser for a successful process of lasing
  9. Calculate and measure all important output parameters of a laser – beam divergence, beam profile, spectral characteristics, and similar.
  10. Describe the beam divergence of a laser diode, the mounting and cooling of semiconducting lasers, and the dependence of the wavelength and threshold current in diode lasers with temperature
  11. Describe five processes that produce damage in laser diodes and ways to counteract them.
  12. Describe how fiber lasers are used in manufacturing, telecommunications, spectroscopy, medicine, and the military.
  13. Use procedures and equipment given in the laboratory to safely operate a fiber laser.
  14. Describe various methods of pulsing a laser, including mode locking and Q-switching.
  15. Present a brief general description of the following subsystems of CW Nd:YAG lasers such as laser rod, optical pumping system, optical cavity, cooling system
  16. Operate and the measure the output characteristics of a CW Nd:YAG laser system and a pulsed Nd:YAG laser system in the laboratory.
  17. Explain the basic principles of Q-switching, including the concepts of amplifier gain, loop gain, and cavity “quality”
  18. Describe what is meant by mode locking and two methods of mode locking.

Course 5. Introduction to Spectroscopy

Course Description

A detailed description and learning outcomes for this course are still in the works and will be provided when available. All suggestions welcome.