Drew Optics Lab

Dr. David McGee

The Optics and Lasers Laboratory at Drew University began in 1993 with help from local industry and state grants to construct a pulsed dye laser and develop experiments in Fabry-Perot spectroscopy using HeNe and diode lasers.  In summer 1999 the laboratory was expanded with the help of an NSF-ILI grant to include experiments in nonlinear optics, dynamic holography, and image processing.

A broad range of state-of-the-art equipment is available for student projects and independent research with a faculty mentor.  Optical experiments are constructed on six optical breadboards ranging in size from 5 ft x 8 ft to 2 ft x 3 ft.  The largest breadboards are mounted on pnuematic vibration-isolation legs.  A number of laser sources are used in the experiments, including a Lexel 1 Watt Krypton laser, HeNe lasers, and diode lasers with current and thermal control.  A scanning Fabry-Perot spectrometer and diode laser wavemeter are used for laser analysis. Image data is acquired with CCD cameras and is analyzed on workstations with image analysis software.  Extensive capabilities exist for the study of nonlinear optical materials, including photorefractive crystals and organic photorefractive polymeric films.

For student research, see recent student projects or McGee Laser and Photonics Group.