Exploring Technology with Photonics Projects
Angela Duprez

The photonics group this year has been developing exciting new experiments and research projects in fiber optics, detectors, and lasers. Under the guidance of Professor Saeid Rahimi, the group has been working with new technology to enhance students’ technical expertise. Two Lockheed Martin grants obtained by Dr. Rahimi provide student stipends.

Angela Duprez has been working on the development of fiber optic sensors through methods of light intensity measurements. By exposing the tip of a stripped fiber to different environmental conditions, such as variations in temperature and index of refraction, Angela has measured the changes in intensity of back-scattered laser light using an HP optical time domain reflectometer. She is studying the effects on the sensitivity of the sensor of modifying the fiber tip by means of etching and thin film coating.

Allan Baker is exploring the possibilities of designing various detectors utilizing the wave nature of light as a laser beam is split and propagated through fiber optics and recombined in an interference pattern. The present setup uses a Mach/Zehnder type of interferometer arrangement, which has increased stability and sensitivity over the Michelson interferometer. When one of the beam paths is stressed (by heat, pressure, mass, etc.) the interference patterns change. Allan has interfaced the Mach/Zehnder interferometer with LabVIEW, and has designed a virtual instrument that can detect the number of fringes as they pass a specific location on the detector. Allan and Dr. Rahimi will report their progress soon at a conference held by Lockheed Martin.

John Collins is the mechanical support for the photonics group and assists in the machining of parts, as well as producing mirrors of specific reflectance through thermal thin film deposition.

Henry Schafer is writing a user-friendly program using LabVIEW to control the HP Low Frequency Impedance Analyzer, increasing the speed and flexibility of the measurement process and increasing research productivity. According to Henry, an electrical contractor,

“The LabVIEW program can control and record more data from the instrument in seconds than an operator could record in hours. But there’s also much more functionality. The data can be saved and recalled, graphed automatically on the computer screen or printed out. Many types of analysis can be programmed in, such as deviation measurements, averaging, statistics, etc. Use of the instrument also becomes clearer and easier by dividing the instrument into different screens that open only when they are relevant, color coding graphs and buttons, and making buttons and indicators only visible when they are necessary.”

These exciting experiments are only samples of what can be accomplished by future students. Much work needs to be done, and more students are welcome to participate. With the ever-growing optics and telecommunications industry, there is an increasing demand for highly qualified and technically educated graduates. Some of the participants in these research efforts have been approached by some major local high tech industries for internships that could potentially lead to more permanent employment as engineers. The experience with SSU’s photonics group not only helps students prepare for work in industry, but also gives them solid foundations in research technique for graduate school, and most importantly provides them with a great sense of scientific accomplishment.