Experimental Techniques in Optics

This course is meant to give students an opportunity to have hands-on experience in optical techniques. It includes several experiments and experimental techniques with as goal to achieve a good training in basic optical principles and to master optical techniques such as interferometry, reflectometry, beam shaping, microscopy. There will be also experiments involving electronics for optics and single photon detection. The students will write a structured report for each experiment including a description of the goals of the experiment, experimental realisation, data analysis and conclusions.

The course will consist of five experiments that will include building the setup, taking data and analysing it and writing a report on their findings. The available experiments (they may vary) are in the following subjects: Interferometry, holography, reflectrometry, spatial light modulation, detection of evanescent waves in total internal reflection, analogue electronics for optics, single photon interference and fluorescence microscopy.