Applied Optics and Optical Materials
at the Colorado School of Mines
CPIA Annual Meeting
14 November 2007
Charles Durfee
Engineering Physics undergraduate degree
• nationally recognized program:
~65 graduates in physics/yr (
4th in US!)
• solid engineering background:
• ABET accredited (
one of 12 in US)
Engineering Physics program
Applied Optics and Optical Materials Colorado School of Mines
Coursework:
• all majors:
• electronics
• “Field session” (lab training)
• sr-level optical physics
• electives:
• Laser physics
• Fourier Optics
• Optical Design
• Nonlinear Optics
Graduate programs
• 5 year BS/MS degree programs:
physics,EE,ME, materials, applied math
• PhD programs:
Ultrafast Optics
Physics Department Colorado School of Mines
Laser development:
• high-average power TW laser
• spectral shaping optics
• Fourier-domain pulse shaping
• Adaptive optics
• Grism designs for phase control
High-intensity interactions:
• hard x-ray generation: micron
imaging, ultrafast x-ray diffraction
• beam filamentation and nonlinear
propagation
• frequency mixing for ultrafast UV
generation
• micromaching
Contact: Chip Durfee, Jeff Squier
Pump-probe delay [ms] Spatial dimension [mm] Phase [ rad]
Spatial/Spectral interferometry
Multiphoton scanning microscope
for simultaneous imaging
of multiple depths
P. S. Tsai, et al., Neuron, Vol. 39, 27-41, (2003)
Microintegrated Optics for Advanced Bioimaging and Control
Squier: multiphoton microscopy
Physics Department Colorado School of Mines
SMARTI Microscope
PMT
Depth 1
Depth 2
Different
divergence
Time separation=
laser rep. rate/2
SMARTI Demonstration
Sample: 2
μ
m fluorescent beads suspended in agarose
Non-simultaneous images
Simultaneous SMARTI images
Collaboration between MetaFluidics and CSM faculty (Marr, Squier)
• developed a powerful new platform for research and clinical
diagnostics that will have a revolutionary impact on the next
generation of biomedicine.
• MetaFluidics’ Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) platform
puts optical cell sorting in the palm of your hand.
• Interrogate and sort cells, using unconventional optics, laser
diodes, LEDs and sensors
• Integrated platform appropriate for applications from laboratory
research to point-of-care diagnostics.
The core of MetaFluidics’ integrated FACS platform is a waveguiding
block fabricated by ultrafast laser micromachining. Analogous to an
“optical processor”, the waveguiding core guides both interrogation
and trapping radiation directly to the microchannel allowing
precision control and nearly indefinite multiplexing.
Optical control in microfluidics
Physics / ChemEng Department Colorado School of Mines
Scales group
Physics Department Colorado School of Mines
Laser ultrasonics for wave propagation in random media
aluminum
granite
quasi-optics with a
millimeter wave vector
network analyzer
70-400GHz
Other areas: near-field microscopy with THz/mm waves
Center for Solar and Electronic Materials
Fabrication and processing
• Photovoltaics: growth and characterization
• Transparent conducting oxides
• Polycrystalline semiconductors, magneto-optics
• PVD, CVD
• photolithography
• Sputtering thin-film deposition system
Contact: Collins
tungsten oxide coated film before and
after ion intercalation
SMART WINDOWS
Reversible transmission modulation
Physics / ChemEng Department Colorado School of Mines
Characterization
• Microscopy: NSOM, AFM, TEM
• low-temperature photoluminescence
• time-resolved optical studies
• temperature-dependent Hall effect
• C-V, I-V, photoresponse
• surface characterization: scanning Auger, XPS
• Spectroscopic ellipsometry: UV, vis, mid-IR
• spectrophotometer
Parallel-Detecting Spectroscopic Ellipsometry
Raw Spectra
CIGS Band Edge Wavelength
Furtak group: surface optical spectroscopy
Physics Department Colorado School of Mines
Photothermal Deflection
Spectroscopy of
Nano-Crystalline Silicon Films
Research in collaboration
with MVSystems, Inc.,
Golden, CO
Curves (d) through (a) show the increase
in the optical absorption below the
optical energy gap with n-type doping.
Films are 1
μ
m thick.
Oscillations are an interference effect
due to sample thickness.
Nano-crystalline silicon films are of
potential use in solar panels and
thin-film transistor arrays for flat panel
displays.
Taylor: semiconductor research group
Physics Department Colorado School of Mines
Contact:
Craig Taylor
Experimental confirmation of predicted ultra-long range
surface plasmon mode in a visible-wavelength MOS analog
•Shift of minimum
to left confirms
expulsion of mode
from metal
• narrowing of
peak confirms
increase in
propagation length
Conventional SP
ULRSP
ReflectancePlasmonic optical elements
Physics Department Colorado School of Mines
Surface plasmon devices
• silicon waveguide plasmon modulators (
w/ITN
)
• resonant nanosensors
• NSOM evanescent wave sensing
• sub-wavelength aperture transmission
Wienke: Auger observatory
Physics Department Colorado School of Mines
Pierre Auger observatory
• measure particle shower and
optical emission from high-energy
cosmic rays (>10
20eV)
• use high-power UV laser to
simulate optical signature
• new facility anticipated for SE
Colorado
Beam steering mechanism
Central UV Laser Facility: Argentina
Contact: Lawrence Wienke
See www.auger.org
LIBS low pressure chamber,
emission collection optics and laser delivery
Instrument Development for Space Exploration
• Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Broadband and high resolution spectral detection
• Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy
NIR and Mid-IR, time-frequency response modeling
Dreyer group
Engineering Division Colorado School of Mines
Contact:
Chris Dreyer
Combustion Diagnostics
•Laser Induced Fluorescence
•Absorption Spectroscopy
•Raman Spectroscopy
• Reuben Collins
[email protected], 273-3851
• Tom Furtak
[email protected], 273-3843
• Craig Taylor
[email protected], 273-3586
Faculty Contacts
Applied Optics and Optical Materials Colorado School of Mines
