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Michigan State UniversityPHY 431 Optics at MSU

Advanced Labs

Software

Image/J from NIH (free, Mac/Win/Linux) , Image processing and data analysis in Java

Download at http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/download.html

Igor Pro, Scientific graphing, image processing, and data analysis program

Download trial/demo version. A classrom license is available for you to install this program on your laptop/PC for classrom work. Contact Marc Olson [olson at pa.msu.edu] for a classroom license.

For further information, Visit http://www.wavemetrics.com/ .

Graph.tk, http://graph.tk/

Online graph sketching app that can graph functions and numerically solve differential equations.

Office Suites

Open Office (Win/Mac/Linux, free) http://www.openoffice.org/

Libre Office (Win/Mac/Linux, free) http://www.libreoffice.org/

Neo Office (Mac only, require 'donation') http://www.neooffice.org/

Googledocs.msu (onlilne collaboration) http://googledocs.msu.edu/ (login with your MSU NetID)

LaTeX, A document preparation system

Check "Getting LaTeX" to download and install your favorate distribution, http://www.latex-project.org/

Physics Lab Companion

(by S. Szymanski at University of Regina, Canada)

Chapter 1 Significant Figures

Chapter 2 Uncertainties in Measurements

Chapter 3 Error Propagation

Chapter 4 Graphical Analysis

Chapter 5 Graphs: The Method of Least Squares

Chapter 6 Measuring Instruments

 

Experiments

I. Photoelectric Effect and Measurement of h/e

Interactive Simulation: Photoelectric Effect @ PhET

 

Lab Package - Photoelectric Effect

 

II. Optical Trapping Experiment - Optical Tweezers

Interactive Simulation: Optical Tweezers and Applications @ PhET

 

Lab Package - Optical Trapping

 

III. Fourier Optics - Spatial Light Modulators

Interactive Simulation: Fourier - Making Waves @ PhET

Mathematica Simulations (Download and Install Free Wolfram CDF Player, click here):

1. MathematicaDemo - 2D Fourier Transfrom

2. MathematicaDemo - Laser Diffraction (Fresnel to Fraunhofer Diffraction)

3. MathematicaDemo - Image Deconvolution

 

Lab Package - Fourier Optics/SLM

 

IV. Quantum Optics

Interactive Simulation: Quantum Wave Interference @ PhET

Perspective: Spontaneous Parametric Process in Modern Optics, Optics and Photonics News, Nov. 2011

Wk1: Simulated Experiments

 

Lab Package - Quantum Optics/Quantum Mechanics

Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion

 

Reference Site:

Modern Undergraduate Quantum Mechanics Experiments at Beck Lab, Whitman College.