Light Is a Beautiful Tool of Precision

In Bethel's atomic, molecular, and optical physics lab, students have built lasers ranging from those with a single frequency to lasers with ultra-short pulses that comprise an octave-spanning spectrum. Dr. Hoyt will describe student projects over the last decade, including atomic laser cooling and trapping, which results in a small cloud of atoms at a temperature as low as 550 microkelvin. These projects have taken place during summer research experiences, senior research, and in the context of Optics and Lasers courses. Our open-ended course laboratory approach, started and built by Dr. Richard Peterson, has recently been formally evaluated by a research group from the University of Colorado, Boulder.