If you find a link that doesn't work, please email Judy Donnelly . If you find a link that should be here, let me know that as well. This list was last updated 1/09.
Applications of Optics in Communications (Fiber Optics), Manufacturing, Medicine and More
Societies, Organizations and Online Magazines
RETURN TO NEBHE PHOTON2 WEB SITE
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GENERAL OPTICS TUTORIALS
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/index.html This site contains a huge collection of tutorials and applets covering most of an introductory optics course. This is a good "first stop" on a web tour of optics. Some excerpts from this site are in the listing below.
http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~efortin/thesis/html/index.shtml"An exploration of the universe by animated spectroscopy"
http://www.chem.vt.edu/chem-ed/optics/optics.html This is an optics tutorial for chemistry students. Definition of many terms included.
http://thierry.baudart.waika9.com/unifocal/doc/eye.htm optics tutorial with an ophthalmic slant, including how corrective lenses work
http://physics.nist.gov/Pubs/TN1421/contents.html NIST document on the system of measurement for radiometry, photometry and pyrometry
CLASSROOM DEMONSTRATIONS
http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/demobook/chapter6.htm great classroom demonstrations, including the "floating talking head"
http://www.arborsci.com/CoolStuff/Archives.htm The Arbor Scientific "Cool Stuff" newsletter has quick and easy demos, many of optical effects
ABSORPTION AND EMISSION OF LIGHT
http://zebu.uoregon.edu/nsf/emit.html shows wavelength dependence on energy level change
http://physics.gac.edu/~chuck/PRENHALL/Chapter%2031/AABXTEI0.html emission from a Bohr atom
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/quantumzone/schroedinger.html shows the difference between "orbits" and electron probability clouds. The applet may not work on all computers?
http://webphysics.davidson.edu/alumni/MiLee/java/bb_mjl.htm black body radiation curve. change the temperature and view the curve and color.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hyde.html Bohr atom, hydrogen energy levels and the hydrogen spectrum, including "complications" such as the Lamb shift and hyperfine structure
INTRODUCTION TO WAVES and WAVE BEHAVIOR
http://id.mind.net/~zona/mstm/physics/waves/introduction/introductionWaves.html wave characteristics: amplitude, wavelength, phase
http://id.mind.net/~zona/mstm/physics/waves/partsOfAWave/waveParts.htm#frequency wave characteristics- frequency and phase
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/applets/fourier.html applet illustrating addition of waves
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeoacw1/wave_interference.html draw waves and let them interfere (may need Shockwave plug in)
http://www.kettering.edu/~drussell/Demos/reflect/reflect.html animations of wave reflection from boundaries
http://lectureonline.cl.msu.edu/~mmp/applist/doppler/d.htm Control a moving source as it emits waves and explore the Doppler effect
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/applets/doppler.html The same type of demo as the Dopper applet above- but the source is a police care siren. I especially like the police car speeding along in reverse!
ELECTROMAGETIC WAVES
http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph14e/emwave.htm electromagnetic wave animation
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/electromagnetic/index.html play with an electromagnetic wave, and see it from several angles
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/wavebasics/index.html Change the frequency and see what happens to the wavelength
WAVE PROPERTIES OF LIGHT
http://www.ub.es/javaoptics/index-en.html Spatial coherence. Click on the Young's double slit applet. Use a single point source, two point sources or an extended light source and see how the fringe pattern contrast changes as the spatial coherence of the source changes.
http://vsg.quasihome.com/interfer.htm Young's two slit experiment applet
http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/people/mcintyre/applets/grating/grating.html Change the number of slits, width, separation and two different wavelengths
http://www.physics.uq.edu.au/people/mcintyre/php/laboratories/index.php?e=15 excellent Michelson interferometer applet with gas cell for measuring index of refraction
http://lectureonline.cl.msu.edu/~mmp/kap27/Gary-TwoSlit/app.htm Double slit with single slit envelope. Links below applet allow double slit and single slit to be examined separatelyhttp://lectureonline.cl.msu.edu/~mmp/kap24/polarizers/Polarizer.htm Vary the angles of 1 to 3 polarizers
http://fipsgold.physik.uni-kl.de/software/java/polarisation/index.html Polarization components with adjustable phase between x and y. Good demonstration of circular polarization.
http://www.amanogawa.com/archive/Polarization/Polarization-2.html Adjust x and y amplitude and phase to vary the polarization state
http://webphysics.davidson.edu/physlet_resources/bu_semester2/c26_reflections.html Wave reflection from fixed and free ends
http://webphysics.davidson.edu/physlet_resources/bu_semester2/c26_thinfilm.html Fantastic applet- light reflection from the film surfaces is seen in slow motion so change of phase on reflection and path length difference can be observed.
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeoacw1/thinfilm.html Thin film applet, illustrating AR coatings (may need Shockwave plug in)
http://sharp.bu.edu/~slehar/fourier/fourier.html An "intuitive" explanation of the optical Fourier transform
REFLECTION/REFRACTION
http://stwww.weizmann.ac.il/Lasers/laserweb/Java/Twoangles2.htm This applet lets you observe total internal reflection)
http://www.walter-fendt.de/ph14e/huygenspr.htm Reflection and refraction by Huygen's principle
http://www.aug.edu/~chmtmc/ntnujava/Fermat/Fermat.html Reflection and refraction by Fermat's principle
http://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/applets/Intro_physics/refraction/LightRefract.html Shows the change of wavelength in the second medium
http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/java/fishEye/fishEye.html What your pet fish sees looking out of the tank
http://stwww.weizmann.ac.il/Lasers/laserweb/Java/Twoangles2.htm This applet lets you observe total internal reflection, as well as observe Snell's law
http://people.deas.harvard.edu/~jones/cscie129/applets/optics/java/totintrefl/index.html Total internal reflection- a flashlight at the bottom of a lake.
http://www.phys.ksu.edu/perg/vqm/laserweb/Java/snell/Snellgamee.htm The "Snell Game"- shoot a target through a refracting medium
(For applets on rainbows see the "atmospheric optics" category.)
LENS AND MIRROR TUTORIALS AND APPLETS
http://www.lasertechonline.org/applet/optics_bench.html This is my own really, really large version of the Davidson U (Physlet) optics bench applet.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/HFrame.html I wondered how my students did those front vertex, back vertex and equivalent power calculations so quickly! For two lenses or one thick lens.
http://www.opticalres.com/gentle95.html an overview of lens design from an industry source
http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/java/thickLens/thickLens.html Thick lens Java applet. Change from "thin" to "thick" lens and watch rays traverse the lens
http://www.cbu.edu/~jvarrian/applets/lens3/thickl_z.htm Here's an applet for a "thick" lens that illustrates spherical aberration. Note that the amount of aberration depends on the orientation of the lens.
http://www-optics.unine.ch/education/optics_tutorials/plano_convex_lens_aberration.html "Right" and "wrong" ways to insert a plano convex lens into a system to reduce spherical aberration
LASER TUTORIALS AND APPLETS
http://www.phys.ksu.edu/perg/vqm/laserweb/ The "Laser Adventure " by Rami Arieli. A complete laser tutorial with many applets and examples.
http://webphysics.davidson.edu/students/adabele/laserlab/results.htm Not a tutorial, but a student lab report with excellent photos of TEM modes.
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/lightandcolor/laserhome.html Everything from stimulated emission and cavity modes to modelocked lasers and how a cd works.
http://www.laserfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm Sam's laser FAQ- everything you could ask about all kinds of lasers, including how to build them in your "home lab"
http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/lasers/overview.html Very flashy and colorful online laser exhibit with physics and applications from TheTech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA
http://www.iiviinfrared.com/ Information on CO2 laser optic materials and design
http://www.kenteklaserstore.com/custom.aspx?id=9 "laser helpers"- formulas and graphs to illustrate common laser application issues
LASER SAFETY
http://www.safety.vanderbilt.edu/training/flash/laser/player.html Excellent laser safety tutorial from Vanderbilt University
http://ehs.unc.edu/training/self_study/laser/ UNC laser safety tutorial
http://www.laserinstitute.org The Laser Institute of America - publications and training
http://www.rli.com/ Rockwell Laser Industries, laser safety consultants. Includes a data base of laser accidents and a forum for discussing laser safety issues
http://www.eyesafety.4ursafety.com/laser-eye-safety.html Eye safety, including terms and OSHA regulations
FIBER OPTICS/LIGHTWAVE COMMUNICATIONS
http://www.vislab.uq.edu.au/photonics/ "Australian Photonics CRC and Sydney VisLab maintain this information server to provide easily-accessible, up-to-date information for senior high school students."
http://www.jdsu.com/site/primer/launch.html "Anatomy of an International Phone Call" - includes fiber, networks, components as you follow the path of a long distance phone call
http://www.corning.com/opticalfiber/library/fiber_101/index.aspx Corning Optical Fiber Discovery Center "Fiber 101"
http://www.jimhayes.com/lennielw/ Lennie Lightwave's Guide to Fiber- a technicians guide to fiber theory, test and installation
MORE OPTICS APPLICATIONS
http://www.ligo.caltech.edu/ The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). At the bottom left of the page is a link to a terrific video describing the search for graviationals waves
http://www.dpbsmith.com/prescription/ what the numbers in an eyeglass prescription mean
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/ The SOHO (Solar & Heliospheric Observatory) project- beautiful solar images, good spectroscopy application
http://photomachining.com Photos and examples of laser micro-machining
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/mechanical/mrl/ntm/pgIndex.html A complete course on laser materials processing.
http://www.inphase-technologies.com/technology/default.asp?subn=2_1 A tutorial on holographic data storage
http://www.holoworld.com A resource for making holograms, including laser pointer holography and making holograms from photographs
http://www.holokits.com Tutorials and articles about holography, plus an online store for plates and chemicals.
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeoacw1/rainbow.html Formation of a rainbow- applet on refraction by a spherical water droplet
http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/ A page about the green flash (atmospheric, not superhero)
http://www.atoptics.co.uk/ Beautiful photos and explanations of atmospheric optical phenomena
http://www.weather-photography.com/index.php Photos of weather (lots of lightning), ice and frost, astronomy and more, as well as atmospheric optics.
http://www.allthesky.com Digital images of the sky- and everything that's in it.
SITES WITH LISTS OF OPTICS LINKS
http://www.ee.buffalo.edu/faculty/cartwright/java_applets/links.html Photonics tools- Comprehensive list of optics education resources including societies, companies, applets, etc Many applets on advanced topics (click on items at the left of the page)
http://pdg.lbl.gov/~aerzber/aps_waves.html American Physical Society compendium of optics, waves and sound links- very complete
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/lightandcolor/java.html list of all the Java applets available at the FSU microscopy site
http://www.learningincontext.com/PiC-Web/chapt10.htm huge list of links to optics and laser tutorials and applets
http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~phy3054/ This is a set of applets to accompany a physics II course at the University of Florida
OPTICS EDUCATION WEB SITES, PROJECTS and CAREER INFORMATION
http://www.nebhe.org/content/view/248/190/ The PHOTON projects, professional development in optics/photonics; curriculum materials for teaching
http://www.opticsforkids.org/ Fantastic site with resources for students and teachers- including an "ask an expert" feature
http://www.bu.edu/smec/lite/ NSF supported Project Lite, with information on color and perception and spectroscopy
http://webtop.msstate.edu/ A treasury of applets and quicktime movies.
http://www.ub.es/javaoptics/index-en.html Wonderful downloadable applets from the University of Barcelona Java optics course in physical optics
http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/physics/lfot/LFOT_FAQs.asp FAQs on optics/photonics as a career from Queensborough Community College
http://www.opticseducation.org/ Worldwide directory of optics education programs
SOCIETIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND ONLINE MAGAZINES
http://www.spie.org SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering
http://www.osa.org the Optical Society of America
http://www.deps.org/ Directed Energy Professional Society. Directed Energy (DE) technology for national defense and civil applications. Includes company and employment links.
http://www.ico-optics.org/ International Commission for Optics
http://www.nefc.com The New England Fiber Optic Council
http://www.photonics.com Lauren publishers monthly magazine Photonics Spectra, with links to a manufacturer directory and dictionary of terms
http://www.optics.org Online optics resources, news, events, jobs. Sign up for email optics news headlines.
http://lfw.pennnet.com/home.cfm Pennwell Press monthly magazine Laser Focus World
A FEW REALLY COOL PHYSICS SITES
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/ Not entirely optics, but a beautiful site devoted to snow crystals
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ir_tutorial/ Cool cosmos- fantastic IR photos of everyday items, plus other educational resources from the Spitzer telescope site.
http://www.vega.org.uk/video/subseries/8 Four Richard Feynman lectures in streaming video format
http://www.exploratorium.edu/iron_science/ San Francisco Exporatorium- Iron Science Teacher. Archives of past battles pitting science teacher against science teacher
http://science.nasa.gov/ Space-related news, lots of interesting (and some weird) articles and photos from NASA archives
http://www.colorado.edu/UCB/AcademicAffairs/ArtsSciences/physics/PhysicsInitiative/Physics2000/applets/ a collection of Physics2000 applets, without the explanatory text. Some of these applets have not yet been incorporated into the site. Collection includes several technology applets (nodes in a microwave oven, television tubes, etc)
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/outreach/HEG/groovie.html High Energy Groovy Movie: x-ray astronomy as you've never seen- or heard- it. This is a large file that takes a while to download. Includes lesson plan.
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/brainbite/ short videos to answer important questions about spaceflight (like how do you go to the bathroom in a space suit?)
http://www.globalspec.com/trebuchet/ Trebuchet, the sport of engineers. Can you make the high score list?
http://www.yorku.ca/eye/ Not physics, entirely, but a complete online textbook, The Joy of Visual Perception
http://www.astrocappella.com/IYA/ Astronomy set to a capella music