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Watt's Up College of Optical Sciences News for November 5, 2009
Alumni | Watt's Happening | Employment | Subscribe
Today's Colloquium. 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307
Jim Burge will present Mirror Technologies for Giant Telescopes.
Abstract: A new class of giant telescopes is being developed to observe the most distant objects in the universe, image planets around nearby stars, and map the large scale structure of the Cosmos. The ability to build these telescopes relies directly on advances in the technologies for fabricating, measuring, and supporting the mirrors.
The University of Arizona is deeply involved in two such projects: the Giant Magellan Telescope, which combines light from seven 8.4-m mirrors, and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, which uses a 3-mirror design to achieve a 3.5° field of view. Two other larger telescopes are underway that use hundreds of smaller segments to create their primary mirrors: the 30-m TMT (Thirty Meter Telescope), led by the Universities of California, and the 42-m E-ELT European Extremely Large Telescope from European Southern Observatories.
This talk will summarize these telescopes, with an emphasis on interesting technical developments that enable the production of the mirrors.
Bio: Jim Burge is Professor of Optical Sciences and Astronomy. His BS degree is in Engineering Physics from Ohio State University and he has MS and PhD degrees in Optical Sciences from University of Arizona. His research in optical sciences covers optical design, fabrication, testing, optomechanics, and alignment. Dr. Burge has more than 200 technical publications, 3 patents, and has successfully led 10 PhD and 11 MS students to graduation (plus 4 more PhD's this year!).
Colloquium Videos
The next-best thing to being here: Colloquium videos are posted to our Web site at http://www.optics.arizona.edu/Colloquium/default.htm We post each one as soon as possible after Colloquium is finished.
Tuesday's Special Presentation. November 10. 3:00 p.m. Meinel 821
Dr. Wolfgant Heiss of W. Theiss Hard- and Software in Aachen, Germany, will present Understanding Optical Spectra by Physical Modeling. Jennifer-Turner Valle is the faculty host.
Abstract: The interpretation and analysis of optical spectra by physical modeling is a very clean and safe method. The choice of appropriate optical constant models is the key to success - it is shown interactively how interband transitions, vibrational modes and charge carrier excitation are taken into account in realistic models. Many examples show how you can analyze thin film spectra, optimize multilayer coatings and handle light scattering systems such as paints and prints. The talk will make heavy use of a graphical user interface that allows a very intuitive manipulation of the model parameters with instant visualization of the consequences.
Tuesday's Student Exchange Fair and Info Session
Arizona Study Abroad Fair 2009. 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. UA Mall. Students are welcome to stop by the National Central University (Taiwan) booth for information and souvenirs.
Student Exchange Info Session. November 10. 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307. Senior exchange coordinator Eric Deschamps from the UA Office of Study Abroad and Student Exchange and OSC alumna Professor Yi-Chun Chen from the Department of Optics and Photonics, National Central University in Taiwan, will give an information session on the student exchange program between OSC and NCU. All OSC students are invited.
Wednesday, November 11 is Veterans Day. UA is Closed
WIO Invites You to a Potluck Lunch and Zoo Trip Beginning at 11:30 a.m. Reid Park, Ramada Number 1
From Katie Schwertz. Women in Optics invites all students, faculty, staff, and their families and friends to join us Wednesday, November 11 for a potluck picnic and trip to Reid Park Zoo. There are no classes on November 11 for Veteran's Day. We will start at Reid Park, Ramada #1 at 11:30 a.m. If you need a ride, please meet us at 11:15 a.m. in the OSC parking lot. Please bring a dish to share and $6.00 for the entrance fee to the zoo. Picnic supplies (plates, cups, napkins, etc) and drinks will be provided. We will be walking over to the zoo at 1:00 p.m. , so meet us there if you can't make the picnic. Any questions, please email Katie Schwertz (kschwertz@optics.arizona.edu). See you then!
Next Week's Colloquium. November 12. 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307
Henry Lezec of NIST will present Negative Radiation Pressure. Masud Mansuripur is the host.
Abstract: Four decades ago, V. Veselago derived the electromagnetic properties of a hypothetical material having simultaneously-negative values of electric permittivity and magnetic permeability [1]. Such a “left-handed” material was predicted to exhibit a number of exotic properties including a negative index of refraction and a negative response to radiation pressure (pull). Since left-handed materials are not available in nature, considerable efforts are currently under way to implement them under the form of artificial “metamaterials” – composite media with tailored bulk optical characteristics resulting from constituent structures which are smaller than the effective wavelength in the medium.
Here we show how surface-plasmon modes propagating in a stacked array of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguides can be harnessed to yield a volumetric left-handed metamaterial characterized by an in-plane-isotropic index of refraction which is negative over a broad portion of the visible-frequency range. By sculpting this metamaterial with a focused-ion beam, we realize micro-cantilevers which we use to demonstrate, for the first time, a negative radiation pressure. We also predict and experimentally verify a negative “super-pressure” of magnitude significantly greater than the largest photon pressure achievable under normal circumstances – that experienced by a perfect mirror.
[1] V. Veselago, “The electrodynamics of substances with simultaneously negative values of e and m,” Sov. Phys. Usp. 10, 509-514 (1968).
Save the Date. Tuesday, November 17 for a WIO Event
From Amber Young. WIO, Women in Optics, will host Mari Edmund from Edund Optics for a presentation and catered reception. 3:30 p.m. Meinel 821
Save the Date. Wednesday, November 18 for an OSC Potluck Lunch
From Trin Riojas. Potluck (pot luhk) noun. meal to which everyone brings something: a meal to which each participant brings one dish that is shared by everyone.
And everyone's invited! Bring your choice of a main dish, side dish, salad, dessert, or drinks (sorry, non-alcoholic only). We'll get started at noon in Meinel 821. Please sign up with Trin in Meinel 501 or email her at trin@optics.arizona.edu
SOCk Sponsors Team OSC in UA's Club Olympics
Please click on the thumbnail at right for a larger image. Many more photos of the events are posted on SOCk's Web site at http://sites.google.com/site/uasock/
Here's the schedule:
Teams receive points based on a variety of criteria, including attendance and team spirit. If you'd like to show support for Team OSC, please turn out at lunchtime on Friday to cheer for them. If you have an OSC polo or tee shirt, that would be exactly the right thing to wear.
ORA's Robert S. Hilbert Memorial Optical Design Competition is Open
The competition, which honors the memory of Bob Hilbert, former president and Chief Executive Officer of ORA, recognizes excellence in optical design projects completed by students.
To participate, students can enter an optical design class assignment or thesis work that uses CODE V or LightTools. Awards totalling $4,000 will be granted. The entry deadline is June 15, 2010. Winners will be announced in July.
For all the details, including eligibility, rules, and an entry form, please visit http://www.opticalres.com/student/optical_design_competition_f.html
The number of winners varies each year, but is usually from two to four. Since the competition began in 2000, there have been a good number of winners from OSC:
Once Again, BRO Offers Free Software Tutorial to OSC Grad Students
Once again, the good people at Breault Research Organization (founded by former student Bob Breault, OSC PhD 1979, who always remembers our current students with something nice) can accept up to twelve OSC graduate students into their ASAP tutorial on January 6, 7, and 8, 2010 -- at no charge.
A description of the course can be found at http://www.breault.com/training/asap-intro.php
Contact: Michelle White, Breault Research Organization, mwhite@breault.com
Great Memories from Halloween 2009
Juliet Hughes shares a wonderful slide show of our distinguished faculty and gifted students -- thanks Juliet!
You will need PowerPoint to view the slide show. At the end of the presentation, please click the back arrow to return to this newsletter.
Recommended Reading
Kevin is with ORA, Optical Research Associates (the company that sponsors the Robert S. Hilbert Memorial Optical Design Competition mentioned above) and is a long-time OSC Industrial Affiliate representative. He participated in our 2009 Fall Industrial Affiliates Workshop last week. His colleague at ORA, Diane Lieu, brought the blog to our attention -- thank you Diane!
Happy Birthday and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Year
November 10 Lian Jie
November 11 Oscar Herrera (oherrera@optics.arizona.edu)
November 12 Shibin Jiang (sjiang@advaluephotonics.com)
November 13 Joseph Austin (akicita@email.arizona.edu)
November 15 Daniel Bauer (dbauer@optics.arizona.edu)
OSC Calendar
November 5 Colloquium. Jim Burge. 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307
November 6 Sports Friday. 5:30 p.m. Details will be announced via email
November 10 Special Presentation. Wolfgang Heiss. 3:00 p.m. Meinel 821 Arizona Study Abroad Fair. 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. UA Mall Student Exchange Info Session. 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307
November 11 Veterans Day. UA is closed Reid Park Potluck Picnic and Zoo Visit. 11:30 a.m. Reid Park. Ramada #1
On Campus
November 6 Physics Colloquium. PAS 224. At 2:15 a grad student presentation will be announced. At 3:00 p.m. Professor Zsuzsanna Major, Max-Planck-Institute, will present Relatavistic Laser Pulses.
November 9 BME Seminar. 2:00 p.m. Keating 103. Saumya VanderWyst, PhD candidate, will present Structural Basement Membrane Components and Corresponding Integrins in Human Schlemm's Canal Endothelia.
JPL Interview Session. November 9 and 10 Interview dates are subject to change. Please sign up in Room 403
Opto-Mechanical Engineer. Job Description: As an Opto-Mechanical Engineer, you will provide engineering support to senior engineers in the design and development of space and surface opto-mechanical assemblies in support of NASA flight missions. Will be a member of a team comprised of mechanical designers, analysts and technicians to configure, design, build, test and deliver interfaces for the SIM project. Requirements: BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering or Optical Sciences. Familiarity with optomechanical design (optic mounts, optical benches, critical alignments, positioners, etc.). Familiarity with and keen interest to understand and solve optomechanical design problems, perform trade studies, develop design requirements, establish and implement mechanical interface agreements, perform detailed piece-part design and analysis, coordinate fabrication assembly and qualification of spaceflight hardware. Must possess strong communication and interpersonal skills. Working knowledge of control systems and familiarity with a high-end CAD package with stress and thermal analysis tools as applicable to opto-mechanical design desired, but not required.
Optical Engineer. Job Description: As a member of the Interferometry and Advanced Optical Systems, you will perform component tests, assist integration and testing of interferometer prototypes. Will perform work including laser and fiber optics system setup, alignment, and design, environmental test of developed hardware, optical component selection and procurement, and lab report writing. Requirements: BS/MS/PhD in optical sciences or optical engineering. Ability to perform optical experiments and optical system analysis. Familiar with lasers, fiber optics, and optical devices. Coursework in optics, nonlinear optics and photonics. Ability to learn new programming languages and environments. Mastery of at least one programming language for lab instrument control. Able to work in a team environment with good communication skills to peers. Familiarity with standard optical design tools, i.e. Code V highly desirable, but not required.
Electrical Engineer. If you are pursuing a Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate degree majoring in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or similar discipline with a minimum GPA of 3.0, then JPL might be the place for you! Our Electrical Engineers perform work in a variety of areas such as circuit design, circuit simulation, and mixed signal integrated systems implemented in bulk-CMOS, SOI-CMOS and BiCMOS technologies. Interest in working in the development of power management, distribution electronics as well as designing analog/digital electronics. Assist in developing requirements definition as well as integration, testing, and documentation of these designs. Possible primary assignments will be developing power testbeds for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). Subsequent assignments could include supporting the power electronics design development for MSL and other missions. You will work with senior engineers and be responsible for the design, development and delivery of power electronics circuits. Excellent leadership, intellectual curiosity, self confidence, and excellent problem solving and out of the box thinking skills desired.. Demonstrated interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of a team.
Systems/Aerospace Engineer. If you are pursuing a Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate degree majoring in Aeronautics/Astronautics, Aerospace Engineering, Space Systems, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or similar discipline with a minimum GPA of 3.0, then JPL might be the place for you. Our Systems Engineers perform work in a variety of areas such as mission design, mission operations, modeling and simulation, architecting, requirements development, interface development, verification and validation, and risk management. Will practice systems engineering on any of JPL’s flight project products including spacecraft, instruments, ground systems and software across the full project life cycle. Will be responsible for systems engineering products and processes and may perform research and development. Knowledge of one or more of the following technologies is required: Matlab, Labview, Simulink, SysML, C/C++, Java, Visual Basic, Perl, Unix/Linux, TCL-TK, Python, and/or XML. Excellent leadership, intellectual self-confidence/curiosity, communication, problem solving and systems thinking skills are required. Must posses demonstrated interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of a team.
Contact: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109. www.jpl.nasa.gov If you are interested in applying, please email your resume to agarcia@optics.arizona. Deadline to apply is November 5, 2009. At this time we are looking for full time employees.
Students: When you graduate and leave OSC, your subscription to Watt's Up automatically expires. If you would like to continue your subscription, you may add (and later remove if you wish) your name to our Watt's Up listserv by visiting http://www.optics.arizona.edu/helpdesk/listserv.htm
Cathy Alexander Information Specialist Coordinator College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona cathy.alexander@optics.arizona.edu |
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