The Institute of Optics
Encyclopedia
The Institute of Optics is a department
and research center at the University of Rochester
in Rochester, New York
. The Institute grants degrees at the bachelors, masters and doctoral
levels through the University of Rochester School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
. Since its founding, the Institute has granted over 2,400 degrees in optics, making up about half of the degrees awarded in the field in the U.S. The Institute is made up of 16 full-time professor
s, 8 professors with joint appointments in other departments, 5 adjunct professors, 12 research scientists, 11 staff, about 100 undergraduate students and about 100 graduate students.
According to the National Research Council
, in its latest ranking of physics departments, the Institute of Optics was ranked 25th in the nation.
and Bausch and Lomb, the Institute is the oldest educational program
in the United States
devoted to optics
. During World War I, many American defense companies relied heavily on German optics. The need for an American based institution of optical training became apparent when the flow of German imports, including optics, attenuated.
The Institute of Optics has long been deeply involved in American optics study and research. The Optical Society of America
was founded in 1916 by 30 optical scientists and instrument makers based in Rochester.
The proximity of Rochester to many optical companies has provided an excellent environment for collaboration with industry, as well as funding for research. These companies include Xerox
, Eastman Kodak
, Corning Glass Works, Bausch and Lomb, and many others.
The Institute of Optics occupied the top floor of Bausch and Lomb Hall from 1931-1977. Currently, the Institute is primarily housed in the Wilmot Building on the River Campus of the University of Rochester; construction began in 1961 with support from NASA
, as well as other buildings and centers, including the Laboratory for Laser Energetics
. Under the guidance of the current director, Professor Wayne H. Knox, the Institute is successfully expanding into the new Robert B. Goergen
Hall for Biomedical Engineering and Optics, which was completed in March 2007 and was dedicated on May 17, 2007.
Academic department
An academic department is a division of a university or school faculty devoted to a particular academic discipline. This article covers United States usage at the university level....
and research center at the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. The Institute grants degrees at the bachelors, masters and doctoral
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
levels through the University of Rochester School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
University of Rochester College of Arts Sciences and Engineering
The College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering is one of the primary units of the University of Rochester, encompassing the majority of the undergraduate and graduate enrollment. The College is divided in the units of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences...
. Since its founding, the Institute has granted over 2,400 degrees in optics, making up about half of the degrees awarded in the field in the U.S. The Institute is made up of 16 full-time professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
s, 8 professors with joint appointments in other departments, 5 adjunct professors, 12 research scientists, 11 staff, about 100 undergraduate students and about 100 graduate students.
According to the National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...
, in its latest ranking of physics departments, the Institute of Optics was ranked 25th in the nation.
History
Founded in 1929, through a grant from Eastman KodakEastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
and Bausch and Lomb, the Institute is the oldest educational program
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
devoted to optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
. During World War I, many American defense companies relied heavily on German optics. The need for an American based institution of optical training became apparent when the flow of German imports, including optics, attenuated.
The Institute of Optics has long been deeply involved in American optics study and research. The Optical Society of America
Optical Society of America
The Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
was founded in 1916 by 30 optical scientists and instrument makers based in Rochester.
The proximity of Rochester to many optical companies has provided an excellent environment for collaboration with industry, as well as funding for research. These companies include Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
, Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
, Corning Glass Works, Bausch and Lomb, and many others.
The Institute of Optics occupied the top floor of Bausch and Lomb Hall from 1931-1977. Currently, the Institute is primarily housed in the Wilmot Building on the River Campus of the University of Rochester; construction began in 1961 with support from NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, as well as other buildings and centers, including the Laboratory for Laser Energetics
Laboratory for Laser Energetics
The Laboratory for Laser Energetics is a scientific research facility which is part of the University of Rochester's south campus, located in Brighton, New York. The lab was established in 1970 and its operations since then have been funded jointly; mainly by the United States Department of...
. Under the guidance of the current director, Professor Wayne H. Knox, the Institute is successfully expanding into the new Robert B. Goergen
Robert B. Goergen
Robert B. Goergen is an American corporate executive, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Blyth, Inc. He is also the founder and chairman of The Ropart Group, a private-equity investment firm. Goergen earned a bachelors degree in physics from the University of...
Hall for Biomedical Engineering and Optics, which was completed in March 2007 and was dedicated on May 17, 2007.
Notable faculty
- Late Professor Leonard MandelLeonard MandelLeonard Mandel was the Lee DuBridge Professor Emeritus of Physics and Optics at the University of Rochester when he died at the age of 73 at his home in Pittsford, New York. He contributed immensely to theoretical and experimental optics...
: Pioneer in the field of quantum opticsQuantum opticsQuantum optics is a field of research in physics, dealing with the application of quantum mechanics to phenomena involving light and its interactions with matter.- History of quantum optics :...
, first demonstrated photonPhotonIn physics, a photon is an elementary particle, the quantum of the electromagnetic interaction and the basic unit of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation. It is also the force carrier for the electromagnetic force...
self interference, discovered the Mandel Formula. - Late Professor Rudolf KingslakeRudolf KingslakeRudolf Kingslake was an eminent academician, lens designer, and engineer.Rudolf Kingslake was born in London, England in 1903. He studied optical design at the Imperial College of Science and Technology, under eminent optical designer and theoretician Alexander Eugen Conrady, and earned a Masters...
: Pioneer in the field of lens design, founding faculty member. - Late Professor Robert E. HopkinsRobert E. HopkinsRobert E. Hopkins was president of the Optical Society of America in 1973.Recognized as an expert in optical instrument design, aspheric optics, interferometry, lasers, and lens testing, Hopkins has been characterized as the “father of optical engineering.”Born in Belmont, MA, in 1915, Hopkins...
: Pioneer in the field of optical engineeringOptical engineeringOptical engineering is the field of study that focuses on applications of optics. Optical engineers design components of optical instruments such as lenses, microscopes, telescopes, and other equipment that utilizes the properties of light. Other devices include optical sensors and measurement...
, former director and founder of Tropel Corporation. - Professor Emil WolfEmil WolfEmil Wolf is a Czech born American physicist who made advancements in physical optics, including diffraction, coherence properties of optical fields, spectroscopy of partially coherent radiation, and the theory of direct scattering and inverse scattering. He is also the author of several works on...
: Pioneer in the field of coherence theoryCoherence theoryIn physics, coherence theory is the study of optical effects arising from partially coherent light and radio sources. Partially coherent sources are sources where the coherence time or coherence length are limited by bandwidth, by thermal noise, or by other effect...
and quantum opticsQuantum opticsQuantum optics is a field of research in physics, dealing with the application of quantum mechanics to phenomena involving light and its interactions with matter.- History of quantum optics :...
, predicted the Wolf EffectWolf effectThe Wolf Effect is a frequency shift in the electromagnetic spectrum.The phenomenon occurs in several closely related phenomena in radiation physics, with analogous effects occurring in the scattering of light. It was first predicted by Emil Wolf in 1987 and subsequently confirmed in the...
. - Professor Robert W. Boyd: Pioneer in the field of non-linear optics.
- Professor Joseph H. EberlyJoseph H. EberlyJoseph H. Eberly is the Andrew Carnegie Professor of Physics and Professor of Optics at the University of Rochester.-Education:Eberly earned his bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D...
: Pioneer in the field of quantum opticsQuantum opticsQuantum optics is a field of research in physics, dealing with the application of quantum mechanics to phenomena involving light and its interactions with matter.- History of quantum optics :...
and former President of the Optical Society of AmericaOptical Society of AmericaThe Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
. - Professor Carlos Stroud: Pioneer in the field of quantum opticsQuantum opticsQuantum optics is a field of research in physics, dealing with the application of quantum mechanics to phenomena involving light and its interactions with matter.- History of quantum optics :...
and Quantum InformationQuantum informationIn quantum mechanics, quantum information is physical information that is held in the "state" of a quantum system. The most popular unit of quantum information is the qubit, a two-level quantum system...
. - Professor James Zavislan: Director of the Center for Institute Ventures
- Professor Lukas Novotny: Pioneer in nano-optics.
- Professor Chunlei Guo: Pioneer in femtosecond laser processing of materials.
- Professor Thomas G. Brown: Director of the Robert E. Hopkins Center for Optical Design and Engineering.
- Professor Wayne H. Knox: Current Director of the Institute of Optics, former Director of the Advanced Photonics Research Department at Bell LabsBell LabsBell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
- Adjunct Professor Ian Walmsley: Co-invented Spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstructionSpectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstructionIn ultrafast optics, spectral phase interferometry for direct electric-field reconstruction is an ultrashort pulse measurement technique.-The basics:...
(SPIDER) while at Rochester, current Chair of the University of Oxford Department of PhysicsUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
Research Areas
- Biomedical opticsBiomedical engineeringBiomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and design concepts to medicine and biology. This field seeks to close the gap between engineering and medicine: It combines the design and problem solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to improve...
- Coherence theoryCoherence theoryIn physics, coherence theory is the study of optical effects arising from partially coherent light and radio sources. Partially coherent sources are sources where the coherence time or coherence length are limited by bandwidth, by thermal noise, or by other effect...
- Fiber optics
- Quantum opticsQuantum opticsQuantum optics is a field of research in physics, dealing with the application of quantum mechanics to phenomena involving light and its interactions with matter.- History of quantum optics :...
- Laser physicsLaser PhysicsLaser Physics is an international scientific journal published by Nauka/Interperiodica. It is distributed through the Springer.-Topics covered:The journal specializes in laser physics, but also publishes papers about:...
- Polarization
- Non-linear optics
- Laser-based nuclear fusionNuclear fusionNuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy...
- NanotechnologyNanotechnologyNanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...