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Department of Physics

Physics Research Laboratories

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The Physics Department at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville has several research laboratories devoted to basic and applied studies of problems in laser optics, laser materials, optical thin films, surface physics, and thin film semiconductors.  Students working in these laboratories have access to vacuum coaters, a Perkin-Elmer Lambda 9 UV/VIS/NIR spectrophotometer, a Nomarski interferometer, and related support equipment.  In addition, these laboratories have several desktop computers for data collection and analysis.

The Laser Laboratory is equipped with a Continuum YG660 Nd:YAG laser with harmonic generators that produce nanosecond laser pulses at 1064, 532, 355, and 266 nanometers.  The Nd:YAG Laser is used in conjuction with dye lasers and Raman shifters to generate laser pulses over a broad spectral range.  Principle reseach areas are in the optical properties of impurity doped crystals and glasses, and novel properties of color centers in oxide materials.  On the way is a new high-power Ti:Sapphire system for studies in non-linear optics and ultra-fast phenomena.

The Optical Coating Laboratory has complete facilities for the design, production, and analysis of multiple-layer metal and dielectric thin films.  Students use custom software to design thin film layered structures with novel optical properties.  These components have been used in laser systems, medical diagnostic equipment, and other appliations.  The lab also contains a novel spectrometer for measuring the optical properties of thin films on curved surfaces.  This spectrometer was specially designed to measure the optical properties of the solar visors which are part of the space suit for NASA's Space Shuttle astronauts.

The Semiconductor Laboratory has facilities to produce thin films by evaporation and RF sputtering, measure DC electrical properties, and make electrical noise measurements.  Current investigations focus on the study of indium oxide and indium nitride systems.  On the way is a new laboratory to investigate magneto-optic properties of novel thin films.

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