Optics education within engineering at University College Dublin

Abstract

Undergraduate students within many of the departments which make up the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at University College Dublin meet optics, optical inspection techniques and opto-electronics at various times during their standard four year undergraduate degree course. As well as optics fundamentals taught as part of their physics courses, engineering courses specifically concerning optics and opto-electronics are available. Furthermore many graduate students are involved in either projects, which are completely optics based, or carry out research projects involving the use or development of specific optical instruments. These projects include the development of image processing capture and processing software, high power laser machining of materials, design and testing of lasers for fiber optic telecommunication and sensing applications and photochemistry. In this paper we offer a brief review of some of the main optical educational themes covered within our faculty and present some details regarding a few optics based postgraduate research projects.