Friday (08/23)
| Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Opening Remarks | |
| Introduction to Geometric Optics | A hands-on introduction to components that students would use in an optics lab. Concepts covered include: Refraction, Reflection, Fermat’s Principle, Lenses, and Mirrors. | |
| Geometric Optics Live Demo (Basics of Lenses, and Mirrors) | A demonstration of how we can use the thin lens equation to find the focus of a mirror or lens. How does a terrestrial telescope work? | |
| Lunch | Provided by OSSP! | |
| Afternoon | The Wave Nature of Light 1 | An introduction to how light can be represented as an electromagnetic wave. This talk first defines the notion of a planewave and how it can be used to model solutions to Maxwell’s Equations. What is interference? |
| Interference of Light Experiment (Michelson Interferometer) | Demonstration of interference in the lab through the construction of a Michelson interferometer. Discussion of fringe spacing. What is the Michelson-Morley experiment and what does it tell us about the theory of relativity? | |
| Evening | Debrief | |
| Career Talk | Learn how you can build a career in optics and photonics from as early on as during your graduate studies, and where working in industry can take you. Details TBA! | |
Saturday (08/24)
| Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Briefing | The wave nature of light, and why it matters to us. |
| The Wave Nature of Light 2 | A continuation of the discussion of interference of light, and the notion of spatial and temporal “coherence”. | |
| Polarization 1 | An introduction to polarization, and polarization states of light. | |
| A Day in the Life of an Optics Researcher | Q&A panel with optics researchers. What does the day-to-day work look like? What do they research? What are current hot topics in optics? | |
| Lunch | Provided by OSSP! | |
| Afternoon | Polarization 2: Waveplates, Polarizers, Birefringence | Representations of polarization using Jones Vectors, and optical components that depend on polarization such as waveplates and polarizers. What is birefringence? |
| Lab Tour and Demonstration: Structured light | Find out how a research lab at UofT bends light in mid-air with the wave nature of light. Details TBA! | |
| Breakout Session | Students will have the opportunity to work together and take a deep dive into an optics topic of their choice. Details TBA! | |
| Evening | Debrief | |
| Dinner | Provided by OSSP! | |
Sunday (08/25)
| Time | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Briefing | Why is diffraction important to imaging? |
| Diffraction | Diffraction and Young’s double slit experiment. Why does light through a slit create fringes? | |
| Diffraction Experiment/Demo | See how diffraction actually works in an experimental demonstration in the lab. | |
| Lunch | Provided by OSSP! | |
| Afternoon | Career Outlook (Invited Panel) | Q&A panel with optics researchers that work in industry. What does life look like compared to academia? What are the pros and cons? |
| Lab tour and Demonstration: Imaging and holography | Learn how a research lab at UofT create holograms, the perfect bridge between the science of optics and art! | |
| Student Showcase | Show us what you learned. Details TBA! | |
| Evening | Closing Remarks | What’s next? |
