Iain S. Mauchline

Photonics laboratory experiments for modern technology-based courses

The modern photonics and optical communications industries have placed ever increasing demands on the supply of skilled graduates who are competent in the design, installation and operation of photonics systems. In response to this demand, we have developed a range of photonics laboratory teaching experiments to support accompanying lecture courses by underpinning fundamental principles with hands-on experimental experience. These systems enable students and trainees to investigate experimentally the basic principles, characteristics, and design of optical waveguides, optical communications systems, optical amplifiers and fault location techniques for optical networks, with additional scope for open-ended investigation of real technical issues such as mode spectrum analysis in optical waveguide and optical pulse dispersion/bit rate limits in fiber communications systems. The educational and overall system design philosophies, hardware,and experiments are reported in this paper.

Large scale multiplexing a point sensor for methane gas detection

This paper has reported the design and installation of a highly multiplexed (45 point) methane gas detection system using single mode fibre optics linked to remote miniature open path absorption cells interrogated by a single DFB laser diode configured for frequency modulation spectroscopy. To our knowledge this is the first such system to be site tested. The system operates over a wide area with total link lengths from source to detector extending up to about 6 km and has proved to be rugged and stable through the operating conditions on an active methane gas producing landfill site. Initial results on a small scale trial system give optimism for future reliability and the system behaviour will continue to be closely observed. It also seems very probable that the data obtained from continuous positioning will give new insights into site dynamics. Within its present configuration the system could be readily extended to address 64 points though we believe that, for this application, a 128 point system is totally feasible and a 256 point system may be achievable.

Photonics laboratory teaching experiments for scientists and engineers

In response to industrys need for scientists and engineers skilled in the design, manufacture and operation of photonics systems, Strathclyde University and OptoSci Ltd. have developed a suite of Photonics Educator Kits, which enable students to experimentally investigate all of the major technical features, principles and design issues of optical waveguides, optical communications systems, erbium doped fiber amplifiers and lasers. To support these applications experiments we have recently added a range of kits enabling students to experimentally investigate the basics of physical optics covering reflection, refraction, polarization, diffraction, coherence and interference. In this paper, we will describe the educational objectives and the design philosophies behind the development of these kits. To illustrate these, full details of the experimental procedures, the results and the benefits to the student will be discussed for the recently upgraded optical communications kit and the erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) system, in particular addressing the crucially important noise characteristics of optical amplifiers.

Student laboratory experiments on erbium-doped fiber amplifiers and lasers

The Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) has now replaced optoelectronic repeaters as the primary design option for extending the range and capacity of the Worlds fiber optic telecommunication systems. In a broader sense, optical amplifiers are the basis of all lasers. It is therefore essential that students of science and engineering have a broad appreciation of, and practical familiarity with, optical amplifiers in general, EDFAs in particular and their applications in lasers. To achieve these objectives, Strathclyde University in collaboration with OPTOSCI LTD. have developed an EDFA/Laser educator kit which enables students to experimentally investigate the gain and noise characteristics of an EDFA, including issues such as signal and pump saturation, gain efficiency, amplified spontaneous emission and optical beat noise. With a simple extension to the basic amplifier kit the students are able to construct an erbium doped fiber ring lasers and to investigate its power characteristics (threshold and slope efficiency) as a function of output coupling ratio and intra-cavity loss. The experimental objectives, design philosophies, hardware, experimental procedures and results will be examined in detail in this paper.

Practical bit error rate measurements on fibre optic communications links in student teaching laboratories

In this paper we describe the principles and design of a fibre optic communications teaching package and a cost effective extension module to this kit which enables students to investigate the effects of noise, attenuation and dispersion on the bit error rate at the receiver of laser and LED based digital fibre optic communication systems.

Practical Introduction to Optical WDM Components and Systems in Student Teaching Laboratories

In this paper we describe a new family of teaching packages designed to offer a practical introduction for graduate students of Science and Engineering to the topic of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) in fibre optics. The teaching packages described here provide students with the background theory before embarking on a series of practical experiments to demonstrate the operation and characterisation of WDM components and systems. The packages are designed in a modular format to allow the user to develop from the fundamentals of fibre optical components through to the concepts of WDM and dense WDM (DWDM) systems and onto advanced topics covering aspects of Bragg gratings. This paper examines the educational objectives, background theory, and typical results for these educational packages.

OptoSci educator kits: an immediate solution to photonics teaching laboratories

The burgeoning growth of the worldwide photonics and optical communications industry has imposed ever increasing demands on the supply of suitably skilled engineers and scientists who can design, install and operate modern photonics systems. In recognition of this need OptoSci, in collaboration with university academics, has commercially developed a series of hardware based teaching packages in optics, optoelectronics and optical communications. Each educator kit is fully self-contained, including all of the optoelectronic hardware and comprehensive literature support. This saves the academic tutor considerable development time and enables the kits to be immediately installed in the photonics teaching laboratory to support accompanying lecture courses. A fundamental design objective of our educator kits is to provide students with hands-on practical experience of photonics components, instruments and systems and allow them to investigate essential physical principles and key technical issues relevant to their lecture courses. This paper will outline the design philosophy behind the products to meet the desired educational aims, and then examine the specific educational objectives and topics investigated in each educator kit.

Engineering the redistribution of power in an erbium-doped superfluorescent fibre source

We demonstrate a novel method for equalising the spectra of erbium doped superfluorescent fibre sources in the double-pass forward configuration. The equalising technique uses novel single-mode fibre to planar waveguide filters in a double-pass forward superfluorescent source to smooth the output spectrum. The insertion loss of the filter device used in this paper is <0.9dB but insertion losses of 0.2dB are typical. The unfiattened double-pass forward superfluorescent source with 108.5mW pump power has an output power of <30mW, 44.2% of the quantum efficiency and a 3dB linewidth of 5.43nm. The equalised DPF SFS with 108.5mW pump power has an output <30mW, 44.85% of the quantum efficiency, a 3dB linewidth of 31.26mn with a small ~0.936dB ripple. The overall gain flattened spectral density is increased from 468.6μW/nm to 887.8?W/um in the lSSOnm region.

Optoelectronic laboratory experiments for modern-technology-based courses

To satisfy the growing skilled manpower demands of the modern optoelectronics industry, Strathclyde University in collaboration with OptoSci Ltd have developed a range of optoelectronic laboratory experiments to provide the hands on practical training required by engineers and scientists who will be involved in the design, installation and operation of optoelectronic systems. The hardware and experimental procedures developed so far enable students and trainees to investigate the basic principles, characteristics and design of optical waveguides, optical communications systems, fault location techniques for optical networks and optical amplifiers. The experiments have been designed with the constraints of academic teaching budgets firmly in mind but still enable the investigation of real technical issues such as mode spectrum analysis in optical waveguides and optical pulse dispersion/bit rate limits in fiber communications systems. The design philosophies, hardware and experiments are examined in this paper.