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Optics
 Websites presented in alphabetical order Abrasion Holography: Hand-Drawn Holograms 
 This site describes "a technique for drawing holograms directly upon a plastic plate by hand. ... No laser, no isolation table, no darkroom, no expensive film plates. This takes nothing more than a compass and some scraps of plexiglas." Includes a FAQ, discussion, and links to related sites. From an engineer on staff at the University of Washington in Seattle. http://www.amasci.com/amateur/holo1.html Topics: Physics Last updated Jul 11, 2006 Atmospheric Optics
"Light playing on water drops, dust or ice crystals in the atmosphere produces a host of visual spectacles — rainbows, halos, glories, coronas and many more. ... Find out where to see them and how they form." The site includes images and information about light rays and shadows, optical effects created by water droplets, ice halos, and high atmosphere phenomena. From a retired physicist and expert in atmospheric optics. http://www.atoptics.co.uk/ Topics: Physics Last updated May 14, 2009 Causes of Color
Explores the "fifteen causes of color derived from a variety of physical and chemical mechanisms." Features information on vibrations and simple excitations, ligand-field-effect colors, molecular orbitals, energy bands, geometrical and physical optics, colorblindness, how the eye and brain process color, early theories of color, and what animals see. Searchable. http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/ Topics: Physics Last updated Jul 30, 2008 Electron Holography: A New View of Material Structure
This illustrated article contains history of research on holograms, which are 3-D images "formed using specialized optical techniques and coherent visible light (typically from a laser) that illuminates the object of interest." Topics include physicist Dennis Gabor (the "father of holography"), subsequent developments in the field of electron holography, and research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Includes a sidebar article about the HF-2000 Cold Field-Emission Electron Microscope. Some external links are broken. From ORNL. http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev28-4/text/electron.htm Topics: Physics Last updated Feb 13, 2008 How to Build an Invisibility Cloak
This November 2006 feature article reports on the use of new materials to mask objects from visible light to make them appear to disappear. It focuses on research at Duke University, and highlights other attempts at cloaking devices. Includes links to related news stories and websites. From the website for Discover magazine. http://discovermagazine.com/2006/nov/building-invisibility-cloak Topics: Physics Last updated Mar 25, 2007 Invisibility Shields One Step Closer With New Metamaterials That Bend Light Backwards
This August 2008 article describes how "scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have for the first time engineered 3-D materials that can reverse the natural direction of visible and near-infrared light, a development that could help form the basis for higher resolution optical imaging, nanocircuits for high-powered computers, and ... cloaking devices that could render objects invisible to the human eye." Includes illustrations. From University of California, Berkeley, News. http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2008/08/11_light.shtml Topics: Physics Last updated Aug 18, 2008 Light Speed
Companion site to an episode of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Innovation program that "tells the story of fiber optics -- the intricate system of glass and light that carries enormous amounts of information around the world." Features a timeline of fiber optics, a feature on fiber optics and remote surgery, a video clip, and the show transcript. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/innovation/episode7.html Topics: Medical Treatments & Devices, Physics, Technology Last updated Jul 27, 2005 MIT Museum: Holography Collection
Overview of this museum collection that claims to be "the largest and most comprehensive collection of holograms in the world." Find and view hundreds of two-dimensional holographic images by searching "hologram" in the online database. Also includes a glossary defining different types of holograms -- such as computer-generated stereograms, embossed mylar foil holograms, and laser transmissions -- and support options such as film, hard plastic, and metal. From the MIT Museum. http://web.mit.edu/museum/collections/holography.html Topics: Physics Last updated Feb 13, 2008 The Nobel Prize in Physics 1971: Dennis Gabor
Background about Dennis Gabor, who was awarded the 1971 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his invention and development of the holographic method." Provides an autobiography and texts of Gabor's Nobel lecture, presentation speech, and banquet speech. Includes a link to a related article comparing and contrasting Gabor's hologram and 1908 Nobel physics prize winner Gabriel Lippman's "method of reproducing colours photographically based on the phenomenon of interference." From the Nobel Foundation. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1971/ Topics: Notable People, Physics Last updated Feb 13, 2008 Optics for Kids
This site provides an introduction to the field of optics for children and includes interactive demonstrations, instructions for experiments, games, lesson plans, and other resources in various areas of optics (such as magnification, diffraction, filters, and optical illusions). From the Optical Society of America (OSA), a professional membership organization. http://www.opticsforkids.org/ Topics: Lesson Plans, Physics Last updated Jun 9, 2008 Optics for Teens
This site provides an introduction to the field of optics and its applications in science, engineering, and medicine. Illustrated articles cover concepts such as electromagnetic radiation, lenses and mirrors, reflection and refraction, and the human eye. Includes career information, "online laboratories," a section on optical illusions, lesson plans, and related links. From the Optical Society of America, a professional membership organization. http://www.OpticsForTeens.org/ Topics: Diseases & Conditions, Electrical Energy, Lesson Plans, Medical Treatments & Devices, Physics Last updated Nov 4, 2003 Red Sprites and Blue Jets
This site is primarily a description of the University of Alaska research "into middle and upper atmospheric optical and electrical phenomena." It provides a description and images of red sprites and blue jets ("upper atmospheric optical phenomena associated with thunderstorms that have only recently been documented using low light level television technology"), a bibliography, and links to related information. From a professor of physics at the University of Alaska Southeast. http://elf.gi.alaska.edu/ Topics: Physics Last updated Jul 27, 2004 Theoretical Blueprint for Invisibility Cloak Reported
Article about how "researchers at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering and Imperial College London have developed the blueprint for an invisibility cloak." The invisibility cloak would be made of "exotic artificial composite materials called 'metamerials'" and "electromagnetic waves would flow around an object hidden inside the metamaterial cloak." Researchers believe "the cloak could have numerous uses, from defense applications to wireless communications." From the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. http://www.pratt.duke.edu/news/?id=433 Topics: Physics Last updated Jun 6, 2008 |
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