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Course Description:
This four-hour course will introduce the novice to the operation of gratings, monochromators, and spectrometers. The course will use a minimum of mathematics, relying instead on providing the fundamental concepts essential to the successful implementation of these frequency-selective devices. The differing frequency scales (gigahertz, Angstroms, inverse centimeters, nanometers, microns, etc.) will be described and compared. The basic operation of gratings will be reviewed, including issues of blaze, holographic gratings, backlash, and resolving power. The implementation of gratings into spectrometers and monochromators will then be addressed, along with their use in practical applications. The Fabry-Perot device will next be discussed, indicating its use for laser frequency analysis. Other spectral analyzing interferometers will be discussed, including the Michelson, the Gires-Tournois, and the Fizeau.  Throughout the course, practical considerations will be emphasized.

Each idea is explained in clear and simple terms with an emphasis on underlying physical principles and with a minimum of mathematics. Pertinent references and review material are identified. The course notes contain copies of each vuegraph used during the day so that participants can spend a maximum amount of time listening and understanding.

Benefits
This course will enable you to:

• Understand how to work in (and convert between) any frequency scale
• Appreciate the properties of a plane grating
• Understand the requirement for "filling the grating".
• Learn how sound-waves can make a spectrometer.
• Understand when to and when to not use slits.
• Understand the operation of the Fabry-Perot interferometer
• Understand why the Dual monochromator does not have better resolution, but why it is useful anyway.
• Apply the Fabry-Perot interferometer to spectral signal analysis
• Apply the Michelson interferometer to measure the coherence length of a given optical signal.
• Select the right spectrometer for your application.

Continuing Education Units (CEU's) available upon request.