Student Projects in Optics and Lasers

From the Laser Teaching Center and the
laboratory of Prof. Harold Metcalf (1980-1998)

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Stony Brook University

(Click on student names to learn more about them and their research.
See the WISE programs portion of the web site for many additional projects.)
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 pre-99

 
2011
Yoonji Choe
Wellesley College 		Nitrogen-pumped dye laser NSF-REU Fellow
Benjamin Hart
Stony Brook University 		Spectroscopy Honors College
Bolun Liu
Mission San Jose High School 		Evanescent Waves Simons Fellow
David Meltzer
Stony Brook University 		Diffraction of Optical Vortices NSF-REU Fellow
Gabriele Savaneviciute
Riverhead High School 		Optical Doppler Shifts Simons Fellow
Carrie Segal
Stony Brook University 		Whispering-gallery Modes NSF-REU Fellow
Lauren Taylor
Juniata College 		Characterizing a Blue DPSS Laser NSF-REU Fellow
 
2010
Jacob Chamoun
Cornell University 		Stress-induced birefringence NSF-REU Fellow
Ben Coe
Oneonta High School 		Simulating a Liquid-Mirror Telescope Simons Fellow
Vincent Gregoric
Mount Union College 		Measuring c with an open-cavity laser NSF-REU Fellow
Ewuin Guatemala
Stony Brook University 		Laser Modes and Stabilization
Heather Hill
Duke University 		Observing the Berry-Poncharatnum Phase NSF-REU Fellow
Hannarae Annie Nam
Choate Rosemary Hall 		Laser Mode Conversion Simons Fellow
Pradyoth Kukkapalli
Charter School of Wilmington 		Linear Zone Plates Simons Fellow
Katya Sergan
UC Davis 		Liquid Crystals NSF-REU Fellow
 
2009
Mara Anderson
Dickenson College 		Optical activity NSF-REU Fellow
Steve Butera
Suffolk County Community College 		 
Dennis Chen
Half Hollow Hills West HS 		Evanescent waves
Woody Chuang
Potomac Falls High School 		Evanescent waves  
Ewuin Guatemala
Stony Brook University 		Laser stabilization Lasers course
Shannon Hicks
Stony Brook University 		Wavefront analysis WISE program course
Farha Islam
Stony Brook University 		Microscopy WISE program course
Carolina Jakob
Stony Brook University 		CD/DVD technology WISE program course
Himadri Kakran
Stony Brook University 		Polarized light WISE program course
Josh Lieber
Oyster Bay High School 		Singular optics Simons Fellow
Ethan Solomon
MIT
Justin Tian
Stony Brook University 		Acousto-optics Independent research course
Max Tolkoff
Tufts University 		Diffraction NSF-REU Fellow
Thomas Vidabaek
Stony Brook University 		Guoy phase NSF-REU Fellow
 
2008
John Elgin
Stony Brook University 		Analysis of common optics
techniques and phenomena 		Optics rotation course
Bryce Gadway
Stony Brook University 		Logic gate for OAM states Optics rotation course
Yiwei Li
Phillips Andover Academy 		Polarized light Simons Fellow
Nityan Nair
Hastings High School 		Zone plates
optical vortices 		Simons Fellow
Siemens Finalist
Hamsa Sridhar
Kings Park High School 		Laser mode conversion Laboratory Assistant
Victor Zhao
Ward Melville High School 		Laser stabilization  
Will Weiss
Western Washington University 		Fresnel diffraction NSF-REU Fellow
 
2007
Simone Agha
Herricks High School 		Optical vortices Simons Fellow
Daniel D'Orazio
Juniata College 		Acousto-optics NSF-REU Fellow
Mallory Fischer
Eastern Michigan University 		HeNe lasers NSF-REU Fellow
Ian Goyette
University of Vermont 		Laser modes NSF-REU Fellow
Giovanni Milione
Stony Brook University 		Optical vortices  
Danny Minkin
Portledge School 		Wavefront sensing  
Thien An Nguyen
Stony Brook University 		Optical resonators  
Hamsa Sridhar
Kings Park High School 		Optical vortex tweezers
laser mode conversion 		Simons Fellow
Intel Finalist
 
2006
Karen Cydylo
University of Connecticut 		Optical tweezers NSF-REU Fellow
Maaneli Derakhshani
Stony Brook University 		Sonoluminescence  
Stephanie Golmon
Principia College 		Laser stabilization NSF-REU Fellow
Azure Hansen
Stony Brook University 		Birefringence
Singular optics 		 
Scott Huang
Great Neck North High School 		Optical testing
liquid-drop lens 		 
Michael Kornhauser
University of Rochester 		Photorefractive optics NSF-REU Fellow
Moon Limb
Great Neck North High School 		Polarized light art  
Hamsa Sridhar
Kings Park High School 		Optical tweezers
optical vortices 		 
Matthew Wahl
Northport High School 		Continuous refraction Simons Fellow
Victor Wang
Great Neck South High School 		Optical fiber modes
optical vortices 		Simons Fellow
 
2005
Greg Caravelli
Johns Hopkins University 		Singular optics NSF-REU Fellow
Maaneli Derakhshani
Stony Brook University 		Sonoluminescence NSF-REU Fellow
Ulrike Endesfelder
Stony Brook University 		Optical vortices Optics Rotation course
Lindsey Garay
Oceanside High School 		Wavelength shifts in a GaN laser  
Azure Hansen
Stony Brook University 		Singular optics Laboratory Assistant
Lei Huang
Stony Brook University 		Laser cooling Optics Rotation course
Amol Jain
Herricks High School 		Singular optics Simons Fellow
Jay Jung
Stony Brook University 		Optical vortices Optics Rotation course
Nilus Klingel
Sachem North High School 		Polarized light  
Moon Limb
Great Neck North High School 		Polarized light  
Rebekah Schiller
Stony Brook University 		Acousto-Optics Optics Rotation course
Michal Sokolowski
Stony Brook University 		Fiber optics  
Matthew Whitrock
Kings Park High School 		Laser modes Simons Fellow
Yan Zhang
Stony Brook University 		Optical vortices Optics Rotation course

 
2004
Rajesh Atluri
Herricks High School 		   
Danielle Bourguet
Paul Schreiber High School 		Fresnel zone plates & Talbot effect Simons Fellow
Yiyi Deng
Harvard University 		Laser cooling & trapping NSF-REU Fellow
Melissa Friedman
Stony Brook University 		Laser cooling Laboratory Assistant

Azure Hansen
Stony Brook University

Singular optics

NSF-REU Fellow

Rita Kalra
Stony Brook University

Diode lasers, MOT's

NSF-REU Fellow

Yaagnik Kosuri
Herricks High School

Beam sorting by orbital angular momentum

 

Jose Mawyin
Stony Brook University

Optical waveguides

Laboratory Assistant

Lidiya Mishchenko
Univ. Maryland / Baltimore

Fourier optics

NSF-REU Fellow

Sarah Nichols
Stony Brook University

Optical tweezers

Optics Rotation course

Anirudh Ramesh
Sachem High School

Laguerre-Gaussian trapping

 

James Scholtz
Stony Brook University

Diode lasers, MOT's

 

Hendrik Steigerwald
Stony Brook University

Photorefractive optics

Optics Rotation course

Jan Steinbrener
Stony Brook University

Laser coherence

Lasers course

Eric Tompkins
Stony Brook University

Thin-film interference

MAT in Physics Program

Matthew Whitrock
Kings Park High School

Laser modes

 

Jonathan Wu
Great Neck South High School

Fourier transform spectroscopy

Simons Fellow


 
2003

Doug Broege
Stony Brook University

White Light Interferometry

 

Thomas Cummings
Stony Brook University

Modifying Materials with Light

NSF-REU Fellow

Yiyi Deng
Ward Melville High School

Optical tweezers

Simons Fellow

Maanit Desai
Great Neck North High School

Coherent backscattering effect

Simons Fellow

Sage Farrar
Fishers Island School

Diffuse Reflectance

Simons Fellow

Patrick Franco
Ward Melville High School

 

Laboratory Assistant

Eric Kuflik
Stony Brook University

Diffraction

 

Jose Mawyin
Stony Brook University

Atomic Population Transfer

AGEP Fellowship

Dominik Maxein
Stony Brook University

Laser mode structure

Optics Rotation course

Oleg Polyakov
Ward Melville High School

Optical magnetometry

 

Liz Roberts
Stony Brook University

Holography

Laboratory Assistant

Christian Schmidt
Stony Brook University

Coherent Backscattering Effect

Optics Rotation course

Allison Schmitz
Austin College

The Talbot Effect

NSF-REU Fellow

James Scholtz
Stony Brook University

Diode lasers, MOT's

NSF-REU Fellow

Sandy Xu
Bayport - Blue Point HS

Non-linear optics

Simons Fellow


 
2002

Peter Amendola
Lehigh University

Optical tweezers

Laboratory Assistant

Bob Azmoun
Stony Brook University

Rubidium spectroscopy

MSI Program

Doug Broege
Stony Brook University

Holography

NSF REU Fellowship

Sarah Campbell
Stony Brook University

Fiber optics

Optics Rotation course

Jill Chen
Stony Brook University

Photoluminescence

 

Xin Chen
Stony Brook University

Laser tweezers

Optics Rotation course

Yiyi Deng
Ward Melville HS

 

 

Matthew Eardley
Stony Brook University

Fiber optics

Optics Rotation course

Alex Ellis
Stuyvesant High School

Exotic laser modes

 

Hilary Fleischer
Southside High School

Optical studies of fluids

Simons Fellowship

Greg Hovagim
Miller Place HS / SBU

 

 

Nicole Kon
Stony Brook University

Visual perception

 

Kenneth Lee
Staples HS / Westport CT

Sonoluminescence

Simons Fellowship

Dan Li
Stony Brook University

Laser modes

Optics Rotation course

Evan Marshak
Herricks High School

Optically-stimulated luminescence

Simons Fellowship

Jose Mawyin
Stony Brook University

Non-linear optics

AGEP Fellowship

Matthias Meschede
Amos-Comenius-Gymnasium

Continuous refraction

Visitor

Susan Metz
Stony Brook University

Rubidium spectroscopy

MSI Program

Huijie Miao
Stony Brook University

Fiber optics

Optics Rotation course

Patrick Nuernberger
Stony Brook University

Exotic laser modes

Optics Rotation course

Jennifer Nierer
Stony Brook University

Optics demonstrations

NSF REU Fellowship

Liz Roberts
Stony Brook University

 

Laboratory Assistant

Tanya Sansosti
Stony Brook University

Solar photometry

Optics Rotation course

Owen Smith
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

HeNe laser modes

NSF REU Fellowship

Waldo Szczupak
Ward Melville High School

Optical tweezers

 

Brendan Wyker
University of Missouri

Chaos in lasers

NSF REU Fellowship


 
2001

Peter Amendola
Kings Park High School

Optical tweezers

Simons Fellow

Bob Azmoun
Stony Brook University

Rubidium spectroscopy

MSI Program

Doug Bennett
Stony Brook University

Coherent backscattering effect

Optics Rotation course

Lisa Bjorndal
Stony Brook University

 

Teaching Assistant

Molly Bright
Bayport - Blue Point HS

Mueller matrix imaging

Simons Fellowship

Doug Broege
Stony Brook University

Holography

NSF REU Fellowship

Noah Corwin
Syosset High School

Computer Generated Holograms

Summer Research Institute

Jon Fuchs
Scarsdale High School

Image processing

Scarsdale Senior Options Program

Haijiang Gong
Stony Brook University

Fiber optics

Optics Rotation course

Rohit Gupta
South Side High School

Optical stress analysis

Simons Fellowship

SeungHyun Lee
Stony Brook University

Exotic laser modes

Optics Rotation course

Mirna Lerotic
Stony Brook University

Quantum optics

Optics Rotation course

Enju Lima
Stony Brook University

 

Teaching Assistant

Xueqing Liu
Stony Brook University

Fiber optics

Optics Rotation course

Ming Lu
Stony Brook University

Coherent backscattering effect

Optics Rotation course

Jose Mawyin
Stony Brook University

Quantum optics / CCD's

AGEP Fellowship

Susan Metz
Stony Brook University

Rubidium spectroscopy

MSI Program

Xiyue Miao
Stony Brook University

Fiber optics

Optics Rotation course

Wen Quan
Stony Brook University

Chiral thin films

Optics Rotation course

Amy Roberts
Stony Brook University

Optics demonstrations

Wise Program Mentor

Guy Sisalli
Stony Brook University

Hollow laser beams

RAIRE Fellowship

Paul Tchertchian
St.Francis Preparatory School

Optical tweezers


Jing Wang
Stony Brook University

Fiber optics

Optics Rotation course

Fernando Ziegler
Univ. Texas at Austin

Sonoluminescence

NSF REU Fellowship


 
2000

Bob Azmoun
Stony Brook University

Tunable diode lasers

MSI Program

Dhruv Bansal
The Wheatley School

Hollow Beams

Summer Research Institute

Salvatore Barra
Ward Melville High School

Laser Speckle

Symbol Technologies Fellowship

David Eppenstein
Scarsdale High School

Optical Tweezers

Scarsdale Senior Options Program

Karl Fey
Vestal High School

Single-beam Holography

Simons Fellowship

Christina Hung
Commack High School

Sonoluminescence

  

Victor Kim
Stony Brook University

Stabilization of the
HeNe Laser


Andrew Koller
Brien McMahon High School

Magneto-Optics

Simons Fellowship

Petr Liska
Bridgewater State College

Tunable diode lasers

NSF REU Fellowship

Anne Marie March
Stony Brook University

Rubidium Spectroscopy

Optics rotation program

Michael Polyakov
Ward Melville High School

Photon Migration in Human Tissue
and Its Application to Medical Diagnostics

Symbol Technologies Fellowship

Rachel Ruch
San Francisco State University

Sonoluminescence

NSF REU Fellowship

Alia Sabur
Stony Brook University

Fiber Optics

Young Scholars Program

Tina Shih
Townsend Harris HS / MIT

Generation of 389 nm Blue Light by
Frequency Doubling in PPLN


Chris Wottowa
Kings Park High School

Piezo-Electric Transducers

Symbol Technologies Fellowship


 
1999

Daryl Axelrod
Plainview/JFK High School

Optimal Acoustic Conditions for
Single Bubble Sonoluminescence

Simons Fellowship

Salvatore Barra
Ward Melville High School

Measurement and Analysis of
Laser Speckle Size

Simons Fellowship

Abby Flower
Stony Brook University

Gaussian Beam Optics for
Second-harmonic Light Generation

Optics rotation program

Michael Hofmann
Universität Würtzburg

Experiments with
Single-Mode Optical Fibers

 

Stephanie Lim
SUNY at Albany

Polarization Fluctuations
in the He-Ne Laser

NSF REU Fellowship

Tina Shih
Townsend Harris High School

Doubling the Frequency of Light:
Second Harmonic Generation in
Periodically-Poled Lithium Niobate

Simons Fellowship

Mike Twardos
Rutgers University

A Search for Coherent
Backscattering in Random Media

NSF REU Fellowship

Kally Tzezailidis
Half Hollow Hills HS West

Measuring Polymer Microviscosities
with Steerable Optical Tweezers

Summer Research Institute

John Yoon
Ward Melville High School

A Study of Gaussian Beam Profiles
for Laser Speckle Analysis

Simons Fellowship



 

1998

JooWon Baik
Paul Schreiber High School

Using the Rotating Generator to
Determine Speckle Size

Submitted to Intel STS

Eddie Blumenstetter
West Hempstead High School

Birefringence in Lucite

Simons Fellowship

Marvin Hidalgo
St. Francis Preparatory School

Polarization Changes in a
Michelson Interferometer

Simons Fellowship

Sandra Nudelman
Commack High School

Investigation, Design and Development
of a Single-Trap, Fully-Steerable
Optical Tweezers

Semi-finalist, Intel STS
Simons Fellowship

Alexandra Rockefeller
Stony Brook University

An Ytterbium Doped Fiber Amplifier
For Laser Cooling Experiments

RAIRE Fellowship

Tina Shih
Townsend Harris High School

The Effects of Polarization on the
Output of an Acousto-Optic-Modulator

Simons Fellowship

Roland Stas
Eindhoven Tech. Univ.

Construction of Optical Tweezers
Using a Laser Diode

 


1997

Jennifer Chand
University of Rochester

Sonoluminescence

NSF REU Fellowship

Dennis Simon
Kings Park High School

The Use of Michelson Interferometry
to Detect Mirror Displacement

Simons Fellowship

Jamie Tong
Townsend Harris High School

Factors Affecting Speckle Patterns
and a New Method of Measuring its Size

Semi-finalist, Westinghouse
Science Talent Search


1996

James Caccese
Manhasset High School

The Design of a System
to Measure the Spatial
Properities of a Laser Beam

ONR Apprentice

Long Cai
Ward Melville High School

The Effect of Rotating Fresnel
Zone Plates in X-ray Focusing

Finalist, Westinghouse
Science Talent Search

Mary Carlucci-Dayton
Stony Brook University

Developing a Low Velocity Intense
Source of Rubidium Atoms

RAIRE and URECA
Fellowships

Raymond P. Fliller III
Stony Brook University

Experiments in Sonoluminescence

URECA Fellowship

Kevin Gee
Binghampton University

Single Beam Gradient Force Optical
Trapping of Dielectic Particles

NSF REU Fellowship

Daniel Giambalvo
Kings Park High School

Imaging a Magnetic Field
Through Faraday Rotation

Simons Fellowship
Semi-finalist, Westinghouse
Science Talent Search

Fiona Persuaid
Stony Brook University

Evenescent Microwaves

 

Jamie Tong
Townsend Harris High School

Microwave Experiments on Electromagnetic
Evanescent Waves and Tunneling Effect

ONR Apprentice

Theresa Wang
Mount Sinai HS

Single-Beam Gradient
Force Optical Trap

Summer Research Institute
for High School Students


1995

Erin Davies
Ward Melville High School

Isolating the Acoustic Resonance
and Amplification Necessary
to Reproduce Sonoluminescence

 

Barbara Fayard
Univ. Paris VII

Laser Cooling and the Use of Diode Lasers

 

Raymond P. Fliller III
Stony Brook University

Laser Control

URECA Fellowship

Neena Inam
Caltech

Diode-Laser-Pumped Tunable Solid State LNA Laser

 

Akhil Khashu
Stony Brook University

Sonoluminescence

NSF REU Fellowship

Jens Stenger
Stony Brook University

LNA Laser and Spectroscopy with He*

 


1994

Luke Chuang
Syosset High School

Testing of Electro-Mechanical Properties of a PZT using a Michelson Interferometer

Simons Fellowship

Christoph Gebhardt
Stony Brook University

LNA Laser: A Coherent
Light Source at 1083 nm

 

Roland Hengerer
Stony Brook University

Lasercooling of Rubidium-85
Atoms with Isotropic Light

 

Mihai Negoescu
Stony Brook University

The Frequency Stabilized
Fabry-Perot Cavity

 


1993

Matthijs Knitel
Utrecht University

The Wavelength Meter

 

Erik Metzger
John Glenn High School

Laser Power Meter
Operating Instructions

Simons Fellowship

Aurelio Teleman
Ward Melville High School

Propagation of a Laser Beam with a Spatially Uniform Profile

Simons Fellowship

Steven Van Metre
Lawrence University

Chronological Summary of New LNA Laser Research

NSF REU Fellowship


1992

Arthur Davis
Longwood High School

A High-Power Diode Laser for Rubidium

Simons Fellowship

Cheryl Taborsky
Stony Brook University

The Reflectivity of Spectralon

 

Merrick Tien
Stuyvesant High School

An Investigation of the Divergence Matching Capability of a Hyperbolic Fiber Lens

Simons Fellowship


1991

Steven Sandberg
Ward Melville High School

Diode Laser Narrowing Using a Diffraction Grating

Simons Fellowship


1990

Eugene Chiang
Half Hollow Hills High School

Graphing Program for Force
Coefficient as a Function
of Various Parameters

Simons Fellowship

Dan Downs
Stony Brook University

Ti:Sapphire Laser Results

 

Jonathan Metcalf
Ward Melville High School

Characterization of
a Diode Laser

 

Virginia Youngblood
Ward Melville High School

Using a Diode Laser to Test Anti-Reflection Coatings

 


1989

Tony Aebi
Stony Brook University

Design of a Vacuum
Protection Circuit

URECA Fellowship

Todd Goldman
Ward Melville High School

Aging of Diode Lasers

ONR Apprentice


1988

Dan Downs
Stony Brook University

Optical Properties of LNA Crystals

ONR Undergraduate Fellow


1982

S. Keh

Design of a Wavemeter

 

William Rabinovich
Stony Brook University

Energy Levels of Helium

 


1980

John Devitt
Stony Brook University

An Investigation of the Stark
Effect in Highly-Excited Sodium

 


Laser Center Homepage Last revised: 14 June 2005