Quantum technology is an emerging field of physics and engineering and important applications are expected in quantum computing, quantum sensing, quantum cryptography, quantum simulation, and quantum metrology. Thus the need for education in this field is increasing, while still remaining challenging. While the need for basic education in quantum…

We constructed a low-cost experimental kit consisting of a compact 532-nm diode laser, optics, and optomechanical components that arrange on a small honeycomb breadboard. The kit is flexible enough to construct five typical wave optic experiments, e.g., double-slit interference, Michelson and Mach-Zehnder interferometers, diffraction, and Malus's…

In an earlier contribution in "Physics Education" (Bitzenbauer and Meyn 2020 "Phys. Educ." 55 055031 [see EJ1263541]), we presented a new teaching sequence on quantum optics on the secondary school level, and we reported on promising results of a first pilot study concerning its learning effectiveness. In the sense of…

Animations are widely used in today's science classrooms. Therefore it is very important to explore under which conditions animations are most effective. In earlier studies it has been generally shown that the effectiveness of instruction largely depends on management of cognitive load. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of…

Contribution: Prior studies indicate that students experimenting with characterization of optical planar waveguides use expensive ready-made prism couplers without clear understanding about construction of the entire optical measurement system. This paper presents a cost-effective modified bright-mode prism coupler that helps students learn…

Recent and exciting discoveries in astronomy and cosmology have inspired many high school students to learn about these fields. A particularly fascinating consequence of general relativity at the forefront of modern cosmology research is gravitational lensing, the bending of light rays that pass near massive objects. Gravitational lensing enables…

In order to increase scientific literacy and the knowledge of science and technology of Europe's citizens, the European Commission suggests a more student-centred implementation of natural sciences in education systems. Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is not only an accepted method to promote students' interest and motivation, it also helps students…

Describes the construction of a 17th-century telescope using old lenses and compares observations using this instrument with Galileo's observations. Describes experiments with modern eyepieces, the educational value of the activity, and given recommendations for construction of similar telescopes. (JN)

Describes construction of a pinhole camera with simple materials and five experiments to be conducted, as well as instructions in creating a working camera obscura. (BR)

Traces the history of the so-called optical theorem in scattering theory from its beginning over 100 years ago to recent applications of its generalizations. (MLH)

Describes an undergraduate experiment which uses derivative spectroscopy to investigate the validity of the Planck function appearing in the blackbody radiation law. These measurements allow a critical examination of this function and also serve as an introduction to derivative spectroscopy techniques. (Author/HM)

Presents two methods for measuring the index of refraction of glass or lucite. These two methods, used in the freshman laboratory, are based on the fact that a ray of light inside a block will be refracted parallel to the surface. (HM)