Latest revision as of 07:59, 20 June 2016

Applied Optics Group Resources 

This is a list of resources for use within the Applied Optics Group. This can include:

• Internal facilities
• Equipment and instruments (bought on shared funding e.g. SRIF)
• Local expertise
• External facilities (that members of the Applied Optics Group use)

Some of the facilities are "home-built" experiments - cutting edge facilities that may not be available anywhere else in the world, but on the other hand may be tied up/uncalibrated/moth-balled. Others are commercial.

I (Steve) will make a start on this of the things I know about, and some of the things I vaguely know about. Please correct errors and omissions.

Internal Facilities

3D printing

3d_printing

ASOPs dual fs laser system

TBA

Fab Lab

Facility for fabricating samples. You need training to use any of this facility - if you aren't already using it please don't help yourself. Ask someone to show you around and train you on the kit you are interested in.

You also need to keep logs of everything you do in this lab.

Facilities for metal film evaporation/sputtering, photo-lithography and general chemical procedures that require working under a fume-cupboard and a clean-ish environment.

• Location: SiOS Labs
• Contact: Matt Clark or Leo Marques

!!! Please Keep Clean at all times !!!

• The Lab is equipped with:
  • Edwards 306A evaporator with 6 sources
  • Emitech K575XD sputter coater with 2 sources
  • Carbolite oven
  • Cobilt mask aligner
  • Spin coater
  • Decent scales
  • Zeiss Microscope with camera

When using the equipment (sputter coater/mask aligner/evaporator) please complete the log books and indicate your supervisor.

Fab Lab pages

Soldering and minor metalworking

Pillar drill (fairly crap), small bench vice, hand files, hacksaw, clamps etc.

Temperature-controlled soldering iron

Various PSUs, signal generators and scopes - all old

Stock components (resistors, fuses, cables, wire, plugs/sockets/connectors etc)

• Location: Tower 201 (Applied Optics Main Lab)
• Contact: Steve Sharples (for missing bits of equipment)
• Extra info:
  • Make sure you know what you're doing and how to operate the drill. Seek instruction if you're unsure. Don't take risks. Wear safety goggles (should be some nearby). Set the drill speed appropriately. Unplug the drill from the wall when moving the belt between pulleys. Clamp things down when drilling them (use the brush not your hands).
  • Tidy up after yourself - especially bits of metal after drilling.
  • Replace what you use: solder, solder wick, wire, stock components, anything.
  • If you see some old equipment and notice the electrical testing label has expired, get it PAT tested in the stores - it only takes a few minutes.
  • Switch everything off at the plug after you've used it - especially important for the soldering iron.

O-SAM

Description needs completing

• SRAS: surface microstructure imaging, using surface acoustic wave (SAW) velocity as contrast mechanism
• Coating thickness measurement (again using SAW velocity)
• Surface defect detection (cracks, delamination)

• Location: Tower 303 and 306 (Laser Ultrasound Labs)
• Contact: Steve Sharples (for missing bits of equipment)
• Extra info:

Scanning tank

• Ultrasonic scanning tank
• 6-axis
• 2 axes may be scanned simultaneously
• Panametrics 35MHz pulser-receiver
• Range of focused and plane beam transducers
• Agilent DSO8010A oscilloscope for acquisition
• Uses c_scan running under Linux for control and acquisition

• Scanning Tank detailed instructions

• Location: Tower 201 (Applied Optics Main Lab)
• Contact: Steve Sharples
• Extra info:

Equipment and Instruments

Posh Zeiss Microscope

Description needs completing

PC-controlled, with eye-pieces and CCD camera. Can reportedly stitch several images together. Illuminate from above. Lots of fancy stuff...

• Location: SIOS fab lab.
• Contact: Richard Smith and Leo Marques
• Extra info: bring a USB stick as this machine is not on the network

Old Olympus Microscope

Olympus optical microscope, fairly old, but quite good. Optical only - although has a port for attaching a camera, think it's some sort of old Olympus manual SLR fitting. Manual focus and manual x-y. Illuminates top and bottom, has some ND filters, facilities for phase contrast, Nomarski prism.

• Location: Tower 201 (Applied Optics Main Lab)
• Contact: No-one really. Turn up and use it. If it's faulty, ask around or get it fixed yourself.
• Extra info:
  • There are 2 plugs. One powers the lower lamp, the other the top lamp. Top lamp is controlled by the external box that sits next to the microscope (switch on the side, use the knob to control brightness).
  • Switch the plugs off at the wall after use.
  • Put the eye-piece covers back on, and (after the microscope has cooled down) replace the dust cover.

Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)

Description needs completing

• Location: SIOS fab lab
• Contact: Leo Marques
• Extra info:

Polytec Laser Vibrometer

Polytec single-point vibrometer comprising:

1. OFV-5000 Modular Vibrometer Controller
2. OFV-534 Compact Sensor Head
3. VD-02 velocity decoder (DC-1.5MHz)
4. DD-300 displacement decoder (50kHz-24MHz)

• Total range <1Hz - 24MHz
• Calibrated output (convert volts to actual displacement)
• Internal CCD camera so you can see what you're scanning

• Location: usually 201 on the scanning tank, sometimes SiOS
• Contact: Steve Sharples
• Extra info:
  • Includes a couple of Mitutoyo objectives (x10 and x20) for very small spot size (useful for MEMs etc)
  • Includes a 15" flat screen TV for the internal CCD camera
  • Laser is class 2 (He:Ne) <1mW but don't look into the beam and follow all the usual precautions

Agilent 4GHz Oscilloscope

Agilent Infiniium 80404B Oscilloscope

• 4 channels
• 4GHz analogue bandwidth
• 40/20GSa/s (2/4 ch)
• Extra waveform memory (2Mpts)
• 50 Ohm inputs; 2 adapters available to convert 2 inputs to 1M Ohm.
• Matlab module

• Location: Usually one of the Laser Ultrasound Labs (303-307)
• Contact: Steve Sharples or whoever's lab it's in
• Extra info:
  • Sensitive inputs: they may look like regular BNCs, but if you start shoving 10V into them you're going to end up with a very large repair bill and will probably get a bollocking. Maximum voltage is written on the scopes. Use the 1M Ohm adapters if you need to look at bigger voltages (or have a high input impedance) but even with these the range of voltages that it can cope with is limited.
  • There is a Matlab module installed - I've never used it, but it might be useful
  • Grabbing data:
    • Windows: see the Agilent web site I guess
    • Linux: see this wiki page about installing agetwf (or install c_scan for more complex acquisition)

Tektronix MSO4034 Mixed Signal Oscilloscope

Tektronix MSO4034 mixed signal oscilloscope

• 4 analogue channels
• 16 digital channels
• 350MHz analogue bandwidth
• 2.5GSa/s
• 10Mpts waveform memory

• Location: Tower 201 (Applied Optics Main Lab)
• Contact: Steve Sharples
• Extra info:
  • This has lots of bit with it, for the digital inputs, in addition to the usual manuals, installation CDs etc. Keep them all in the supplied bag and don't lose them
  • Grabbing data:
    • Windows: see the Tek web site I guess, or the installation CD
    • Linux: see this wiki page about installing tgetwf (or install c_scan for more complex acquisition)

Laser Beam Profiler

Newport LBP-2-USB laser beam profiler

• Location: Tower 201
• Contact: Steve Sharples or Richard Smith
• Extra info:
  • Runs under Windows XP
  • Installation:
    • Install software first
    • Plug profiler into USB dongle
    • Plug PSU brick into USB dongle
    • Plug PSU brick into AC adapter (has US plug) and turn on mains
    • Plug USB dongle into PC

Optical (Thermal) Power Meter

Gentec XLP-12 Thermopile-based optical power meter

• Location: usually Laser Ultrasound Labs (303-307). Possibly 201.
• Contact: Steve Sharples or whoever's experiment it's sat on
• Extra info:
  • Sensitivity ~1mW to ~2W
  • Works fine with mode-locked (e.g. femtosecond), Q-switched (Nd:YAG) and CW lasers (long time constant)

High Frequency Lock-in Amplifier

SR844 high frequency lock-in amplifier

• 25 kHz to 200 MHz frequency range
• 80 dB dynamic reserve
• Time constants from 100 µs to 30 ks (6, 12, 18 or 24 dB/oct rolloff)
• "No Time Constant" mode (10 to 20 µs update rate)
• Auto-gain, -phase, -reserve and -offset
• Internal or external reference
• Two 16-bit DACs and ADCs
• GPIB and RS-232 interfaces

• Location: usually Tower 304 (Ultrafast Lab)
• Contact: Richard Smith
• Extra info: MATLAB Instrument Control Toolbox driver available. Will be available on Mathworks File Exchange. Until then, contact Alkis Tsapanidis

Ultrasonic Pulser-Receiver

Olympus (formerly Panametrics) 5072PR Ultrasonic Pulser-Receiver

• 35MHz bandwidth
• Spike excitation

• Location: CBS
• Contact: Melissa Mathers
• Extra info:

Signal Generators

• 2x Marconi 2019A 2U Rack Mount
  • 80kHz - 1040MHz sine wave generation with.
  • 10Hz resolution up to 520MHz, 20Hz above.
  • -127 to +13dBm output with 0.1dBm resolution.
  • 50Ohm Type-N RF output connector.
  • Keypad control interface.
  • GPIB.
  • Amplitude, frequency and phase modulation.
    • External modulation input.
    • Internal modulation oscillator running at 300Hz, 400Hz, 500Hz, 1kHz, 3kHz or 6kHz.
  • Location: Tower 201 (Applied Optics Main Lab), left cupboard on the right hand side of the lab.
  • Marconi 2018/9A manual

• 2x Marconi 2022C
  • 10kHz - 1040MHz sine wave generation.
  • 10Hz resolution up to 100MHz, 100Hz above.
  • -127 to +13dBm output with 0.1dBm resolution.
  • 50Ohm Type-N RF output connector.
  • Keypad control interface.
  • One of them has GPIB.
  • Amplitude, frequency and phase modulation with external modulation input.
  • Location: Tower 201 (Applied Optics Main Lab), left cupboard on the right hand side of the lab.
  • Status: As of the 20th of April, these are in the hands of the technicians for repairs.

• Marconi 2022D
  • 10kHz - 1040MHz sine wave generation.
  • 10Hz resolution up to 100MHz, 100Hz above.
  • -127 to +13dBm output with 0.1dBm resolution.
  • 50Ohm Type-N RF output connector.
  • Keypad control interface.
  • GPIB.
  • Amplitude, frequency and phase modulation.
  • External modulation input or internal modulation oscillator running at 400Hz, 1kHz or 3kHz.
  • Location: Tower 1003 (Applied Optics VLSI Systems Lab), on top of the cupboard on the left. Ask someone in there about it.

The manual for the Marconi 2022E seems to cover the functions for the C and D models. Marconi 2022E manual.

• Wavetek Model 180
  • .1Hz to 2MHz.
  • Sine, square or triangle wave.
  • 50mV to 20V output.
  • 50Ohm and TTL pulse outputs.
  • Adjustable DC offset.
  • 1000:1 adjustable frequency sweep.
  • VCG input and GCV output.
  • Location: Tower 1003 (Applied Optics VLSI Systems Lab), on top of the cupboard on the left. Ask someone in there about it.

• Leader Electronics 17A
  • 100kHz to 150MHz.
  • 100MHz to 450MHz harmonic.
  • Internal (1KHz) or external AM.
  • Location: Tower 1003 (Applied Optics VLSI Systems Lab), on top of the cupboard on the left. Ask someone in there about it.

Ocean Optics USB Spectrometer and bits

• Ocean Optics USB2000
  • 450-750nm grating.
  • ~0.13nm wavelength resolution.
  • 250:1 SNR (at full signal)
  • 12-bit ADC
  • 3.2 RMS counts dark noise
  • 2 x 10^8 system dynamic range, 1300:1 for a single acquisition
  • 3 ms to 65s integration time.
  • USB bus powered.
  • Ocean Optics HL-2000-FHSA light source.
  • Ocean Optics reflection/backscatter probe.
  • Contact: Alkis Tsapanidis
  • Location: Tower 1004.
  • Extra Info: 32-bit version Windows *required*, we have no licence for the 64-bit driver. Can use a stand-alone application or a direct driver for acquisition. MATLAB driver wrapper and user interface available.

Optical Choppers

• Thorlabs MC1000A
  • 25Hz to 1kHz chopping with one blade.
  • <100pp frequency drift.
  • RS232 control.
  • Location: Tower 1004.
  • Contact: Steve Morgan.

• New Focus 3501
  • GPIB
  • Location: Tower 201 (Applied Optics Main Lab), left cupboard on the right hand side of the lab.

Light Sources

• Oriel 77501
  • 100 W quartz tungsten halogen lamp
  • 11mm fibre ferrule connector.
  • 6mm spot size.
  • Variable voltage.
  • Adjustable iris.
  • Manual shutter.
  • 1" round filter holder.
  • Location: Tower 1004.
  • Contact: Alkis Tsapanidis.

• Ocean Optics HL-2000-FHSA light source.
  • 7W Tungsten Halogen lamp.
  • SMA 905 connector.
  • Adjustable iris.
  • Electronic shutter.
  • Filter holder.
  • Location: Tower 1004.
  • Contact: Alkis Tsapanidis.

Other stuff

• Blackstar 4503 Intelligent Multimeter
  • GPIB and RS232.
  • Needs calibration.
  • Location: Tower 1003 (Applied Optics VLSI Systems Lab), on top of the cupboard on the left. Ask someone in there about it.

• Hatfield 2105 50Ohm Co-axial step attenuator.
  • Switchable attenuation levels (4x20, 1x10, 1x5, 2x2 and 1x1dB).
  • Max 0.5W.
  • Location: Tower 1003 (Applied Optics VLSI Systems Lab), on top of the cupboard on the left. Ask someone in there about it.

Dell 12" Laptop

Dell Latitude D430 12" Laptop

• Standard UoN "PC Contract" Notebook
• Core 2 Duo CPU
• 2GB memory
• Docking station contains DVD RW (no DVD on laptop itself)
• WiFi, ethernet and modem
• SD card reader
• Windows XP SP3
• MS Office 2003 SP3
• Location: Tower - see Steve (or you should already know)
• Contact: Steve Sharples
• Extra info:
  • Kensington lock should be used when left around the lab
  • Bag and USB mouse available
  • Set up with static (optics) IP on ethernet, and DHCP (roaming/UoN) on WiFi

Apple Macbook Laptop - cracked screen

Apple Macbook laptop, 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo processor. Has a cracked screen, making it pretty much unusable as a laptop. Now pensioned off to desktop duties.

• Apple Keynote: presentations
• Apple Pages: word processor
• MS Office 2003 for Mac (runs slow as it's the PowerPC version and runs under interpreter)
• QuickTime Pro: encodes movies and animations (possibly the most useful thing it does nowadays)
• Location: Tower 305 (Laser Ultrasound Labs foyer)
• Contact: Steve Sharples

Local Expertise

This section to be filled in another day.

External Facilities

Ground floor workshop

Physics fabrication and coating facilities

Talk to Teti Stratoudaki or Jing Zhang