Laboratory for Education and Applications Prototypes, (LEAP) at BSU is housed in a new, state-of-the-art $98.7 million LEED-certified Science and Mathematics Center in the fall of 2011. The 213,000 sq. ft. building provides state of the art teaching and research spaces, including ~$8M in new equipment and instrumentation.
Our program uses 6 highly equipped labs for research and teaching of our Physics and recently created Photonics and Optical Engineering degree programs: Laser cooling and trapping for atomic and quantum optics, Optical tweezer lab for biological, DNA and cancer studies, Modern Physics and Advanced Labs experiments lab, Electronics lab, and, both new in 2021, an Optics and Fiber Optics teaching lab and a Photonics and Optics Engineering Research Lab (meeting, chem prep and research optical spaces). In addition, we have a well-equipped Academic Machine shop and Maker Space labs for machining, 3-D printing and other fabrication needs.
Lab Equipment Overview Photonics and Optical Engineering Degrees
Photonics and Optical Engineering
Our Photonics and Optical emphasis, as part of the MA LEAP system, includes electro-optical characterization and design of materials and photonic integrated chip (PIC) components, semiconductor laser sources, ultrafast and high-power optical characterization, and educational quantum optics and technologies thanks to MA-based awards and internal BSU matching of $3M.
LEAP at BSU experiences include on-chip characterization of PIC components (such as ring resonators) using tunable sources with power (photodiode) detection and spectral analysis (Optical Spectrum Analyzer), laser source characterization that includes power-current—voltage and power-wavelength measurements, and creation of entangled photon pairs using nonlinear light-matter interactions.
LEAP at BSU and our other programs work toward industry and manufacturing photonic and optical needs covering for examples lasers, fibers, optical gratings, materials, semiconductor sources and fundamental aspects for quantum technologies.
BSU's history as a strong teachers’ college (K-12) goes back to its founding in 1840. BSU’s more recent 20-year history is highlighted, in addition, by success creating workforce in photonics and optics that includes, photonics and optical engineers, physicists, technicians, and software specialist. BSU’s programs have also been recognized nationally for its strong graduation rate and the University in its entirety as a top institution nationally recognized for undergraduate research which has translates to outstanding graduates for MS and Ph.D. programs in photonics and optics and other related fields.
The LEAP at BSU is busy each day:
- Photonics and Optical Engineering four-year BS degree program (5 to 10 majors per year once established) is underway now and includes courses that use the LEAP such as PHOE 323 Optical Engineering, PHO 330 Fiber Optics Communication, PHOE 403 Semiconductor Devices, PHOE 430 Laser Engineering, PHOE 450 Photonic Integrated Chip Design, PHOE 452 Photonics Integrated Circuit Testing and Characterization, PHOE 456 Non-Linear Optics, PHOE 465 Quantum Optics, Senior Design, Capstone and Machine shop.
- Ten current undergraduate research programs using BSU internal funding programs and external funding sources such as NASA Space grant.
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Bootcamp series with MIT and other LEAP universities are underway now at BSU with a current cohort of twelve.
- Technician training programs (cohort is eleven).
- BSU is active in many other areas related to local and national groups such as ALPhA, a national organization promoting advanced lab experiments, and will host a New England Regional Meeting of ALPhA showcasing photonics in physics and engineering curriculum that will be hands on with LEAP equipment in our LEAP spaces.
The training happening at LEAP at BSU extends from K-12 teachers (therefore into the next generation of our future economic developers and drivers), to local and nationally in-demand highly skilled and experienced work force, to those on the cutting edge of new technologies in graduate schools and National Laboratory programs influencing the entire ecosystem locally to nationally.