On June 26, 2009, the Physics Frontier Center conducted a day-long workshop on optics in the classroom for local-area high school physics teachers, using instructional materials from the Optical Society of America.

The first half of the June 26, 2009 outreach event was devoted to demonstrations and discussion of various techniques to illustrate optical phenomena. The second half involved a tour of Joint Quantum Institute laboratories to see how optics is employed in ongoing research.

Teacher participants: Herb Edelstein, Richard Montgomery High School (Rockville, MD); Christopher Hahn, Linganore High School (Ijamsville, MD); Jasper Layne and Faiz Mohideen, Largo High School (Largo, MD); Sederik Rice, Bowie High School (Bowie, MD); Yau-Jong Twu, Eleanor Roosevelt High School (Greenbelt, MD); and Sarah Wendel, Parkdale High School (Riverdale, MD).

JQI Fellows participating: PFC Co-Directors Luis Orozco (UMD) and William Phillips (NIST), JQI Co-Director Steven Rolston (UMD), and PFC Research Council member Christopher Monroe (UMD).

Other researchers participating: postdoc Steve Olmschenk (Monroe group) and graduate student David Norris (Orozco group).

Bill Phillips (center) works on a demonstration with Sarah Wendel (left) and Faiz Mohideen (right). Steve Olmschenk (right) explains an ion trap experiment to Sarah Wendel (left) and Herb Edelstein (center). Luis Orozco (left) confers with Faiz Mohideen (center) to find the best focus on a two-lens system. Sed Rice (far right) and Jasper Lane (right) look on. David Norris (far left) shows Chris Hahn (center) and Jasper Layne (right) how filters work in his experiment. Steve Rolston (far right) talks about teaching optics. From left: Sarah Wendel, Bill Phillips, Herb Edelstein and Faiz Mohideen. Sarah Wendel works on focusing with two hand-held lenses. Yau-Jong Twu (right) and Sarah Wendel (left) focus their lenses. Bill Phillips (center) works on a demonstration with Sarah Wendel (left) and Faiz Mohideen (right). Steve Olmschenk (right) explains an ion trap experiment to Sarah Wendel (left) and Herb Edelstein (center). Luis Orozco (left) confers with Faiz Mohideen (center) to find the best focus on a two-lens system. Sed Rice (far right) and Jasper Lane (right) look on. David Norris (far left) shows Chris Hahn (center) and Jasper Layne (right) how filters work in his experiment. Steve Rolston (far right) talks about teaching optics. From left: Sarah Wendel, Bill Phillips, Herb Edelstein and Faiz Mohideen. Sarah Wendel works on focusing with two hand-held lenses. Yau-Jong Twu (right) and Sarah Wendel (left) focus their lenses.