The Precision Instrumentation Group is focused on research activities to design and implement novel technologies for the next generation of precision instrumentation. Research in the group is multidisciplinary with a heavy emphasis on mechanical, optical, and electrical engineering topics. We are currently working on projects to advance displacement interferometry and make fiber delivered interferometers the new standard for precision measurements, develop frequency stabilized HeNe lasers with high output power and potentially comparable frequency stability to that of iodine stabilized lasers, and high speed signal processing and control systems that easily interface to gigabit standards.

SPIE Optical Engineering and Applications Presentations

June 17, 2013: Two students in the Precision Instrumentation Group have been selected for oral presentations at this year's SPIE Optics and Photonics Symposium from August 25th to the 29th in San Diego, CA. Dennis Briggs will present a paper on "Accurately Measuring the Dynamic Coefficient of Friction in UltraForm Finishing" at the Optical Manufacturing and Testing X Conference on research sponsored by OptiPro. Additionally, Dennis has been awarded a travel scholarship by SPIE to attend the conference.

Also presenting will be Steven Gillmer on his "Design Considerations in a Novel Fiber-Coupled Three Degree-of-Freedom Displacement Interferometer".



Welcome to Our Newest PIG Members!

June 2013: The Precision Instrumentation Group welcomes our newest members Wesley Clawson, Joeseph Lanphear, Koji Muto, and Adalberto Perez! Wesley is a Masters student in the Electrical Engineering Department while Joeseph, Koji, and Adalberto are undergraduate students in the Mechanical Engineering Department.



Spotlight on Optics Article

April 18, 2013: Dr. Ellis has written a comment on OSA's Spotlight on Optics for work published by Fitzsimons and colleagues on "Precision absolute positional measurement of laser beams". Their article discusses the absolute alignment of laser beams for the LISA mission.



32nd Annual Mechanical Engineering Department Roast

April 5, 2013: Several of the PIG members at the 32nd ME Roast!

Richard Smith Masters Thesis Defense

This Thursday, March 28, Richard Smith will be giving his Masters Thesis Defense in Dewey 2-110D at 9am titled "Physical Optics Analysis of a Fiber-Delivered Displacement Interferometer".



NSF Grant Awarded to Study Wavelet-Based Characterization of PNL

February 25, 2013: Researchers at the University of Rochester, UNC Charlotte, and the University of South Carolina have been awarded a collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation to study wavelet-based characterization of periodic errors in displacement measuring interferometry. The project is headed by Professor Ellis (UR, coPI, Lead), Schmitz (UNCC, coPI), and Tarbutton (South Carolina, coPI) and will support a collaborative research program for two years starting August 1, 2013. Details on the award can be found here.



3-DOF Compact Interferometer

Feb 1, 2013: Congratulations to Steve Gillmer on the successful defense of his masters thesis! The title of his thesis is “Development of a Novel Fiber-Coupled Three Degree-of-Freedom Displacement Interferometer.” The interferometer itself is still in the research and development phase, however, a compact working prototype was designed and tested against a commercial system.

Steve Gillmer Masters Thesis Defense

This Friday, February 1st, Steve Gillmer will be giving his Masters Thesis Defense in the Hopeman Conference Room at 1pm.





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