Undergrads show their stuff at FiO research symposium

The Symposium for Undergraduate Research at the annual Frontiers in Optics/Laser Science (FiO/LS) meeting in October 2005, showcased the contributions of the next generation of optical scientists. The students studied various topics including high-order harmonic generation from ultrashort pulses, optical properties of waveguides produced by various techniques, optical characterization of various nano-structures, and improvements to laser technology. In a joint presentation, two students showed the audience time-lapse movies of embryonic development taken with coherence microscopy. The symposium succeeded largely because of the high quality of the undergraduates' talks. The students were all well prepared, informed, and articulate.