General Infomation The Modern Optics Lab at Eastern Michigan University is designed to integrate teaching and research in a supportive environment while emphasizing hands-on learning of important topics in modern optics. Funded by a grant from the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE-9651149) of the National Science Foundation, the Modern Optics Lab Course (now PHY 444)  was run for the first time during the Fall 1997 semester. Since then it has been offered in Fall 98, 2000, and Winter 2003.  It covers the following topics: the reflection and scattering of polarized light, polarization devices, the characterization of axial and transverse modes of helium-neon lasers, Fourier optics, and holography.