Optics Laboratory for students is operating since 1971. At the urging of Professor Ioannis Spyridelis, in the context of the newly established A’ Physics Chair of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, its members: Konstantinos Manolikas, Georgios Kanellis and Vassilios Anastasiadis developed the first laboratory exercises. These included Geometrical Optics Topics, black body radiation, light interference, light diffraction and others. The laboratory at that time was not an autonomous course, but a part of the optics theoretical course, which was annual.
The laboratory devices were installed in the rooms of the semi-basement of the eastern wing of the old Faculty of Physics and Mathematics building, now known as the Faculty of Sciences, where the staff of the aforementioned A’ Physics Chair was settled. In nearby rooms, research and experimental preparation areas were created for respective research projects. The total number of the students’ laboratories changed throughout its operation, depending on the needs. Today they include seven (7) rooms, one auxiliary room and some preparatory areas.
Optics Laboratory course for students is currently coordinating with the rules that apply to all laboratory courses of the School of Physics and is a compulsory one. The Head of the laboratory course is elected by its members (the teaching staff) for a period of one academic year (two semesters). The development and implementation of the laboratory exercises, as well as the control of the working process is performed by its members. The technical support was provided (at least until a decade ago) by the technical staff (Engineers, Electronics, Electricians, Glassmakers). Nowadays, technical support is almost non-existent and is performed by the teaching staff of the laboratory or paid external technical assistance.
An important contribution to the laboratory was the operation of an independent research team, whose members were involved in Optics, within the framework of the A’ Physics Chair (Optics and Spectroscopy Laboratory of the Department of Solid State Physics). Also directly related to Optics were the research subjects of Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy, whose members actively participated in the teaching of laboratory exercises.
We record the following “three generations” of staff members who have taught in the student laboratory throughout its operation of all teaching grades. In alphabetical order they are:
- Angelakeris Mavroeidis
- Angelopoulos Dimitrios
- Anagnostopoulos Antonios
- Anastasiadis Vasilios
- Apostolidis Apostolos
- Arvanitidis Ioannis
- Asimelis Georgios
- Vanidis Evaggelos
- Ves Sotirios
- Vigka Eleni
- Vouroutzis Nikolaos
- Vyrsokinos Konstantinos
- Gioti Maria
- Efraimidis Anastasios
- Evangelinos Stavros
- Zoiros Elias
- Kampas Konstantinos
- Kanellis Georgios
- Katsikini Maria
- Lioutas Christos
- Logothetidis Stergios
- Manolikas Konstantinos
- Metaxa Chrysoula
- Mpartzokas Dimitrios
- Orfanidis Dimitrios
- Paloura Eleni
- Papadopoulos Dimitrios
- Papagelis Konstantinos
- Parashakis Arsenios
- Sarakinos Ioannis
- Spyridelis Ioannis
- Fragkis Nikolaos
The Optics Laboratory for students, based on what we have briefly mentioned above, has so far completed “half a century” of continuous operation. It trained thousands of students in the field of Optics, a subject of Physics with great interest in terms of its theory and applications. The members of the laboratory strongly believe that they will continue their teaching work creatively for everybody’s sake.