"Optics is the field of sciences and engineering encompassing the physical phenomena and technologies associated with the generation, transmission, manipulation, detection and utilization of light".
(Ref. "Harnessing light: Optical Science and Engineering for the 21st century", National Academy Press 1998, ISDN 1-800-624-6242").
The expertise in applied optics comes from the development of laser techniques for fundamental research in atomic physics.
Progressively, this new activity has focused on questions driven by industrial applications. As an example, pioneered study
of interferometry with tunable laser diodes and photorefractive crystals was carried out in the 90s. Today the activities are
grouped in four main research topics: