The Electro-Optics Research Laboratory (EORL) within the Klipsch School of Electrical & Computer Engineering at NMSU conducts graduate-level research and development on topics ranging from imaging, remote sensing, laser communications, laser beam control, astronomical instrumentation and micro-optical sensors. Although the EORL was established in 2001, it is a continuation of the NMSU optics program founded by Dr. Mike Giles in the early 1980s.

The principle investigators for the EORL are Dr. David Voelz and Dr. Sang-Yeon Cho, who are faculty in the Klipsch School. The work force for the EORL is our students &ndash we typically employ 6-8 MS students and 2-3 PhD students.The EORL facilities include 5 laboratories in the Goddard Annex and 3 teaching labs in Thomas and Brown Hall. We have computer systems for running simulations and Zemax ray trace code, an interferometer for surface measurement, various imaging and spectral measurement equipment, and a variety of optical sources, sensors and opto-mechanical equipment.

Sponsors for our research include the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the National Geospatial-intelligence Agency (NGA), the Army research Laboratory (ARL) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

We present our research work at SPIE (Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers) and OSA (Optical Society of America) meetings and publish results in a variety of journals.

EORL students have the opportunity to take courses involving optics and related subjects in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics, Chemistry and Astronomy. Excellent cooperation among departments provides each student with different, but complementary, perspectives. Student/teacher interaction is an integral aspect of the graduate student's experience at NMSU. Much work is done on a one-on-one basis, providing an excellent atmosphere for learning. Students are required to take laboratory courses that provide them with valuable hands-on experience and opportunities to work with modern optical devices.