In 2012, Loyola University Maryland and Rockhurst University received a grant to develop three upper-­?division active learning physics modules that relate physics principles to medicine.  One of these modules is concerned with multimode fiber optics.  The teaching materials for fiber optics are divided into two levels:  Level 1 is appropriate for introductory/intermediate students and Level 2 is designed for intermediate/advanced students.  Level 2 materials concentrate on the physics and experimental techniques of coupling laser light into a 200 um fiber, and are suitable for students who may encounter optics in research or industrial environments.  In the process of working with Level 2 materials, the students will learn about numerical aperture, beam waist due to diffraction and spherical aberration, optical alignment techniques, overfilling and underfilling of fibers, skew rays, loss, and applications of fiber optics in medicine and other fields.

We wish to acknowledge support from NSF TUES grant 1140406.

Presented at the 2013 AAPT Summer Meeting,
W36: Advanced Labs Workshop