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1.INTRODUCTIONOptical technology is widely used in industrial applications and research fields such as laser processing, consumer products of DVD, displays, barcodes, and advanced measurement in medical or material research. The laser invented by T. H. Maiman in 1960 plays a major role in the development of these optical technologies. The recent 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the development of optical tweezers and its application to biological systems, as well as for the development of ultra-high power, ultra-short pulse lasers. Since the invention of lasers, optical and laser technology has been developing rapidly, and new technologies have always been created, and accordingly, the optical technology has penetrated and used in various fields. I have been engaged in research on optical technology such as laser material development, optical fiber and fiber laser development so far [1-4], and I have no doubt about its development and possibility. Figure 1 shows the transition of the total shipment value in the field of laser processing in Japan. Until now, carbon dioxide gas lasers have often been used for metal processing, but with the recent increase in output of fiber lasers, replacement with fiber lasers has progressed. Since the fiber laser is capable of finer processing, the spread to new processing applications is also helped, and the shipping amount has been increased. There are already many processes that cannot be done without using laser light, and therefore, this trend is expected to continue. Although optical research in universities and research institutes in Japan is active, and there are many leading researches in the world, I often hear from potential users who make machining a living by saying, “I understand the importance of laser technology, but I am hesitant to introduce it because I do not know how to use it”. In addition, there is an overwhelming shortage of optical engineers who realize the idea of new optical technology from the feeling as an optical researcher in the past 30 years. Therefore, it is thought that advanced research results in optics are not transmitted efficiently. Because the absolute number of engineers in the middle layer is small as shown in Figure 2, if we try to connect the demands of each other, we will be quite unreasonable to cooperate with each other. In this study, we aim to understand the causes of the gap between advanced optical research and optical industry, and to explore its solutions from the perspective of light education. We show the concept of “benefit sharing community” as one proposal, and think about its way. We also introduce our university’s optical education activities. We believe that these findings will bring about the bringing up of optical engineers and the development of the optical industry. 2.OPTICAL EDUCATION ROLE OF UNIVERSITY FOR OPTICAL INDUSTRY2.1The concept of benefit sharing communityWhen we cultivate engineers who have not only optical technology but also advanced knowledge, referring to the theory of education, researchers and engineers with advanced technical knowledge in each field will provide specialized education to beginners. However, research on educational methods cannot provide insights into the gap between the current social demands (lack of optical engineers). Since electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, etc. are older than optical engineering, it is thought that they have built up a pyramid of industrial development and human resources composition in its long development history. In the field of optical engineering, it can be expected to develop in the same way if it takes many years. Figure 3 embodies one of the solutions that I imagine. In other words, the benefit sharing community becomes an agency that links knowledge-intensive institutions (National University, National Research Institute, etc.), industry, human resources (for example, middle-level private university students), and human resources development institutions (for example, middle-level private university). Although the concrete form of this benefit sharing community has not been completed at this time, I would like to propose a concrete form while organizing and analyzing the situation in the future. 2.2Positioning by standard score of Chiba Institute of TechnologyThere are 782 universities, where 603 schools (77.1%) are private university, in Japan in 2018 [6]. Chiba Institute of Technology is a private college with five faculties and 17 departments [7]. Figure 4 shows the position of Chiba Institute of Technology in the Standard score (T score) data of university entrance examination in Japan in 2018 [8]. As can be seen from the figure, Chiba Institute of Technology is in charge of education of the most populated part of the total number of students in Japan at the academic level, and is located at a middle-level private university in the benefit sharing community shown in Figure 3. It is considered possible to develop human resources who are most lacking in developing optical technology or its application. However, we have to note that the standard scores are just indicators and do not fix the student’s academic situation. Students can change their active status by their motivation and effort. 2.3Optical education at universities in JapanOptical education at universities in Japan is often carried out by faculty members of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and related departments. The same is true for Chiba Institute of Technology, and professors in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Information and Communication Systems Engineering are in charge of optical education. However, few universities have a department for optical technology education. Also, the academic society plays an educational role, and the following shows the university with optics department and the academic society of optics.
3.EFFORTS AT CHIBA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYAfter conducting solid-state laser material, optical fiber and fiber laser development for about 30 years, I joined the Chiba Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in April 2017 as a full-time professor, and operate research activities and laboratories. The main research themes are “Development of special fiber laser using new optical material and its industrial application and training of optical industry and optical science education”. 3.1Optical education in my laboratoryI am teaching students (13 third graders, 13 fourth graders, and one graduate student in 2019). Fourth graders and graduate students are developing special fiber lasers at graduation research, and I am conducting research and guidance on basic techniques of fiber lasers and optical measurement. I am teaching third graders knowledge about optical technology and basic optical experimental technology using Amnon Yariv “Introduction to optical electronics” etc. 3.2Optical lectures in the Department of Electrical and Electronic EngineeringI am in charge of the following lectures for students in the department of electrical and electronic engineering. The Advanced Optoelectronics syllabus, which is a graduate course subject, listened to opinions from company people related to optical technology (12 companies) and picked up items that are mostly requested. Optoelectronics and Advanced Optoelectronics can update syllabus once a year, so I can build-up the lecture material reflecting social needs. The syllabuses that I teach as follows. 3.3Optical lectures example
Table 1Syllabus of Optoelectronics
Table 2Syllabus of Advanced Optoelectronics
Table 3Modified syllabus of Advanced Optoelectronics (2nd to 9th week)
4.DISCUSSIONWhat we want to know is what corresponds to the benefit sharing community shown in Figure 2. And even if it is small, we will construct a benefit sharing community and consider matching it with optical education at Chiba Institute of Technology. For that purpose, we consider the following methods.
5.CONCLUSIONThere have always been doubts as we have done cutting-edge optical research so far. I think that research must always be useful to the world. In conducting research, it is very important to do the world’s first and the best in the world, and there is no doubt this. However, even if it is the world’s first and the world’s best, it is important whether organic progress can be seen from the viewpoint of science and technology. I would like to consider if this benefit sharing community is useful for optical science development and how it will work well. REFERENCESY. Fujimoto, M. Nakatsuka, A novel method for uniform dispersion of the rare earth ions in SiO2 glass using zeolite X, J. Non·Cryst, 215 182
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