The Institut d'optique Graduate School ("Institute of optics"), nicknamed SupOptique or IOGS, is one of the most prestigious French Grandes Ecoles and the leading French ''

grande école A ''grande école'' () is a specialised university that is separate from, but parallel and often connected to, the main framework of the French public university system. The grandes écoles offer teaching, research and professional training in s ...

'' in the field of

Optics Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultraviole ...

and its industrial and scientific applications, and a

graduate school Postgraduate or graduate education refers to Academic degree, academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by higher education, post-secondary students who have earned an Undergraduate education, un ...

of the prestigious

Paris-Saclay University Paris-Saclay University (french: Université Paris-Saclay) is a public research university based in Paris, France. It is one of the 13 prestigious universities that emerged from the division of the University of Paris, also known as the Sorbonne. ...

and ParisTech.

History

Armand de Gramont Armand Antoine Agénor de Gramont, 12th Duc de Gramont (29 September 1879 – 2 August 1962) was a French nobleman, scientist and industrialist. He was known by the courtesy title of Duc de Guiche until 1925, when he succeeded his father as Duc ...

, a rich industrialist and friend of

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel ''In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous Eng ...

, was the man who had the idea to create the Institut d'Optique. In 1916, Gramont and Henri Chrétien (a French astronomer) were working together at the French Technical Aeronautics Section. Chrétien was working at the time on calculations for optical instruments. They both decided to create the project of building an institute dedicated to teaching Optics. That same year, Gramont became part of a committee that examined inventions that could interest the ministry of Defense. That is where he met

Charles Fabry Maurice Paul Auguste Charles Fabry (; 11 June 1867 – 11 December 1945) was a French physicist. Life Fabry graduated from the École Polytechnique in Paris and received his doctorate from the University of Paris in 1892, for his work on i ...

, who had previously become famous thanks to his experimental demonstration of the existence of the

ozone layer The ozone layer or ozone shield is a region of Earth's stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. It contains a high concentration of ozone (O3) in relation to other parts of the atmosphere, although still small in rela ...

in the atmosphere. On October 21, 1916, Gramont had lunch with four government ministers. As a result, a new committee was formed, in charge of establishing the project. During the month of November 1917, the first board meeting was held. The École supérieure d'optique (ESO) was opened in 1920, as part of the Institut d'optique théorique et appliquée, aiming to train engineers and cadres for the French optics industry. It is consequently the oldest institution of higher education and research in optics in the world and the most important in terms of annual number of graduates. The Institut d'optique Graduate School provides an education of high scientific level, especially for former students from the French ''

Classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles The ''classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles'' (CPGE) (English: Higher School Preparatory Classes), commonly called ''classes prépas'' or ''prépas'', are part of the French post-secondary education system. They consist of two years of stud ...

''. It trains engineers to be, in industry and research, the actors of the development of optics in many areas such as telecommunications, biology, energy, materials, nanotechnologies, and aerospace engineering. It trains also researchers and teachers in the fields of optics and physics. Through the Institut d'optique théorique et appliquée, it participates at the world level to the promotion of knowledge and to the development of new techniques in optics. Since September 2006, the set constituted by the , École supérieure d'optique and the Institut d'optique théorique et appliquée has been designated by the names Institut d'optique Graduate School or Institut d'optique.

Academics

A number of noted French optical scientists have been associated with SupOptique, including Henri Chrétien,

André Maréchal Robert Gaston André Maréchal (10 December 1916 – 14 October 2007) was a French researcher and administrator in optics. André Maréchal was director general of the French Institut d'Optique. In 1986 Maréchal was elected to Honorary Mem ...

, and

Alain Aspect Alain Aspect (; born 15 June 1947) is a French physicist noted for his experimental work on quantum entanglement. Aspect was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, jointly with John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger, "for experiments with entangle ...

. As of 2006 the school had 50 permanent faculty members (teachers, teacher-researchers and researchers), 241 students in the ESO engineering diploma programme, 15 students in the national research master programme (some of them matriculated in the Paris XI University or another institution) and 40 doctoral students (matriculated in the Paris XI).

Admission and engineer's degree

Like most

grandes écoles Grandes may refer to: * Agustín Muñoz Grandes, Spanish general and politician *Banksia ser. Grandes, a series of plant species native to Australia * Grandes y San Martín, a municipality located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain ...

in France, students have to follow a two or three-year intensive preparation in a ''

classe préparatoire aux grandes écoles The ''classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles'' (CPGE) (English: Higher School Preparatory Classes), commonly called ''classes prépas'' or ''prépas'', are part of the French post-secondary education system. They consist of two years of stud ...

'' (CPGE) before entering the school after having sat a competitive entrance exam. If selected, students can then follow the three-year course. For those undergraduate students, the engineer's degree of the school (, 'ESO engineering diploma') is a first degree. About 10 graduate students enter also the first or second year of the engineer's degree programme after sitting an entrance exam. The course lasts for three years. Students have the possibility, during the second year, of taking part in the which consists of a partnership between the school and a company. The student will thus follow part of the studies at the school and will work at the company the rest of the time. It is possible to follow courses abroad in universities that have partnerships with the school (such as

Imperial College Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

for instance) for the entire year. Students can also choose to do their second and third years a special branch of the school located in

Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne (; frp, Sant-Etiève; oc, Sant Estève, ) is a city and the prefecture of the Loire department in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Saint-Étienne is the t ...

or since 2012 at

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

. The first year consists of fundamental physics and engineering sciences (820 hours). At the end of year one, students must do a one-month internship. Year two is centered around optical components (720 hours) and ends with a two-month internship. And finally, during year three, students must choose amongst a variety of specialities and learn how to integrate optical technologies to systems.

Curriculum

*Year one Mathematics (signal processing, probability and noise), geometric optics, physical optics, polarization, electronics (analogue and digital), computer sciences (numerical analysis and C programming), quantum mechanics, atomic physics, semiconductors, electromagnetism, microprocessors, engineering sciences (automatics), practicals (optics and electronics), communication, English, second language (Spanish, German, Swedish, Chinese, Japanese) *Year two Lasers, Fourier optics, aberrations & diffraction, radiometry, detection systems, optical design, computer sciences (C language), laser diodes, electro- and acousto-optics, waveguided optics, non-linear optics, holography, statistical optics, light-matter interaction, statistical physics, biophotonics, electronics (commutation and high frequencies, practicals (optics and electronics), project work, English, second language, innovation in science and engineering, company economy *Year three Three specialities to choose from: Laser technology, signal processing applied to imaging, non-linear electromagnetism, optronics, telecommunications, computer sciences (C++ language) Three specialities to choose from: Imaging, opto-electronic components, micro-optics, turbulence imaging, near field microscopy, nanophotonics, plasma, computer sciences (optical design software), micro-fabrication, radar, economy courses at the HEC school in Paris Three specialities to choose from: Opto-mechanical surfaces, bio-physics, bio-photonics, visualization, quantum optics, pattern recognition, optical sensors, photometric engineering, HEC courses Compulsory subjects: English, project management, company and contract law, patents, project work (20–30 days)

Post-graduate studies

Graduates from a university (with a French diploma or degree "DUT", "BTS", "licence", "master" or a foreign degree) can be admitted in the first or second year of the ESO engineering diploma programme. Graduates from the

École polytechnique École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

and from the

École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay The École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay (also ENS Paris-Saclay or Normale Sup' Paris-Saclay), formerly ENS Cachan, is a grande école and a constituent member of Paris-Saclay University. It was established in 1892. It is located in Gif-sur-Yv ...

can be admitted in the fifth years of this programme. The Institut d'optique Graduate School organizes also a national research master programme in two years () for graduate students with a ''licence'' or an equivalent foreign degree. Students in the ESO engineering diploma programme have also access to this programme. A doctorate in optics can be prepared in the internationally recognized research laboratory of Institut d'optique, the ''Laboratoire Charles Fabry''; the doctor's degree is awarded by the Université Paris-Sud or the École polytechnique.

Research

Research teams and activities

Most research groups are part of the Charles Fabry Laboratory since 1998, which is associated to the

CNRS The French National Centre for Scientific Research (french: link=no, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,637 ...

and the Université Paris-Sud. Patrick Georges is the director of the laboratory. In 2022, it is composed of 64 permanent staff and 67 PhD students. In 2022, the different research groups of the laboratory are: *" Quantum Gases" group (head:

, Christoph Westbrook, Denis Boiron, Isabelle Bouchoule) : study of ultra-cold atomic gases ( He*, Rb, K, Sr) (

atom optics Atom optics (or atomic optics) is the area of physics which deals with beams of cold, slowly moving neutral atoms, as a special case of a particle beam. Like an optical beam, the atomic beam may exhibit diffraction and interference, and can be focu ...

, Bose-Hubbard systems in 2D and 3D with individual atom detection, condensates mixtures with tunable interactions, 3D

Anderson localization In condensed matter physics, Anderson localization (also known as strong localization) is the absence of diffusion of waves in a ''disordered'' medium. This phenomenon is named after the American physicist P. W. Anderson, who was the first to sug ...

, 1D Bose gases on atom chip). The first metastable helium (He*) Bose-Einstein condensate was produced in 2001. *"

Quantum optics Quantum optics is a branch of atomic, molecular, and optical physics dealing with how individual quanta of light, known as photons, interact with atoms and molecules. It includes the study of the particle-like properties of photons. Photons have b ...

" group (head: Philippe Grangier, Antoine Browaeys, Rosa Tualle-Brouri) : foundations of quantum mechanics, quantum communications and cryptography, non-classical states generation and manipulation, Rydberg atoms tweezers arrays for quantum simulation and computing (Rb), collective effects in light-atoms interactions (Rb, Dy). The group pioneered the trapping and manipulation of single neutral Rydberg atoms in optical tweezers, and the assembling of configurable arrays of interacting Rydberg atoms. *"Imaging and Information" group (head: Caroline Kulcsár & François Goudail) : digital processing, adaptative optics, polarimetric imaging, co-design of imaging systems *"

Nanophotonics Nanophotonics or nano-optics is the study of the behavior of light on the nanometer scale, and of the interaction of nanometer-scale objects with light. It is a branch of optics, optical engineering, electrical engineering, and nanotechnology. It ...

Electromagnetism In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge. It is the second-strongest of the four fundamental interactions, after the strong force, and it is the dominant force in the interactions of a ...

" group (head: Henri Benisty & Philippe Lalanne) : nano-optics devices and metasurfaces, plasmonics and quantum nanophotonics, thermoplasmonics *

Laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fir ...

group (head: Patrick Georges, Frédéric Druon) : ultrashort sources, semiconductor lasers, LED pumping, laser systems *

Biophotonics The term biophotonics denotes a combination of biology and photonics, with photonics being the science and technology of generation, manipulation, and detection of photons, quantum units of light. Photonics is related to electronics and photons. P ...

group (head: Michael Canva, Nathalie Westbrook) : in vivo functional imagery, OCT imagery, kinetics of individual biomolecules, biochips, optical tweezers *XUV optics group and fabrication lab (head: Franck Delmotte) : design and fabrication of high-precision XUV optics for EUV telescopes, soft X-ray microscopy, plasma diagnosis, attosecond physics... The mirrors used for the

STEREO Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...

mission (

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

project) and for the

Solar Orbiter The Solar Orbiter (SolO) is a Sun-observing satellite developed by the European Space Agency (ESA). SolO, designed to obtain detailed measurements of the inner heliosphere and the nascent solar wind, will also perform close observations of th ...

's EUI instrument were made at Institut d'Optique. *Non-linear photonics group (head: Philippe Delaye) In 2005, the total budget for the research department is 7.8 million euros. The school also has a special body called IOTech that has the function of working on industrial development.

International partnerships

About 60% of the students have an international experience as they come out of the school, after having gone abroad for a whole year of study or through an internship. It is possible to study abroad at a foreign university or school as part of the degree, through which students usually receive a double diploma. International partnerships: * UK:

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, Cambridge (Part III of Mathematics Tripos at Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics) * UK:

, London (Master of Science in optics and photonics, nanophotonic, quantum fields and fundamental forces) * Canada:

Université Laval Université Laval is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university was founded by royal charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852, with roots in the founding of the Séminaire de Québec in 1663 by François de Montmo ...

(''Maîtrise en physique'') * USA:

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

, Tucson (Master of Science in optical sciences) * USA:

University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...

, Orlando (Master of Science in physics) * Sweden:

Royal Institute of Technology The KTH Royal Institute of Technology ( sv, Kungliga Tekniska högskolan, lit=Royal Institute of Technology), abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technolo ...

(double degree) The "Optics in Science and Technology"

Erasmus Mundus The European Union's Erasmus Mundus programme (named after Erasmus, the Renaissance scholar) aims to enhance quality in higher education through scholarships and academic co-operation between the EU and the rest of the world. The three main objecti ...

programme takes part in 23 projects that are recognized by the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

. The members of this programme are: * France: Institut d'Optique Graduate School * France:

Université de Paris-Sud Paris-Sud University (French: ''Université Paris-Sud''), also known as University of Paris — XI (or as Université d'Orsay before 1971), was a French research university distributed among several campuses in the southern suburbs of Paris, in ...

* Netherlands:

Technische Universiteit Delft Delft University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Delft), also known as TU Delft, is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. As of 2022 it is ranked by QS World University Rankings amo ...

, Delft (Master of Science in applied physics) * Germany:

Friedrich Schiller University of Jena The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (german: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The un ...

, Jena (Diplom-Physiker) * Poland:

Warsaw University of Technology The Warsaw University of Technology ( pl, Politechnika Warszawska, lit=Varsovian Polytechnic) is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professor ...

, Warsaw * UK:

, London (Master of Science in optics and photonics).

References

External links

L'Institut d'Optique, with link to the École supérieure d'optique

The MSc Optics in Science and Technology of the Erasmus Mundus programme
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ecole superieure d'optique optique Educational institutions established in 1917 Paris-Saclay Paris-Saclay University 1917 establishments in France