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“The laser we use, the data acquisition process with several instruments, spending effort and time to get accurate results, and working with visible objects – it’s all amazing,” says Canberk Koral, a junior electrical and computer engineering major from Ddere-Izmit, Turkey. “The fun part is to compare the process and data of the experiment to the theoretical values and ideas.”
EXCEL Scholar Canberk Koral is conducting research with Kim D. Bennett, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, to advance the understanding of how liquids can be used to predict the characteristics of light in various optical sensing applications, such as chemical sensors and temperature sensors.
Part of their work in Lafayette’s Photonics Technology Laboratory involves passing a beam of light through an angled liquid tank.
“While the concept of an angled tank is not new,” Bennett explains, “the particular implementation in our lab introduces a number of original concepts which allow for extremely precise measurements.”
Factors such as temperature, pressure and humidity bear on how a laser beam shifts when passing through the small tank of liquid, explains Koral. The result, called the index of refraction, has applications in numerous areas of industry.
“It could be used in determining the concentration of substances, such as the ingredients of a ready-made drink product,” he says. “By passing a laser beam through each component of the drink product, and by utilizing the index of refraction, the concentration can be determined. In a similar manner, the concentration of other liquids such as fuels, water, beverages, and chemical products can be sensitively measured using their index of refraction.”
Koral is particularly interested in the experimentation process.
“The laser that we use, the data acquisition process with several instruments, spending effort and time to get accurate results, and working with visible objects — it’s all amazing,” he says. “The fun part is to compare the process and data of the experiment to the theoretical values and ideas that you already know or that you acquire from resources.”
In Bennett, Koral has a mentor with vast experience in optical sensors and related technologies. Bennett’s industrial and consulting experience includes work for the ITT Electro-Optical Products Division; Inland Motor Corporation, specifically in developing fiber optic sensors for military sensors; the Fiber and Electro-Optics Research Center at Virginia Tech; and General Electric’s Corporate Center for Research and Development. Bennett also oversaw the creation and development of the Photonics Technology Laboratory within Lafayette’s electrical and computer engineering department.
“Professor Bennett had the knowledge to inform me and familiarize me with the experiment,” says Koral. “It was easy for me to get used to working with him. He always finds time during the week to work with me in the lab or just talk about the progress of the research in general. He is very open and informative, which is essential when you are working with someone on a project.”
The student has found the skills and experience gained from the research to be invaluable. “Before the actual experiment, I acquired some background information to become familiar with the project,” says Koral. “I developed some research skills — using the library in many ways, requesting published research papers from other universities, looking through every single paper to get some useful info. In addition, the research itself has made me familiar with instruments that I may need to use in the future, and that are essential for my profession.”
Another Side Of Canberk
He is vice president of the Muslim Student Association and a member of the International Students Association and Asian Cultural Association. He resides in the French and German House, one of seven special-interest living groups in Keefe Hall, Lafayette’s newest student residence.