Students Learn About Lasers During Field Trip

Members of Westminster’s Independent Science Research (ISR) class took a field trip to Trumpf Inc. in Farmington on Feb. 22 to learn more about lasers, thanks to arrangements that were made for the visit by Westminster trustee Peter Leibinger ’86, who serves as vice chairman of TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG and president of the Laser Technology and Electronics Division. Trumpf lasers, which are manufactured in Connecticut, are sent all over the world. Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller P’06 serves as president of the international company.
 

The students attended a presentation about lasers that demonstrated how amplifying and stimulating electrons to an excited level, coupled with mirrors, produces a beam that is able to cut through sheet metal an inch-and-a-half thick. They also toured production facilities, including the clean room, laser assembly and beam alignment areas. They saw the research and development portion of Trump and were able to closely observe a laser fuse limestone into a glass surface.
 

At the end of the tour, students watched a laser cut intricate shapes out of a 5/8-inch-thick sheet of steel. The cut only took a few seconds and it was so smooth that the piece needed no polishing. Students were very enthusiastic about the tour and possible careers in physics and engineering.
 

ISR, which is taught by science teachers Lee Zalinger, Greg Marco and Mark de Kanter ’91, is offered to Fifth and Sixth Form students who are already taking AP or honors science courses. A key component of ISR is that no work is required outside of the class because the students already have a full load of regular coursework. During ISR meetings, the students work collaboratively in groups on experiments in biology, physics and chemistry and present their findings to one another. This spring, they will have an opportunity to develop a research project of their own and design their own experiments.