When you want to begin learning about any new subject outside of your current area of expertise (e.g., homodyne optical interferometry), always begin at the introductory level (i.e., look in your Intro Physics text -- it's a great encyclopedia!). We also have some Science & Technology encyclopedias, made available online through the IWU library.

AFTER seeing what your Intro Physics text has to say about your topic, two reasonable ways to begin reading the literature are to:

1) limit your search to articles which are intended to provide a "General Review" of a subject (which is something you can do, although you may need to ask a Science Librarian to help you get started), or

2) limit your search to journals aimed towards introducing scientists to topics outside of their specialties. (A Science Librarian can help you to identify to these sorts of journals)

3) You each have an online subscription to American Journal of Physics, and other physics journals. The paper versions of these journal are housed both in the IWU library and in our Physics Labs. Please do not remove any journal from the lab!

These sorts of limits will help you to get off to a GOOD start, and will make your life over subsequent days and weeks much, much easier.