All-fiber Quantum Logic
May. 29, 2009
A team of physicists and engineers at Bristol University demonstrated all-fiber quantum logic, where single photons are generated and used to perform the controlled-NOT quantum logic gate in optical fibers with high fidelity.
Uncovering Cosmic History
May. 28, 2009
BLAST (Balloon-borne Large-Aperture Sub-millimeter Telescope), a new telescope launched to the edge of the atmosphere 120,000 feet above Antarctica while tethered to a balloon, discovered previously unidentified dust-obscured, star-forming galaxies that could help illuminate the origins of the universe.
Solyndra Inks $115M Contract
May. 27, 2009
California-based Solyndra Inc., a maker of photovoltaic systems for commercial rooftops, signed a new long-term sales contract valued at up to $115 million with German solar integrator EBITSCHenergietechnik for its solar panels.
Dazer Laser Debuts at Parade
May. 27, 2009
Laser developer Laser Energetics Inc. introduced its nausea- and temporary blindness-inducing Dazer Laser nonlethal laser weapon Monday during the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade in New York.
Quantum Tunneling Observed
May. 27, 2009
Researchers at the University of Illinois demonstrated that an entire collection of superconducting electrons in an ultrathin superconducting wire is able to “tunnel” as a pack from a state with a higher electrical current to one with a notably lower current, providing more evidence of the phenomenon of macroscopic quantum tunneling.
Nanometer Precision Lidar
May. 26, 2009
The National Institute of Standards and Technology combined two different distance measurement approaches with the superaccuracy of an optical frequency comb to build a laser ranging system that may offer peerless precision in remote measurements.
Optical Device Records in 5-D
May. 22, 2009
Optical recording technologies such as DVDs could have a storage capacity of 1.6 terabytes, or the equivalent of 2000 discs, announced researchers at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. The new optical device records in 5-D thanks to gold nanorods inserted onto the disc's surface, which enable the creation of spectral and polarization dimensions.
Window Generates Electricity
May. 21, 2009
A tinted see-through coating has been developed that can generate electricity on glass windows from natural and artificial light via ultrasmall organic solar cells.
Cloak has Tapered Waveguide
May. 20, 2009
Using a specially tapered optical waveguide instead of exotic metamaterials that require complex nanofabrication, researchers have created a simplified invisibility cloak that, unlike previous ones, works for all colors of the visible spectrum. The work makes possible the cloaking of objects larger than ever before and could lead to practical applications in the new field of transformation optics. Theoretical work for the design was led by Purdue University with BAE Systems leading fabrication of the device, formed by two gold-coated surfaces, one a curved lens and the other a flat sheet. The researchers cloaked an object about 50 µm in diameter, or roughly the width of a human hair, in the center of the waveguide.
NIST Recovery Plan Approved
May. 20, 2009
The National Institute of Standards and Technology will receive $580 million in direct appropriations from the economic stimulus bill and another $30 million from other federal agencies as part of a plan to invest in construction projects, grants, scientific equipment and research fellowships.
Pencil-thin LCD Panel Debuts
May. 20, 2009
LG Display Co. Ltd. announced Tuesday that by using an LED backlight assembly and other slimming technologies, it developed large LCD TV panels that are only as thick as a pencil and weigh less than 16 lbs.
UV LEDs Enrich Lettuce
May. 19, 2009
Exposure to light provided by ultraviolet LEDs makes lettuce darker and redder, boosting the levels of healthy antioxidants it contains, according to plant physiologists at the US Department of Agriculture.
GE Named DoE Energy Center
May. 19, 2009
GE Global Research was named one of 46 new multimillion-dollar Energy Frontier Research Centers in the US by the Department of Energy. GE’s EFRC will focus on advanced energy storage technologies and the pursuit of a zero carbon emissions solution for both transportation and stationary power applications.
A Faster Single-Atom Detector
May. 19, 2009
A new single-atom detection system that uses two polarizations of light simultaneously through cavity mirrors is more than 99.7 percent accurate and can discern the arrival of a neutral atom in less than one-millionth of a second, about 20 times faster than previous methods.
Liquid Lenses Focus Light
May. 18, 2009
Tunable fluidic microlenses can focus and direct light at will to count cells, evaluate molecules or create on-chip optical tweezers, according to Pennsylvania State University engineers. They may also provide imaging in medical devices, eliminating the necessity and discomfort of moving the tip of a probe.
Report: LEDs to hit $33B
May. 15, 2009
The surging solid-state lighting market will achieve worldwide revenues topping $33 billion by 2013, according to a new report by industry analyst NextGen Research.
Sick 3-D Cameras Go Postal
May. 14, 2009
Sick, a maker of sensors, safety systems, machine vision, and automatic identification products for...
ESI Buys XSiL IP
May. 13, 2009
Electro Scientific Industries Inc., a provider of photonic and laser systems for microengineering...
THz Waves Measure Nanofilms
May. 13, 2009
A technique that could be an important quality-control tool to help monitor semiconductor...
Detecting Entangled Photons
May. 13, 2009
Entanglement, in the form of beams of light simultaneously propagating along four distinct paths, can be detected with a surprisingly small number of measurements, according to scientists at Caltech. The group has developed a method to detect entanglement share among multiple parts of an optical system. Entanglement is an essential resource in quantum information science, which is the study of advanced computation and communication based on the laws of quantum mechanics. This approach builds on the famous Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which places a limit on the precision with which the momentum and position of a particle can be known simultaneously.
Schott Solar Opens NM Plant
May. 12, 2009
The first facility in the world to produce both concentrated solar power receivers and photovoltaic...
BAE Wins $81M Army Contract
May. 12, 2009
BAE Systems, a defense, security and aerospace company, has been awarded an $81.4-million contract...
Schott Takes a Shot at Solar
May. 12, 2009
In little over a year’s time, Schott Solar planned, contracted, built and began operations at the...
Blink-Free Nanocrystals Made
May. 11, 2009
A new semiconducting nanocrystal that continuously emits light without "blinking" has been...
UDC Q1 Loss Widens
May. 11, 2009
Phosphorescent organic LED maker, Universal Display Corp. (UDC), reported a net loss of $5.5...
Zygo Reports $15M Q3 Loss
May. 8, 2009
Zygo Corp. announced a 48 percent loss for the third quarter of fiscal 2009. Net sales decreased to...
Optifab Offers Interaction
May. 8, 2009
With more than 1700 attendees and 160 exhibitors expected, SPIE Optifab 2009 will blend...
Incandescent Nanotube Lamp
May. 7, 2009
In an effort to explore the boundary between thermodynamics and quantum mechanics – two...
Tessera Acquires Dblur Assets
May. 7, 2009
Subsidiaries of Tessera Technologies Inc. will acquire certain assets of Israel-based Dblur...
IPG Q1 Income Plummets 84%
May. 6, 2009
High-power fiber laser maker IPG Photonics Corp. reported that its net income for the first quarter of 2009 dropped 84 percent from the same quarter a year ago and revenue decreased by 14 percent.
PerkinElmer Buys Analytica
May. 6, 2009
PerkinElmer Inc. bolstered its mass spectrometry and ion source technology portfolio by acquiring Analytica of Branford Inc. for an undisclosed amount.
Photonics Training Promoted
May. 6, 2009
Photonics21, one of several European Technology Platforms set up to give direction to the region's photonics community, called for action to align research efforts and to address a looming skills shortage.
Tiny Lasers Plug ‘Green Gap’
May. 5, 2009
Compact lasers can work in the 'green gap' -- formerly inaccessible parts of the spectrum -- and are suitable for mass production, thanks to pioneering work by a European consortium.
Green Bacteria Harvests Light
May. 5, 2009
The structure of chlorophyll molecules in green bacteria that are responsible for harvesting light energy were determined by an international team of scientists. The discovery could one day be used to build artificial photosynthetic systems, like those that convert solar energy to electrical energy.
Swept Under the Carpet Cloak
May. 4, 2009
A team at UC Berkeley's Nano-scale Science and Engineering Center created an "invisibility carpet cloak" from nanostructured silicon that conceals objects from optical detection. While the carpet itself can still be seen, the bulge of the object underneath it disappears from view. Shining a beam of light on the bulge shows a reflection identical to that of a beam reflected from a flat surface, meaning the object itself has essentially been rendered invisible.
Flir Posts Strong Q1
May. 1, 2009
Flir posted a first-quarter revenue increase of 15 percent over 2008 and a net income per share of 35 cents, largely thanks to its Government Systems Div. Flir expects 2009 revenue to total 1.2 billion, a 12 percent hike over 2008.
Imaging at 6 million fps
May. 1, 2009
Engineers at UCLA have developed a (video) camera that captures images in real time at 6 million fps, or 1000 times faster than its predecessors. It may be used for flow cytometry to diagnose cancer.