Photonics Spectra: Test & Measurement This is the syndication feed for Photonics Spectra: Test & Measurement. https://www.photonics.com/Splash.aspx?Tag=Test+%26+Measurement Fri, 29 Mar 2024 04:31:51 GMT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT 1800 Traceable Standards Could Speed Development of Quantum Technologies
Devices that capture light from quantum dots, like chip-scale lasers and optical amplifiers, have made their way from the lab to the commercial market. The transition for newer quantum dot-based devices has been slower due to the extreme level of accuracy needed in the alignment of the individual dots and the optics that extract and guide the emitted radiation.

When localization microscopy of quantum emitters is used to guide lithographic placement of photonic structures, microscopy and lithography measurement errors can easily occur. These errors degrade registration accuracy, limiting device performance and process yield.

To address this bottleneck, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Traceable_Standards_Could_Speed_Development_of/p5/a69840 A69840 Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Photonics-Based Oscillator Provides Precise Signals on Compact Chip
Many technologies — from communications, to radar and sensing, to positioning and navigation — rely on low-noise microwave signals for precise timing and synchronization. Advances in these technologies intensify the demand for stable, low-phase noise microwave sources.

Although photonic lightwave systems provide advantages over conventional electronic approaches for generating low-noise microwaves, the large size and power consumption of photonic systems restrict their use to laboratory environments.

Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, the University of...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Photonics-Based_Oscillator_Provides_Precise/p5/a69821 A69821 Mon, 18 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Tokamak Energy Commits to Testing Laser Tech for Fusion Power Plants
Fusion energy technology developer Tokamak Energy is working on laser measurement technology crucial to controlling the extreme conditions inside future fusion power plants. The company is testing a laser-based dispersion interferometer system at its Oxford, England, headquarters and expects install the system on its ST40 fusion machine later this year.

Tokamak Energy’s approach to fusion employs a tokamak, a device that uses a magnetic field to confine and control a plasma. The device features a spherical design, pioneered by company co-founder Alan Sykes in the 1980s, that is designed to improve efficiency, plasma stability, and cost-effectiveness.
Tokamak Energy is testing a laser-based dispersion interferometer system to...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Tokamak_Energy_Commits_to_Testing_Laser_Tech_for/p5/a69812 A69812 Thu, 14 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Researchers Develop AI-Enabled Liquid Holographic Camera
Holography technology can restore the complete light field information of the recorded object, which has important applications in fields like biological microscopic imaging and optical micromanipulation. One important frontier in holography is the reconstruction of realistic 3D scenes. However, the development and application of holographic technology have been hindered by the huge amount of data of the 3D scenes and the laser coherence, which leads to the slow capturing speed of the real 3D scenes and the serious speckle noise of the holographic reproduced image.

A team of researchers has collaborated to develop a holographic camera based on liquid lens technology, capable of recording high-quality holograms of real 3D scenes in a...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Researchers_Develop_AI-Enabled_Liquid_Holographic/p5/a69798 A69798 Fri, 08 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT
VIAVI Solutions Agrees to Takeover of Spirent Communications in $1.3B Deal
The acquisition is expected to close during the second half of 2024.

Spirent is a provider of products, services, and managed solutions for test assurance and automation of technologies including 5G, software-defined wide area networks, cloud, and autonomous vehicles. The company’s international...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/VIAVI_Solutions_Agrees_to_Takeover_of_Spirent/p5/a69796 A69796 Thu, 07 Mar 2024 15:30:12 GMT
Measurement Tool Helps Optimize Semiconductors for Optoelectronics
Devices such as solar cells, transistors, detectors, sensors, and LEDs are made with semiconductor materials that have charge carriers that are released when the carriers are hit with light.

Determining the transport properties of a semiconductor’s charge carriers can help researchers predict how effective the material will be for an optoelectronics application. Until now, the parameters of the transport properties in minority and majority charge carriers in semiconductors have been determined by using different measurement methods for each type of charge.

To enable efficient, complete characterization of semiconductors, scientists at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) developed a method that records 14 different parameters...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Measurement_Tool_Helps_Optimize_Semiconductors/p5/a69765 A69765 Tue, 27 Feb 2024 07:00:00 GMT
High-Throughput Imaging Reveals Multi-Particle Cellular Activity
A new software program can map the movements of multiple particles within cells simultaneously, providing insight into cellular functions that are difficult — and sometimes impossible — to investigate using single-cell tracking methods.

The software, developed by researchers at the University of Bonn and Wageningen University and Research, speeds the high-throughput process used to observe molecules in cells, enabling fivefold shorter measurement times than single-particle tracking, according to the researchers.

In single-particle tracking, the molecule is marked with fluorescent light, and hundreds of photos per second are taken using a high-resolution microscope. By looking at the gaps between molecules and the...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/High-Throughput_Imaging_Reveals_Multi-Particle/p5/a69694 A69694 Mon, 05 Feb 2024 07:00:00 GMT
SPIE Names 2024 Prism Award Winners
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recognized the top innovations in new optics and photonics products at the 2024 Prism Awards held at Photonics West on Jan. 31. The gala event marked the Prism Awards’ 16th anniversary.

The annual ceremony honored a range of established and emerging companies applying groundbreaking and creative solutions to critical problems in areas such as augmented and virtual reality, sensors, lasers, quantum technology, and biomedical optics solutions.

Finalists and winners were selected by a panel of international judges who leveraged their knowledge and acumen from across the technology commercialization and funding sectors. The distinguished judges' roster included the...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/SPIE_Names_2024_Prism_Award_Winners/p5/a69691 A69691 Thu, 01 Feb 2024 11:05:50 GMT
Ultrafast Phenomenon Prompts Data Storage Efficiency Hypothesis
A recent discovery from the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), could enable faster and more efficient magnetic hard drives by using ultrafast laser pulses to process data. The findings could significantly reduce energy consumption for data centers.

The current hard drives used in data centers, while much cheaper than solid-state drives used by many commercial devices, are much slower and consume a lot of energy because they use a magnetic field to conduct heat through a wire coil each time an information bit is processed.

The research work at UC Davis sought to test whether domain walls in certain multilayered ferromagnets could remain stable at speeds >10 km/s — a speed that scientists recently predicted was...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Ultrafast_Phenomenon_Prompts_Data_Storage/p5/a69675 A69675 Tue, 30 Jan 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Optofluidic Device Tests for Blood Disorders at Point of Care
Abnormalities in white blood cell count are indicative of a blood disorder. Measuring these abnormalities is imperative. However, the use of flow cytometry and other conventional methods to assess white blood cell concentration is confined to hospital and laboratory settings due to the bulkiness and complexity of the equipment.

Access to such equipment in remote areas presents challenges concerning early diagnosis for patients. Portable blood cell analyzers could alleviate these challenges and enable an earlier start on treatment.

Researchers at Harbin Institute of Technology, Peking University, and the Beijing Institute of Collaborative Innovation developed a Smart Palm-sized Optofluidic Hematology Analyzer for automated,...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Optofluidic_Device_Tests_for_Blood_Disorders_at/p5/a69661 A69661 Thu, 25 Jan 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Raman Approach Safely Tracks Live-Cell RNA Expression
Single-cell RNA sequencing enables scientists to interrogate cells at extraordinary resolution and scale. However, the sequencing process destroys the cell, making it difficult to use the technique to study ongoing changes in gene expression.

Raman microscopy measures the vibrational energy levels of proteins and metabolites in a nondestructive manner at subcellular spatial resolution, but it is unable to interpret genetic information.

“RNA sequencing gives you extremely detailed information, but it’s destructive,” researcher Koseki Kobayashi-Kirschvink said. “Raman is noninvasive, but it doesn’t tell you anything about RNA.”

A new technique developed at MIT combines the advantages of...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Raman_Approach_Safely_Tracks_Live-Cell_RNA/p5/a69651 A69651 Mon, 22 Jan 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Optical-Plasmonic SERS Platform Clocks Molecular Systems
An optical plasmonic tweezer-controlled surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) platform developed by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) enables efficient, high-throughput, single-molecule characterization in solution. It has the potential to uncover hidden molecular mechanisms that can affect the health of people living with type 2 diabetes.

Existing single-molecule approaches are limited to ultra-dilution or molecular immobilization because their diffraction-limited detection volume cannot be further reduced. These methods hinder the ability to study the dynamic actions of these molecules, necessitating the development of advanced single-molecule methods.

In a recent breakthrough, the research team led...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Optical-Plasmonic_SERS_Platform_Clocks_Molecular/p5/a69626 A69626 Wed, 10 Jan 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Targeted Spectroscopy Can Improve Treatment of Eye Disease
A targeted spectroscopy system developed at Zilia Inc., by a team led by professor Dominic Sauvageau from the University of Alberta, enables concurrent imaging of the eye fundus — a region at the back of the eye — and analysis of high-quality spectra. The system, which holds advantages over typical fundus color imaging and optical coherence, can be used to assess a range of ocular conditions, from oxygenation in glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy to photo-oxidation and photodegradation in age-related macular degeneration.

The spectroscopy system takes detailed images of the eye fundus in real time while measuring the spectral profile of a small target region. The position of the device can be readjusted easily without...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Targeted_Spectroscopy_Can_Improve_Treatment_of/p5/a69617 A69617 Fri, 05 Jan 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Optoacoustics, AI Monitor Disease in Patients With Diabetics
One complication of diabetes is microangiopathy, a condition affecting the microvasculature, which affects numerous organs, including the skin. Routine examinations of the skin’s microvasculature could help clinicians better manage diabetes patient care by providing quantitative metrics of systemic changes in the skin due to disease progression.

Optoacoustic mesoscopy can provide high-resolution, detailed imaging of the microvasculature in vivo because of the strong contrast it obtains from vascular structures. It offers high-resolution, 3D visualization through the entire epidermal and dermal layers of the skin and can reach depths of up to several millimeters, depending on the wavelength used.
Researchers at the Technical...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Optoacoustics_AI_Monitor_Disease_in_Patients/p5/a69558 A69558 Thu, 21 Dec 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Flow Cytometry Uncovers Predictive Biomarker for Severe COVID
Using image-based flow cytometry, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) identified a biomarker for predicting how serious a COVID-19 infection will be. They also developed a rapid test for assessing a patient’s risk of severe COVID-19 infection. The ability to determine the potential gravity of a COVID infection will help physicians determine the most effective treatment for these patients at an early stage of the disease, leading to better patient management.

The human body produces a series of immune responses when infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. One response is the formation of cell aggregates in the bloodstream. To understand the significance of these aggregates in COVID-19 disease...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Flow_Cytometry_Uncovers_Predictive_Biomarker_for/p5/a69545 A69545 Tue, 19 Dec 2023 07:09:00 GMT
Laser Technology Mobilizes Head Trauma Assessment
The decisions made about patient care in the hour following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are critical to patient outcome. A hand-held diagnostic device to assess the severity of the injury immediately, at the point of care, could make the difference between a successful outcome or irreversible brain damage following a TBI.

To enable timely intervention, researchers at the University of Birmingham are developing a portable noninvasive diagnostic to quickly measure the extent of cerebral injury. The device uses Raman spectroscopy and fundus imaging of the neuroretina to rapidly acquire a molecular footprint of the TBI biochemistry.

The EyeD device combines modified optics with imaging of the optic nerve, which is done with a...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Laser_Technology_Mobilizes_Head_Trauma_Assessment/p5/a69531 A69531 Thu, 14 Dec 2023 07:00:00 GMT
BAE Systems Is Recipient of First CHIPS Act Funding Award
BAE Systems’ MEC is a 110,000-sq-ft U.S. Department of Defense-accredited, semiconductor chip fabrication and foundry facility that develops advanced semiconductor technologies beyond those available commercially to meet demanding military requirements. It is one of the only domestic defense-centric 6-in. gallium arsenide and gallium nitride high electron...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/BAE_Systems_Is_Recipient_of_First_CHIPS_Act/p5/a69530 A69530 Wed, 13 Dec 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Laser Technique Accelerates Metamaterial Studies
Although they’re made from everyday polymers, ceramics, and metals, metamaterials take on extraordinary properties due to precision microscale construction in intricate architectures.

With the help of computer simulations, engineers can play with any combination of microstructures to see how certain materials can transform, for instance, into sound-focusing acoustic lenses or lightweight, bulletproof films.

But simulations can take a design only so far. To know for sure whether a metamaterial will stand up to expectation, physically testing them is a must. But there’s been no reliable way to push and pull on metamaterials at the microscale and to know how they will respond, without contacting and physically damaging...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Laser_Technique_Accelerates_Metamaterial_Studies/p5/a69489 A69489 Mon, 27 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Synthesized Nanoresonators Harness Power of IR for Optics and Electronics
When combined with electronics, infrared (IR) light can enable small, fast devices for sensing, imaging, and signaling at the molecular level. To fully harness the advantages of IR light, the materials used for IR optical and optoelectronic applications require defect-free crystallinity.

To make high-quality crystals that resonate strongly with IR light, researchers at Stanford University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) developed a bottom-up, self-assembly approach to synthesize nanostructures with crystal qualities consistent with bulk single crystals. The ultrathin nanostructures act as ultrahigh-quality, nanoscale resonators of lattice vibrations at IR frequencies, to provide a high-performance, low-loss platform...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Synthesized_Nanoresonators_Harness_Power_of_IR/p5/a69438 A69438 Wed, 01 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Optifab 2023 to Showcase the Latest in Optical Manufacturing
SPIE Optifab 2023, North America’s largest optical manufacturing conference and exhibition, will be held Oct. 16-19 at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center in Rochester, N.Y. The biennial event is organized jointly by SPIE and APOMA (American Precision Optics Manufacturers Association).

The conference, with co-chairs Jessica DeGroote Nelson of Edmund Optics and Blair Unger of N2 Imaging Systems LLC, will focus on the latest in optical fabrication technologies and will feature expert-led presentations. Attendees will also be able to attend a multiday industry exhibition and courses.

This year’s conference features 12 sessions, including novel approaches to optical fabrication and testing,...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Optifab_2023_to_Showcase_the_Latest_in_Optical/p5/a69378 A69378 Tue, 10 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT