An intelligent, adhesive composite material, similar to the adhesive mechanisms that allow geckos and other animals to walk upside down or cling to a wall, has been developed and it can be controlled using light. Scientists at Kiel University created the artificial, microstructured transport device that can be remotely controlled using UV light, making it possible to precisely transport objects in a micro-range. The new composite material consists of two substances: an adhesive material (blue) and an elastic LCE (liquid crystal elastomer) plastic (yellow). LCE is made up of...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESOptical Pliers Made with Smart, Flexible Material Operate RemotelyLiquid crystal elastomer (LCE) technology was applied to practical use by a group of researchers who used this material to demonstrate a miniaturized gripping tool grown on optical fibers. Scientists...Photonics.com 8/7/2020From Contradictory Polymers, Scientists Develop Nanocoatings with Optimal Properties for OpticsMaterials scientists at Kiel University in Germany have synthesized nanoscale gradient copolymers, that possess distinct contradictory properties, to create thin-film polymer coatings that could be...Photonics.com 11/11/2020Photoelectrochemical Sensor Tests for Coronavirus in MinutesScientists in Spain have designed a photoelectrochemical aptasensor to quickly detect coronavirus using a saliva sample. The sensor device, developed by a research team at the Universidad Carlos III...Photonics.com 1/6/2022Photonic Chip Combines Many VCSELs into Single LaserResearchers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the University of Würzburg successfully forced an array of vertical-cavity lasers to act together as a single laser — a...Photonics Spectra December 2021 IssuePRODUCTSSWIR LEDsThe Epitex D-Series of SWIR LEDs from Ushio achieves a two-fold improvement of output and efficiency over its predecessor for the majority of wavelengths. Low-power chips are mounted in...BioPhotonics Nov/Dec 2020 IssuePhotolithography SystemsThe PhableX™ line of photolithography systems from Eulitha AG is designed for the high-volume production of photonic products. The systems operate on the displacement talbot lithography...EuroPhotonics Winter 2020 IssueHyperspectral MicroscopeThe IMA hyperspectral microscope from Photon etc. Inc. has been announced by SphereOptics GmbH. The microscope delivers spectral and spatial information in the VIS, NIR, and SWIR wavelength...BioPhotonics Jul/Aug 2021 IssueRaman Microscopy Analysis SoftwareA Particle Analysis software module for the inVia™ confocal Raman microscope has been announced by Renishaw PLC to automate the system, identify particles on images, and chemically analyze them...BioPhotonics Jan/Feb 2021 IssuePHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESAspheric Lenses: Design Considerations: This first of two articles will cover design and manufacturing options for aspheres; the second will include more detail on manufacturing and testing processes. These articles will provide the tools optics designers need to tailor their designs to the appropriate manufacturing process and to optimize the cost of component fabrication.Aspheric surfaces are powerful tools that combine the optical corrections of multiple lenses into a single element (Figure 1) and affect performance in ways that spherical optics cannot. For example,...Photonics HandbookTunable Light Sources: A Popular Choice for Measurement Applications: Common goals of spectroscopy applications such as studying the chemical or biological properties of a material often dictate the requirements of the measurement system’s lamp, power supply, and monochromator.Many common spectroscopic measurements require the coordinated operation of a detection instrument and light source, as well as data acquisition and processing. Integration of individual components...Photonics HandbookAdhesives for Fiber Optics Assembly: Making the Right Choice: Using the proper adhesive in the assembly of fiber optic components not only saves time and expense, but also can improve reliability and performance.Adhesives for fiber optic components that perform well on glass, metal, ceramic and most plastic substrates provide excellent chemical and solvent resistance. They also can act as an electrical...Photonics HandbookLaser Measurement Systems: Best Practices: When purchasing a laser, learning how to apply, troubleshoot, and evaluate that device is very important.Given the pace at which technology advances, there always seems to be a learning curve. With the abundance of consumer electronics available, there typically is no right or wrong way to use these...Photonics HandbookWHITEPAPERSCharacterization of Dry Electrolyte Polishing ProcessThe preservation of the form is demonstrated by complementary form measurements using Ai Focus Variation technique. S neox Five Axis is a versatile metrology tool that perfectly suits our measurement...Photonics.com 12/10/2021Surface Characterization of Tribological Coatings: Wear Properties, Thickness and RoughnessWith the S mart 3D profilometer, it is possible to more precisely measure the volume loss of the wear tracks after the friction and wear tests, since it measures the real shape of the wear track....Photonics.com 12/10/2021Analysis of Metallic Impurities in Si Wafers Using Fully Automated VPD-ICP-MSThis work demonstrates the coupling of an IAS Expert_PS VPD (vapor phase decomposition) system with the Perkinelmer NexION 5000 ICP-MS, delivering a fully automated, reliable solution for the...Photonics.com 6/8/2021Characterizing the temperature-induced evolution of the shape and texture of a silicon waferUsing Linkam’s precision temperature control chamber with Sensofar’s Linnik objective lens eliminates these problems and allows accurate measurement of 3D topographic profiles of nanoscale materials....Photonics.com 12/10/2021WEBINARSBiophotonic Imaging for Medicine: A Digital ConferenceResearchers from around the world presented their latest work at “Biophotonic Imaging for Medicine: A Digital Conference.” Presentations focused on a range of light-based imaging and...Photonics.com 6/11/2015European Photonics Manufacturing Services Funded by ECThis event is supported by the European initiatives presented and is moderated by EPIC, the European Photonics Industry Consortium. The European Commission is helping companies access the...Photonics.com 6/30/2021Light-Assisted 3-D Bioprinting of Micro- and Nanoscale Functional BiomaterialsFemtosecond laser nanoprinting and projection 3-D bioprinting techniques allow the direct writing of 3-D designer scaffolds used for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. These 3-D...Photonics.com 3/19/2015Micro-Spectroscopy: Enabling Research From Novel Nano-Devices To Clinical DiagnosisMicro-spectroscopy is an ever developing modality for new and exciting research in the areas of nano-technology and bioscience. This webinar will look at modular approaches to microspectroscopy and...Photonics.com 3/24/2015PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSepoxyCommon name for a variety of adhesives used for lens bonding, fiber optic splicing and other photonics applications. The term is actually a prefix denoting the presence of an epoxide group in a...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009curingThe use of chemicals or radiation to induce a desired change in a substance; e.g., some optical adhesives are set by exposure to ultraviolet light and are said to be UV-curing.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009quantum dotsAlso known as QDs. Nanocrystals of semiconductor materials that fluoresce when excited by external light sources, primarily in narrow visible and near-infrared regions; they are commonly used as...EDU.photonics.com 6/30/2017biophotonicsThe technology that deals with the interaction of organic materials with light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. This includes the emission, detection, absorption,...EDU.photonics.com 6/13/2022MEDIAPhotonics on the Showroom Floor and in the Lab - LIGHT MATTERS 02.2018On this month's episode of Light Matters, we take you on a brief tour of the Higgins Laboratories at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). Quinsigamond Community College and WPI received a $4M grant...Photonics.com 2/21/2018Fundamentally Different Photonics - LIGHT MATTERS 03.2018On this month's episode of Light Matters, we take you to the South by Southwest (SXSW) Trade Show in Austin, Texas, as new photonics innovations hit the show floor of the Austin Convention Center....Photonics.com 3/29/2018Light Matters Extra: Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA) - 08.2017On this episode of Light Matters Extra we take you to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, and introduce you to researchers at LESA -- the Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and...Photonics.com 8/28/2017Light Matters Extra: Weird and Strange: Quantum Photonics - 03.2018In this month's Light Matters Extra, we take you to the Quantum Photonics Laboratory at MIT run by Dr. Dirk Englund. Dr. Englund's group, the Quantum Photonics Group, is made up of postdocs and...Photonics.com 3/29/2018PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESOptical Cements and AdhesivesAdhesive and Epoxy Dispensing SystemsEpoxiesCommon name for a variety of adhesives used for lens bonding, fiber optic splicing and other photonics applications. The term is actually a prefix denoting the presence of an epoxide group in a...Fiber Optic EpoxiesCOMPANIESOZ Optics LimitedEstablished in 1985, OZ Optics is a leading worldwide supplier of fiber optic components, test equipment and sensors. OZ Optics manufactures its products in three locations, Ottawa (Canada),...Photonics Buyers' GuideOhara Corporation, Western OfficeOhara manufactures precision optical glasses: strip/slab, cut/molded blanks, pressings, high homogeneity blanks, fine gobs, polished ball lenses, near-UV transmitting i-Line glass, ceramic...Photonics Buyers' GuideUniversal Photonics Inc.“Name the application, we have solutions,” is more than a slogan. It’s what keeps Universal Photonics a world-leader in critical surface preparation material, processing machinery...Photonics Buyers' GuideGlass Fab Inc.A History of Quality Since 1974 Glass Fab Inc. has met customers' stringent specifications by providing fabricated parts made of optical glass, filter glass, fused quartz and fused silica, low...Photonics Buyers' Guide