Researchers at Technion: Israel Institute of Technology have developed a method to fabricate freeform optical components by shaping a volume of curable liquid polymer. The work may enable faster prototyping of customized optical components for a variety of applications, including corrective lenses, augmented and virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, medical imaging, and astronomy. The current process for creating freeform optics is difficult and expensive due to the amount of specialized equipment required to mechanically process and polish their surfaces. Technion researchers used a...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESFreeform Surfaces Present Opportunities and ChallengesThe classic example of a freeform surface in ophthalmic applications is the varifocal lens commonly used in eyeglasses. 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From custom design to prototype, the...Photonics.com 6/17/2021F-Theta Battery LensAn F-theta lens for 1064-nm applications has been announced by Jenoptik AG, designed for battery laser foil cutting and high-volume serial production with ultrashort-pulse lasers. The lens...Photonics Spectra March 2021 IssueLaser Propagation SystemThe latest Ophir® M2 BeamSquared® laser propagation system from MKS Instruments Inc. automatically and accurately measures the propagation characteristics of continuous wave and pulsed lasers...Photonics.com 11/2/2021PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESPlastic Optics: Specifying Injection-Molded Polymer Optics: The versatility of polymer optics opens new doors for optical designers who understand the whys and hows of specifications.The use of precision polymer optics is becoming an increasing necessity today as products demand sophisticated light handling components to achieve desired results. Polymer optics can be thought of...Photonics HandbookAspheric 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 HandbookThin-Film Coatings: A Buyers' Guide: The vast majority of optics used in precision scientific, industrial, biomedical, and military applications incorporate thin-film coatings on their surfaces. Therefore, it’s useful for almost anyone involved in the specification and purchase of optical components to have some familiarity with the typical performance characteristics, trade-offs and limitations of various coating types, as well as some knowledge of the capabilities of common thin-film production technologies. This article provides an objective overview of both these topics.What are thin-film coatings? The purpose of any optical thin-film coating is to modify the transmittance and reflectance properties of the substrate material to which they are applied. Most coatings...Photonics HandbookOptical Objective Systems: A Schematic GuideSimple Meniscus Lens The simple meniscus lens is almost universally used in inexpensive cameras. 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Most of the time you either end up using oversized optics or...Photonics.com 10/25/2021WEBINARSFrom the Design Lab to the Factory Floor: How Optics Manufacturers Move Swiftly from Concept to CreationDesigning and fabricating optics requires teamwork among many specialists, from materials scientists who research and study the chemical structures of synthetic or composite materials to optical...Photonics.com 4/27/2021Innovation Along the Value Chain: Creating Optics for Metrology ApplicationsToday, process innovation is as important as product innovation to the creation of a competitive product. The entire value chain, from the definition of the specifications based on the needs of the...Photonics.com 4/29/2020Photonics Spectra Conference 2022: January 10 - 13Photonics Media will host its second annual Photonics Spectra Conference Jan. 10-13. The virtual event will comprise four technology tracks — Lasers, Optics, Sensors and Detectors, and Imaging...Photonics.com 1/10/2022Developments in Optics and Optical ComponentsFree Webinar Additional Questions & Answers from the Webinar below: Speakers: Dr. Robert R. McLeod Associate Professor and Graduate Director Electrical, Computer and Energy...Photonics.com 5/29/2013PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSMurty interferometerA form of shearing interferometer that contains a simple wedged (plane-parallel) glass plate with a nonzero optical path difference to create interference between split optical wavefronts. The...EDU.photonics.com 3/5/2018slurryThe name of the mixture of liquid and grinding or polishing compounds used in processing optical materials.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009etching liquidAn acid used to etch the surfaces of particular materials. For glass, hydrofluoric acid is used either as a liquid or a vapor. 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We’ll also introduce you to an Industry Beacon in the Educator category, and...Photonics.com 9/28/2017Light Matters Extra: Optics & Photonics Technology Program, STCC - 09.2017In this month’s Light Matters Extra, we take you to the Springfield Technical Community College campus and introduce you to Professor Nick Massa, who has been teaching Optics and Photonics there for...Photonics.com 9/28/2017Fundamentally 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 3/29/2018PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESFreeform OpticsCeramicsPrism BlanksRefractive Index Gels and LiquidsCOMPANIESShanghai Optics Inc.Shanghai Optics is a leading manufacturer of advanced optical components and optical assemblies. Shanghai Optics is an unparalleled custom optical solution provider offering custom optical design and...Photonics Buyers' GuideDiverse Optics Inc.Diverse Optics transforms optical systems from expensive, heavy, and complicated to commercially viable, lightweight, and simple. We manufacture custom precision polymer optic components and...Photonics Buyers' GuideFresnel Technologies Inc.Fresnel Technologies Inc. is an expert manufacturer of molded plastic optics, including Fresnel lenses and related optical components, as well as infrared transmitting materials and optics made from...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' Guide