Ruth A. MendonsaThe recent controversy over the possibility that biological warfare agents may have caused the dire illnesses plaguing the men and women who fought in Operation Desert Storm has surely captured everyone's interest. Detecting and tracking these deadly agents presents a considerable problem to those...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESVisible LEDs Enable Sensor Response Activation at Room TemperatureScientists have discovered a mechanism that allows hydrogen sensors to work under visible light, without heating, therefore enabling the sensor to work at room temperature. The discovery, based on...Photonics Spectra February 2018 IssueQuantum Key System Uses Unbreakable Light-Based Encryption to Secure DataA device that can send unbreakable secret keys from a handheld device to a terminal could keep users' personal financial information more secure and safer in the event of a cyber-attack. ...Photonics.com 3/21/2017Changes in Optical Noise Lead to Hidden Target DetectionA novel method for tracking hidden objects does so by analyzing the fluctuations in the optical noise created by the object’s movement. This approach could help advance real-time remote sensing...Photonics Spectra July 2017 IssueStealth Sheet Conceals Hot Objects from IRAn ultrathin cloaking material has been developed that can hide hot objects, such as human bodies and military vehicles, from IR cameras. The new “stealth sheet” is <1 m thick and...Photonics Spectra September 2018 IssuePRODUCTSAirborne Surveillance SolutionThe SkEye WAPS airborne wide-area persistent surveillance solution from Elbit Systems Ltd. is designed for homeland security and defense applications. SkEye WAPS provides advanced capabilities...Photonics.com 6/20/2017Virtual Emergency Training SystemThe Emergency Scenarios Virtual Reality Trainer from Elbit Systems Ltd. is a virtual reality-based simulation trainer, providing a realistic 3D virtual environment for training emergency response...Photonics.com 11/30/2016Diffraction GratingsWe are one of the few manufacturers offering in-house custom design and manufacturing capabilities for both ruled and holographically recorded diffraction gratings.Photonics Buyers' Guide January 2018 IssueSpace-Certified™ Laser DiodesPhotodigm Space-Certified™ laser diodes, detectors, and other optoelectronic components enable advanced mission payloads. Our engineering team has extensive experience in developing and...Promoted Content April 2018 IssueMEDIALight Tomorrow with TodayLuminate NY, the only optics, photonics and imaging (OPI) accelerator and investment fund in the world, announced the final winners at the Light Tomorrow with Today event in Rochester, NY. For the...Photonics.com 7/2/2018Thermal Imaging Helps Nab Bomber - LIGHT MATTERS 04.24.2013-Plasmonic Waves -2000 Sun Power -Reading while Running This week on Light Matters: bad guys can run, but they can’t hide from thermal imaging, on-chip optics makes advances, solar dish pulls in the...Photonics.com 4/24/2013Photonics 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 2/21/2018PIC Fundamentals, Design at Heart of AIM Photonics Summer AcademyStudents from large and small size companies and bigger Department of Defense affiliates of the AIM Photonics Institute took part in the recent AIM Photonics Summer Academy at MIT. This was the third...Photonics.com 7/30/2018WHITEPAPERSThe Future of Optics: How Optical Product Design will Change the WorldNew technologies are creating new opportunities in the optomechanical engineering space. Prepare for what lies ahead in optical product design by reading what 13 experts have to say about how optical...Photonics.com 8/31/2018Autonomous automobiles don’t operate underwater, however…Autonomous vehicles use an assortment of sensors and imagers including LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). Whether it’s scanning system, solid state, or flash these systems need to be calibrated for...Photonics.com 5/1/2017Working in the Basement: Measuring Signals Below the Noise Floor with a Lock-In AmplifierMeasuring optical signals in the femtowatt (10-15) to nanowatt (10-9) range can be a daunting task. Signal levels this low are lost in typical detector noise levels and swamped by background light....Photonics.com 1/26/2018The Role of Lidar in our CitiesOur first city belonged to the Mayans, one of six areas in the world where ancient civilization arose independently. Once a thriving hub of culture, commerce and magnificent architecture in...Photonics.com 8/31/2018WEBINARSSynthetic Sapphire: Properties, Use and SelectionSapphire, the hardest natural substance next to diamond, is significantly stronger than many other optical materials. Synthetically grown sapphire is even higher in purity and clarity than its...Photonics.com 4/26/2018Current Status of Solar Photovoltaic Technology Platforms, Manufacturing Issues and ResearchQuestions, Answers & Comments from the Webinar Current Status of Solar Photovoltaic Technology Platforms, Manufacturing Issues and Research Thursday, Sept. 27, 1 p.m. EDT ...Photonics.com 9/27/2012New Directions in Microscopy IlluminationBelow is Michael Walsh's presentation - Join us for a FREE webinar: Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014, 1 p.m. EDT New Directions in Microscopy Illumination In optical microscopy, light is...Photonics.com 8/13/2014Laser Measurement Best Practices: How to Avoid Choosing the Wrong Power/Energy SensorJoin us for a FREE webinar sponsored by Ophir-Spiricon. Particle Measurement SystemsSensors are critical for accurate laser measurement, yet they are often selected based on the wrong criteria....Photonics.com 9/27/2016PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSlegacy fiberOlder fiber optic cable that may not be suitable for state-of-the-art applications and that is difficult for suppliers to sell.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009multianode microchannel array detectorA photon-counting instrument for use in both space-borne and ground-based photometric and spectroscopic instrumentation. This style of detector is composed of opaque photocathodes for photon to...EDU.photonics.com 3/5/2018laserA device which operates under the processes of absorption and stimulated emission and by the condition that gain exceeds loss in order to sustain amplification. The term laser is the acronym for...EDU.photonics.com 3/5/2018chalcogenide glassAn infrared-transmitting material used in optical fibers for applications in the wavelength region from 2 to 11 µm.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESInfrared System Design: Understanding the Process: While equations and data pertaining to infrared system design abound,1 comparatively little has been written about the process.2 This article attempts to fill that void.Infrared system design is not, like some circuit design, a synthetic process. One cannot start by stating the problem and proceeding in an orderly fashion to a final solution. Rather, we guess a...Photonics HandbookAdaptive Optics: Taming Atmospheric Turbulence: For more than three centuries, the Earth’s atmosphere has frustrated astronomers. The layer of gases that we breathe also distorts the images formed by telescopes. This means that conventional telescopes of more than a few centimeters in diameter cannot reach the resolution limit set by their optics.To Isaac Newton the problem was clear, and in 1704 he realized the effects of atmospheric turbulence on image formation. Just as heat waves shimmering above a hot patch of ground can distort our...Photonics HandbookInfrared Spectral Selection: It Begins with the Detector: An IR imaging system employing a narrow spectral band brings hidden images to light, broadening IR imaging’s applications.Spectral selection is a powerful tool that enhances conventional imaging tremendously. Most imaging systems, including the human eye, are designed to image light over a broad range of the spectrum....Photonics HandbookHyperspectral Imaging Spectroscopy: A Look at Real-Life Applications: Spectral imaging has grown from an expensive research-oriented technique to one that is applicable for a wide range of scientific and industrial applications. This article looks at real-life systems, the arrangement of the instrumentation and examples in process control and monitoring.Hyperspectral imaging spectroscopy has developed dramatically from a large, complex, remote-sensing satellite- or aircraft-based system into a rugged, compact, economically priced imaging and...Photonics HandbookPHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESInfrared DetectorsAn infrared detector is a device used to detect radiation from the infrared region. It may be a thermal detector, such as a bolometer, thermocouple or Golay cell, or it may be a solid-state photon...Photodiode DetectorsKrF LasersMedical/Biomedical Light SourcesCOMPANIESDiverse 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' Guide