Thin, inexpensive plastic lenses for IR imaging devices can be manufactured from waste sulfur generated by refining fossil fuels. The plastic is transparent to wavelengths from 3 to 5 µm, has a refractive index between 1.865 and 1.745, and has high optical focusing power, according to...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESStealth 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 IssueTunable Metalens Can Change Its Focus in Real Time, Like a Human EyeResearchers have demonstrated electrically tunable large-area metalenses controlled by artificial muscle technology. The adaptive metalens simultaneously controls for three of the major contributors...Photonics Spectra May 2018 IssueHidden In The Shadows No MoreThermal cameras are actively deployed on aerial and ground vehicles, in watchtowers, and at checkpoints for surveillance purposes. More recently, thermal cameras are becoming available for use as...Photonics Spectra June 2018 IssueAIM Photonics Academy Teaches Fundamentals, Design of Photonic Integrated CircuitsThe American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics) is an industry-driven public-private partnership that focuses the nation’s premiere capabilities and expertise to...Photonics.com 7/30/2018PRODUCTSHD Thermal CameraThe new Vayu HD longwave-IR (LWIR) camera from Sierra-Olympic Technologies Inc. offers true HD imaging. 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A compression effect makes...Photonics Spectra June 2017 IssueDark Mirror CoatingsThe latest dark mirror coatings from Deposition Sciences Inc. improve signal-to-noise ratio and contrast in demanding optical systems such as performance imaging, displays, and hyperspectral sensors....Photonics.com 11/6/2018MEDIAPhotonics 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 2/21/2018Light 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 3/29/2018Fundamentally 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 3/29/2018PIC 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 7/30/2018WHITEPAPERSKey Considerations when Designing and Implementing an Outdoor-Ready Smart Imaging SystemThe key to a successful all-in-one imaging system is the use of embedded systems – especially when it comes to designing a custom proprietary system. This white paper walks you through key elements...Photonics.com 1/26/2018Using IR to Solve CrimesRecent advancements in infrared photography have ushered in a new era in crime scene investigation and forensic analysis. By capturing an image with an infrared sensitive camera, illuminated by an...Photonics.com 6/14/2017Hyperspectral Imaging Cameras in Rapid Detection and Potential Diagnosis of Agricultural Crop ThreatsRemote monitoring of crops via satellites using color cameras was the earliest form of spectral imaging in agricultural management. Due to limited capabilities, only basic plant health parameters...Photonics.com 6/6/2018Use Injection Molded Plastic Optics to Reduce System CostPlastic optics in complex optical systems offer many advantages over glass. Designers and manufacturers will gain competitive advantages by using well designed plastic optics in applications well...Photonics.com 5/17/2017WEBINARSDevelopments 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 5/29/2013Techniques in Biophotonic ImagingFREE WEBINAR Sponsored by: Hamamatsu & Applied Scientific Instrumentation Additional Questions & Answers from the webinar are below: Dr. Kimani C. Toussaint Jr. Quantitative...Photonics.com 3/21/2013Raman Spectroscopy for Research and IndustryFREE WEBINAR Additional Questions and Answers from the Webinar are below: Speakers to include: David J. Brady, Duke University Computational and Compressive Raman Spectroscopy ...Photonics.com 6/24/2013Emergence of Freeform Optics in Imaging Systems: A Leap ForwardFollowing a brief introduction, professor Jannick Rolland will discuss the historical context and applications for freeform optics. She will then present mathematical descriptions and the latest...Photonics.com 2/27/2019PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSmetamaterialA material engineered from artificial matter not found in nature. The artificial makeup and design of metamaterials give them intrinsic properties not common to conventional materials that are...EDU.photonics.com 2/15/2013plastic opticsThe integration of plastic materials into optical applications. When the materials are refined into lenses, prisms and mirrors, they serve the purpose of glass optics at a lower cost and a...EDU.photonics.com 3/24/2016Geometrical opticsThe area of optics in which the propagation of light is described by geometrical lines (or rays) governed by Fermat's Principle. Geometrical optics is useful as long as the objects in which the light...EDU.photonics.com 3/5/2018pulse video thermography (PVT)A noncontact, nondestructive method of measuring defects in thin composite materials, using a xenon flashtube to generate heat in a sample. A thermal imaging system detects differences in the rates...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009PHOTONICS 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 HandbookCamera Resolution: Combining Detector and Optics Performance: Most image-quality discussions center on resolution, which is thought to uniquely determine system performance. Resolution, however, is a more complex concept.Camera resolution depends upon the optical blur diameter and the detector size. Schade combined these to create an equivalent resolution that is a function of Fλ/d where F is the focal ratio,...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 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 HandbookPHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESMid-Infrared CamerasCatadioptric LensesOptical Design and Engineering ServicesTelevision LensesCOMPANIESII-VI Optical SystemsHIGH ENERGY LASER SOLUTIONS - II-VI Optical Systems provides collaborative support through all project phases, including consulting services at the project requirements definition phase, conceptual...Photonics Buyers' Guide