A moth's eye is the inspiration behind the technology that allows a new NASA-developed camera to create images of astronomical objects with far greater sensitivity than was previously possible. These images taken with a scanning electron microscope show details of a new absorber that is enabling observations by the High-Resolution Airborne Wideband Camera-plus, or HAWC+, a new SOFIA instrument. The "spikes" were inspired by the structure of a moth's eye. Courtesy of NASA. When magnified, a moth's eye contains a very fine array of small tapered cylindrical protuberances whose job is...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESPhotonic Correlator Processes Radio-Frequency Signals, Outperforms Digital MethodsA team at the University of Grenoble Alpes-CNRS has created a radio-frequency (RF) correlator, based on a photonic platform, that is suitable for analog wideband RF signal processing and that enables...Photonics.com 3/31/2022Method Measures Loss of Signal in Far-Infrared InstrumentsScientists from SRON and TU Delft have developed a method to measure the signal loss in far-infrared instruments, designing a signal-carrying so-called microstrip for DESHIMA-2, a far-infrared...Photonics.com 7/15/20215-Year Search for Dark Energy BeginsThe Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has begun its five-year search for dark energy. The device, housed at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Ariz., will aim its robotic array of...Photonics Spectra August 2021 IssueRobust Laser Technology Will Enable Satellite to Measure Greenhouse GasThe MERLIN satellite, a collaboration between DLR RfM in Germany and CNES in France, will use a radar-like laser system to measure the methane concentration in Earth’s atmosphere. The...Photonics.com 7/30/2020PRODUCTSiXon EMCCD CamerasUltrasensitive Scientific EMCCD Camera Platform for Life and Physical Science Andor iXon Single photon sensitivity Back-illuminated > 95% QE Fast frame rates Unique price/performance The ultimate...Promoted Content May 2021 IssueMultispectral Linear Array IR DetectorsThe Pega and Capyork multispectral linear array IR detectors from Lynred are designed for integration into imaging satellites, tracking and measurement instruments used in water cycle observation and...Photonics.com 6/28/2022Lightweight MirrorsLightweight mirror design techniques from Optical Surfaces Ltd. can reduce the weight of a mirror by as much as 60%. Lightweight mirrors are designed to provide sufficient rigidity to ensure...Photonics.com 8/4/2020CMOS Astronomy CameraCOSMOS™ large-format, back side-illuminated CMOS cameras from Teledyne Imaging is optimized for astronomy use. With LACera™ image sensor technology, COSMOS delivers deep-cooled,...Photonics Spectra June 2021 IssuePHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESAdaptive 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 HandbookNano-Optics Technology: Optical Alchemy: Transforming ordinary materials into extraordinary optics holds the key to progress.Optics today needs alchemy, and the forces that motivate microchip technology are a key reason why. Today, light can transmit and process digital information as well as electricity can — in...Photonics HandbookDetectors: The Charge Injection Alternative: Charge-injection device (CID) technology provides a means to convert optical signals from 185 nm to 1100 nm to electronic charges that can be read out as a video signal or processed via computer. The CID imagers also are capable of directly (or indirectly) converting particle photons including electrons, ions, x-rays and other forms of ionizing radiation to measurable levels of electronic charge.Charged-injection device imagers are metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) detectors that can be fabricated using PMOS, NMOS and CMOS integrated circuit technology, and may be configured as a...Photonics HandbookNanopositioning: A Step Ahead: It is almost a cliché among students of creativity that innovation occurs at the intersection of fields. Since nanopositioning is a discipline that has enabled swiftly evolving application arenas as diverse as materials science, genomics, photonics, defense, biophysics, and semiconductors, it’s unsurprising that its pace of innovation is nothing short of blistering in recent years.By its original definition, a nanopositioning device is a mechanism capable of repeatedly delivering motion in increments as small as one nanometer. Lately demands from industry and research have...Photonics HandbookWHITEPAPERSPDH Technique with Moku:Lab’s Laser Lock Box — An FPGA-based all-in-one Solution for Laser Frequency LockingThe Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) technique was first introduced by R.V. Pound, Ronald Drever, and John L. Hall in 1983. It is a widely used method to match the emitting optical frequency of a laser to a...Photonics.com 11/10/2020Extreme Metrology: Big Science Requires a Nano-perspectiveExtreme metrology represents the cutting edge in technological demand from the material researchers, astronomers, and other physicists whose work demands nearly unattainable precision. Understanding...Photonics.com 8/19/2020High Performance SWIR Imaging CamerasSilicon based area detectors (e.g. CCDs or CMOS) are widely used in high-performance imaging applications, detecting wavelengths from soft x-ray through to near infrared (NIR). Typically, the quantum...Photonics.com 7/21/2020Fused Silica Scan LensesThe S4LFT1655/328 is very suitable for stereolithography applications in the infrared wavelength range. The lens has a scan field of 410 mm x 410 mm which enables the production of very large...Photonics.com 4/1/2022WEBINARSAdaptive Optics for MicroscopyUpdate: Additional Questions from the Webinar Answered below. Enabling Structured Illumination Microscopy in Thick Tissue with Adaptive Optics Peter Kner University of Georgia ...Photonics.com 10/23/2013Smartphone Spectroscopy Enables Citizen ScienceSpectropolarimetry is a powerful remote sensing technique that enables the retrieval of air and water quality parameters that traditional spectroscopy cannot probe. iSPEX 2 is a smartphone...Photonics.com 1/21/2021An Introduction to Back Illuminated sCMOS CamerasScientific CMOS (sCMOS) cameras are increasingly becoming detectors of choice for a range of quantitative imaging and spectroscopy applications, from astronomy to biological sciences. This webinar,...Photonics.com 2/14/2017Fused Silica Selection: Solutions for Price vs. PerformanceFused silica is a key material in a multitude of optical applications, including high-power laser systems, spectroscopic instrumentation, astronomy and telecommunications. In this webinar, presented...Photonics.com 4/4/2018PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSpencil beamIn astronomy, the main lobe of an antenna pattern that has a small angular extent in two mutually perpendicular directions. Invisible in space, it would resemble a searchlight beam.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009drift curveA technique used in astronomy that requires a radio telescope to be directed at a point in the sky west of the object under observation. The Earth's rotation causes the object to drift through the...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009distance-luminosity relationshipIn astronomy, the relation that states that the intensity of a star's visible radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from which it is viewed.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009radio astronomyThe detection and analysis of naturally formed extraterrestrial electromagnetic radiation within the radio frequency range of the spectrum.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009MEDIARobot Touch - LIGHT MATTERS 10.07.2015For all their precision of movement, we can't always count on robots to handle objects with care. But fiber optic sensors could give machines a more human sense of touch. See how – this month on...Photonics.com 10/7/2015Deformable Mirrors for Optical Performance - ALPAOALPAO Deformable Mirrors (DM) are based on continuous reflective surface motioned by magnetic actuators. They feature large strokes, high dynamic motion, and an excellent optical quality to meet and...Photonics.com 8/26/2021PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESAstronomical InstrumentsAstronomical MirrorsAn astronomical mirror is generally a mirror used instead of lenses in astronomical and space applications. It is not limited in size, does not absorb UV or IR radiation, and is usually made aspheric...Astronomical TelescopesAn astronomical telescope is an instrument used to observe celestial bodies. Larger astronomical telescopes use mirrors instead of refracting lenses.Optical MountsCOMPANIESLaCroix Precision OpticsOptics that Defend, Build, Cure and Discover The LaCroix name is synonymous with quality precision optics. Since 1947, three generations of family leadership have placed LaCroix Precision Optics...Photonics Buyers' GuideOptolong Optics Co. LtdOptolong Optics Co., Ltd is a manufacturer of fluorescence filters and astronomy filters. We also offer other interference filters such as UV filters, visible filters and near-infrared filters,...Photonics Buyers' GuideAndor TechnologyWe are global leaders in the development and manufacture of high performance scientific digital cameras for academic, industrial and government applications. Through continuous dialogue with our...Photonics Buyers' GuideWasatch Photonics Inc.At Wasatch Photonics, we’re fascinated by the many ways light can be used to understand nature and solve the problems that touch our lives each day, and it shows in our innovation, applications...Photonics Buyers' Guide