LIVERMORE, Calif., July 17, 2012 — The National Ignition Facility’s (NIF’s) 192-beam laser system delivered a record-breaking 500 TW of peak power and 1.85 MJ of ultraviolet laser light to its target, validating the NIF’s laser performance specifications set in the late 1990s. Combining extreme levels of energy and peak power on a target in NIF is a critical requirement for achieving one of the great challenges of physics — igniting hydrogen fusion fuel in the laboratory and producing more energy than that supplied to the target. After 15 years of preliminary work, the NIF’s 192 lasers...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESLLNL’s Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough Offers Step to Clean EnergyResearchers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have made a significant breakthrough in ongoing nuclear fusion research. The scientists created a...Photonics.com 12/12/2022Photonic 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 3/31/2022US Department of Energy Details Net Energy Gain from LLNL Fusion WorkOfficials from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that scientists at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) achieved fusion ignition, marking...Photonics.com 12/13/2022SPIE Reveals 2023 Startup Challenge FinalistsTen early-stage startup companies from six countries have been selected to compete for a top prize of $10,000 at the 13th annual SPIE Startup Challenge, to be held during Photonics West Jan. 31,...Photonics.com 12/7/2022PRODUCTSFiber Optic ConnectorsThe Amphe-Lite connector series from Amphenol Industrial Operations has been enhanced to meet the needs of fiber optic interconnection applications in the medical, oil and gas, security, and grid...Photonics.com 8/4/20223D PrinterThe Sapphire XC 1MZ 3D printer from Velo3D Inc. allows users to print parts with a height of 1 m, increasing the addressable use cases of end-to-end metal additive manufacturing. The system...Photonics.com 7/20/2022Laser ScannerThe Focus Core Laser Scanner from FARO® Technologies Inc. is designed for 3D capture in the construction, building operations, and public safety markets. With scan speeds of less than one...Photonics Spectra January 2023 IssueSolid-state Laser RangefinderCompact solid-state laser rangefinders with an eye-safe beam of 1535 nm have been announced by Erbium Technology Co. Ltd. With reduced size, weight, and power, the 60-g devices deliver a high...Photonics.com 11/1/2021PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESLaser Safety: Important Considerations: Laser safety is nothing to scoff at; lasers can be hazardous. Enter Class 1 laser products — lasers that are so safe that the user doesn’t require specific laser safety training or protective eyewear. Some precautions still exist, though.When purchasing an industrial laser system, the astute buyer will look for a Class 1 laser product — a system where the laser beam hazard is completely enclosed and there is no potential laser...Photonics HandbookIndustrial Lasers: An Introduction to Process Qualification: The step from successfully demonstrating a new laser process on a limited number of samples under laboratory conditions, to scaling that process up for high-volume industrial use is a big one. In particular, it’s necessary to determine how variations in process parameters affect end results, so that acceptable process input and operating ranges can be determined.Materials processing with lasers is actually a broad term for a diverse range of applications. The major categories of these uses, and the lasers that service them, are summarized Table 1. At one...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 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 HandbookWHITEPAPERSFast Axis Collimator Lenses (FACs) - The Essential Components for Laser DiodesWe started developing FACs more than 15 years ago. The result is highly automated in-house processes which allow for competitive prices – even with high volumes. Diode lasers are efficient, compact,...Photonics.com 12/2/2022Antireflection Coatings for Space ApplicationsSpace can be a harsh environment for optical coatings. Optimax has successfully provided antireflection (AR) coatings for a wide range of space applications. This paper outlines the results of...Photonics.com 9/2/2022Compact Laser VibrometerTechnology and Applications in Manufacturing Quality ControlThis paper introduces a series of compact laser vibrometer products developed by OmniSensing Photonics which are based on its integrated laser sensing platform. These laser vibrometers have wide...Photonics.com 11/1/2021Positioning at the Nanoscale (and Below): Trust in Proven PerformanceThrough a deep knowledge of sensing technologies, technically adept personnel, and experience across applications as diverse as astronomy to live cell imaging, Mad City Labs helps our customers...Photonics.com 10/19/2022WEBINARSThe New Developments That Quantum Computing Is Driving in Fiber Lasers and Frequency ConversionThe semiconductor, micromachining, and ophthalmology markets, and even the emerging quantum computing market all heavily influence the direction for future high-performance laser developments. Today,...Photonics.com 1/9/2023The Influence of Ultrafast Laser Pulse Duration During Materials ProcessingNow a standard feature in many ultrafast laser sources, the ability to adjust pulse duration and quality is important to ensure optimal throughput and quality during materials processing...Photonics.com 1/9/2023Light Sources for Stimulated Vibrational MicroscopyAdditional questions and answers: Q: What is the power intensity for the adjusted supercontinuum Stokes laser? A: There are at least two PCF modules commonly used for supercontinuum...Photonics.com 4/22/2014Laser 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 TERMSlaser cavityA means of optical confinement intended to increase the gain length of radiation prior to emission from the device. The means of optical confinement used to increase gain path length vary depending...EDU.photonics.com 3/5/2018pulse compressionA means of achieving higher peak powers and more efficient harmonic generation by narrowing the pulse width and thus increasing the frequency bandwidth of the output of CW mode-locked lasers....EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009transversely excited atmosphere carbon dioxide laserAbbreviated TEA CO2 laser. A gas laser that provides shorter pulses and higher peak powers than conventional CO2 lasers. The electrical excitation pulse occurs transversely to the optical axis...EDU.photonics.com 6/28/2017beam diameter1. Calculated distance between two exactly opposed points on a beam at a chosen fraction of peak power (typically 1/e2). 2. The diameter of a circular aperture that will pass a specified percentage...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009MEDIAPIC 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 7/30/2018Luminate NY 2019: Lightning AwardsLuminate is the world's largest Optics, Photonics and Imaging accelerator focused on advancing next-generation OPI-enabled companies. The accelerator program accepts ten companies per year to compete...Photonics.com 11/16/2018Tech Transfer Programs Bridge Gap Between Industry and ResearchTechnology Transfer Programs are often a concerted effort to share skills, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing, and facilities among governments or...Photonics.com 6/19/2018Photonics 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 2/21/2018PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESMode-Locked LasersPartial ReflectorsLaser Beam ProfilersA laser beam profiler is a device that measures the spatial distribution of energy perpendicular to the propagation path of a radiant beam. An energy or power meter is typically used to monitor the...KrF LasersCOMPANIESLaCroix 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' GuideOZ 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' GuideCASTECH INC.CASTECH is a recognized leading supplier of nonlinear optical crystals, laser crystals and precision optical components for laser, telecom, medical, analysis and detector markets. Products...Photonics Buyers' GuideLambda Research Optics Inc. (USA)Lambda Research Optics, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of laser optics with high power thin-film coatings and high precision fabrications. Lambda serves a wide range of industries, such as Biotech,...Photonics Buyers' Guide