GAITHERSBURG, Md., July 7, 2021 — National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers upgraded their laser frequency-comb instrument to simultaneously measure nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and the major air pollutants ozone and carbon monoxide. The NIST work specifically involves a shift from the spectrum of light analyzed in the near-infrared to the mid-infrared to enable the identification of more and different gases. NIST’s older, near-infrared comb systems cannot identify nitrous oxide, ozone, or carbon monoxide; combined with an earlier version of the system that measures methane,...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESNIST’s Agricomb Measures Gas Emissions from CowsThe “agricomb,” an optical frequency comb developed by researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is able to measure gas emissions from cow eructation and...Photonics.com 4/14/2021High-Precision Dual-Comb Sensing Method Keeps Compact FootprintDual-comb photothermal spectroscopy (DC-PTS), demonstrated for the first time by a joint team from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and...Photonics.com 5/5/2022Optical Delay Scanning Gets Dual BoostVarious applications of pulsed laser sources rely on the ability to produce a series of pulse pairs with a stepwise increasing delay between them. Implementing such optical delay scanning with high...Photonics Spectra February 2023 IssueOptical Ruler’s Expanded Frequencies Support Precision NavigationResearchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) expanded by nearly two-thirds the frequency range over which a chip-scale device can accurately generate and measure the...Photonics.com 3/11/2022PRODUCTSPiezo Flexure StagesThe P-725 PIFOC series of piezo flexure stages from Physik Instrumente LP are piezo motors for autofocus and nanometrology applications with wide travel range and nm precision. Available in...Photonics.com 8/10/2021Subsea LidarThe SL4 subsea lidar from 3D at Depth provides one-hour metrology focused on carbon reduction and efficiency. Ultrahigh-speed compact electronics enable more onboard processing and averaging,...Photonics.com 10/28/2021Goldflex™ Ultra-efficient Broadband IR Gold MirrorAll types of optical sensing devices utilize light, which needs to be routed by mirrors. To optimize this, Goldflex™, a gold-based metallic mirror is recommended. This gold mirror offers the...Promoted Content July 2021 IssueLong-Range ScannerThe Leica RTC360 3D reality capture solution is a long-range scanning device from Exact Metrology Inc. The Leica RTC360 3D reality capture solution can be controlled through the Leica Cyclone...Photonics Spectra September 2021 IssuePHOTONICS 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 HandbookLaser Measurement Systems: Best Practices: When purchasing a laser, learning how to apply, troubleshoot, and evaluate that device is very important.Given the pace at which technology advances, there always seems to be a learning curve. With the abundance of consumer electronics available, there typically is no right or wrong way to use these...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 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 HandbookWHITEPAPERSPrecision Motion and How to Achieve ItNanoscale motion requires fastidious attention to instrumentation, passive controls, and experiment design. Most users have experience in motion control within the sphere of the microscale. In this...Photonics.com 9/1/2022Improving the Future of Smart Agriculture with SpectroscopyClimate change and population expansion have a direct impact on agriculture. An increasing number of people need to be fed, but changing weather patterns can cause complete crops to fail. Inevitably,...Photonics.com 6/9/2022Spectroscopy for Gas Analysis and SensingA variety of spectroscopic techniques are used in gas analysis and sensing – increasingly important fields – crucial in atmosphere monitoring, emission control, and industrial processes efficiency....Photonics.com 11/1/2021Photoluminescence Spectroscopy of Carbon DotsCarbon dots (C-dots) are nanoparticles composed of carbon with diameters below 10 nm. They were accidentally discovered in 2004 by Xu, et al1 when researching methods to purify carbon nanotubes....Photonics.com 8/17/2022WEBINARSEuropean Photonics Manufacturing Services Funded by ECThis event is supported by the European initiatives presented and is moderated by EPIC, the European Photonics Industry Consortium. The European Commission is helping companies access the...Photonics.com 6/30/2021Biophotonic Imaging for Medicine: A Digital ConferenceResearchers from around the world presented their latest work at “Biophotonic Imaging for Medicine: A Digital Conference.” Presentations focused on a range of light-based imaging and...Photonics.com 6/11/2015The Virtuous Cycle of Making and Measuring NanostructuresNIST has established and is exploring a virtuous cycle of making and measuring nanostructures. This positive feedback loop improves the theory and practice of fabrication processes, device...Photonics.com 4/28/2021Applying QCLs for Enhanced Spectroscopic Analysis of LiquidsFor spectroscopic applications, quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) provide coherent, polarized mid-IR radiation with spectral power densities in the 10- to 100-mW range. These properties are very...Photonics.com 1/21/2021PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSbiophotonicsThe technology that deals with the interaction of organic materials with light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. This includes the emission, detection, absorption,...EDU.photonics.com 6/13/2022spectrochemical equipmentEquipment used for chemical analysis by investigation of the spectra formed and observed in chemical activity. Of particular use are spectrographs for recording the emission spectra of substances...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009mode sweepingA form of laser output noise that is caused by thermal, mechanical, or acoustical disturbances of the cavity length. Mode sweeping occurs when the length of the laser cavity changes as a result of...EDU.photonics.com 7/1/2013Multispectral ImagingMultispectral Imaging: Creation of an image where each pixel contains more than three spectral data points, typically four to 20. This is contrasted with a standard color camera that only captures...EDU.photonics.com 3/21/2018MEDIALasers for Neuroscience - Toptica Photonics2-photon fluorescence microscopy has become a key technology in biological imaging in neuroscience enabling three-dimensional, noninvasive studies of the neuronal structure and activity on the...Photonics.com 3/4/2022CTL - Continuous - Toptica PhotonicsThe CTL is the ultimate choice when looking for a laser that is widely and continuously tunable without any mode-hops. It has high power, a narrow linewidth, and low drift. Scans can be performed...Photonics.com 3/4/2022Capasso Group's Optical Harmonic Combs Could Operate as THz SourceResearchers at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have discovered a new phenomenon of quantum cascade laser frequency combs, which would allow the devices to...Photonics.com 8/10/2018Telecentric Lenses - Shanghai OpticsTelecentric Lenses are widely used in metrology instruments, laser marking systems, and AOI (Automatic Optical Inspection) machines. Here’s a 360 view of one of our custom Telecentric Lenses which...Photonics.com 12/6/2022PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESFrequency CombsGases for LasersPyroelectric RadiometersEnvironmental Monitoring Laser SystemsCOMPANIESOZ 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' GuideLaCroix 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' GuideDRS Daylight Solutions Inc.The DRS Daylight Solutions Difference Mid-infrared laser light is bringing game-changing solutions to myriad molecular spectroscopy, sensing and imaging applications*. As a mid-IR technology...Photonics Buyers' GuideFOCtek Photonics Inc.FOCtek provides customers with all types of custom manufactured lenses, Precision Optical Components, Polarizing Optics, Prisms, Filters, Coatings, Optical Systems, Crystals, Nonlinear Crystals,...Photonics Buyers' Guide