Princeton researchers have uncovered rules pertaining to how objects absorb and emit light. Their discovery addresses how the scale of an object affects the way it interacts with light. The new rules will tell scientists how much infrared (IR) light an object of any scale can be expected to absorb or emit. The movement of light through ordinary-size objects can be described in terms of straight lines, or rays. However, in microscopic objects, properties in the lightwave override the effect of ray optics. Some materials, when observed at the micron scale, have shown IR light radiating at...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESLiquid Crystal-Based Devices Manipulate Light with Flat Optics to Uncover Hidden ImagesAn ancient optical illusion has been updated using the flat optics of today to create a device that reveals a hidden image when light is shined on it. Developed at the University of Ottawa, the magic...Photonics.com 5/13/2022Custom Near-Field Nanoscopy Tool Images Materials at NanoscaleA near-field infrared (IR) nanoscope and spectroscope, custom built by a research team at MIT, can quickly and economically probe the characteristics of diverse materials at the nanoscale. Also known...Photonics.com 7/28/2021All-Optical Crystals Perform as Precision TimekeepersA team led by researchers at the University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside) has demonstrated time crystals that can persist indefinitely at room temperature, despite noise and energy loss....Photonics.com 2/24/2022Fully Tunable Method Strengthens Electron-triggered Light EmissionA wavelength of visible light is about 1000 times larger than an electron. Because of the difference in scale, the interactions between photons and electrons are inherently weak. MIT...Photonics Spectra April 2023 IssuePRODUCTSSingle-photon GeneratorThe iSPS compact single-photon generator from Aegiq Ltd. enables high-performance applications in datacenter and lab environments. With its customizable configuration optical fiber output,...Photonics.com 11/28/2022LED Solar SimulatorThe LumiSun™-50 from Innovations in Optics Inc. is a compact LED solar simulator. The device provides AAA-certified output over a 50 × 50-mm illumination area and is ideal for...Photonics.com 9/20/2021VCSEL Flood Illuminator ModulesVertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) flood illuminator modules for driver and occupancy monitoring systems has been announced by II-VI Inc. 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A typical optical delay line consists of a retroreflector or folding mirrors on...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. 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The publishers of Photonics Spectra invite you to attend a free virtual...Photonics.com 4/12/2022Light 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 4/22/2014PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSnano (n)An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other structures and particles on the nanometer scale. Nano-optics (also referred to as...EDU.photonics.com 10/9/2013infrared radiation sourceAny object that emits radiation of a wavelength lying between about 0.75 to 1000 µm. A calibrated secondary source usually is a heated cavity (blackbody) or a filament lamp rated in wattage...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009blackbodyAn ideal body that completely absorbs all radiant energy striking it and, therefore, appears perfectly black at all wavelengths. 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Quinsigamond Community College and WPI received a $4M grant...Photonics.com 2/21/2018Fundamentally 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 3/29/2018Light 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 3/29/2018PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESInfrared Radiation SourcesAn infrared radiation source is any object that emits radiation of a wavelength lying between about 0.75 to 1000 µm. A calibrated secondary source usually is a heated cavity (blackbody) or a filament...Infrared CollimatorsBlackbody SourcesNano-OpticsCOMPANIESOhara Corporation, Western OfficeOhara manufactures precision optical glasses: strip/slab, cut/molded blanks, pressings, high homogeneity blanks, fine gobs, polished ball lenses, near-UV transmitting i-Line glass, ceramic...Photonics Buyers' GuideShanghai Optics Inc.ISO 9001 & ISO 13485 certified and D&B DUNS # 113515303 Shanghai Optics is an unparalleled custom system solution provider offering advance precision custom optical design, engineering,...Photonics Buyers' GuideGlass Fab Inc.A History of Quality Since 1974 Glass Fab Inc. has met customers' stringent specifications by providing fabricated parts made of optical glass, filter glass, fused quartz and fused silica, low...Photonics Buyers' GuideReynard CorporationReynard Corporation has been a premier supplier of custom optics and thin-film coatings to a global customer base since 1984. Reynard focuses on manufacturing the highest quality products with...Photonics Buyers' Guide