Brent D. JohnsonOptical gels were originally designed to improve return loss in mechanical splices of single-mode fiber, but they also have proved to be effective at index matching for a variety of optical components. One of the key advantages of an optical gel is that it is a fluid, which allows it to seep in and around wiring during encapsulation. Once cured, the material is very soft and elastomeric, permitting thermal expansion without migration of the material or change in refractive index. Today, optical gels have been put to use in myriad photonic devices, including optical sensors, photodiodes,...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESTunable Approach to Structural Color Powers Displays, Cuts EnergyResearchers at Linköping University have discovered a way to generate structural color that could potentially be applied to the manufacture of low-cost, energy-efficient displays and electronic...Photonics.com 7/26/2021New Majority Stake in CILAS; ColdQuanta Continues Growth: Week in Brief: 11/04/22Safran Electronics & Defense and MBDA completed the acquisition of ArianeGroup’s 63% majority stake in CILAS, a French company specializing in lasers for military applications. The...Photonics.com 11/4/2022Chip-Based Lidar Packs the Pixels for Use in Vehicles, MoreA research team led by professor Ming Wu at the University of California, Berkeley is developing a high-resolution, chip-based lidar system that could be used in a range of devices, from autonomous...Photonics Spectra May 2022 IssueResearch Team Incorporates Photonics into Radar SystemA photonic radar system, characterized by its developers as so sensitive that it can detect an object’s location, speed, and angle down to the millimeter level, could be used for applications...Photonics.com 2/15/2022PRODUCTS96Board Camera MezzaninesA series of 96Boards camera mezzanines from Arrow Electronics Inc. enable fast prototyping and development of traditional and AI-enabled vision solutions. The SRT-VISION96-AR0430,...Photonics.com 12/22/2021EVK HD 4The EVK HD 4 Event-based Vision Evaluation Kit from Prophesee is based on the Sony IMX636ES high-definition sensor. The platform provides computer vision engineers with a tested solution for...Vision Spectra Autumn 2022 Issue1D and 2D VCSEL Arrays1D and 2D VCSEL arrays from Lumentum Holdings Inc. are designed for advanced automotive, consumer, and industrial lidar and 3D sensing applications. The multijunction VCSEL arrays deliver...Photonics Spectra February 2022 IssueMulti-Junction VCSELsFive- and six-junction vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays from Lumentum Holdings Inc. are designed for advanced consumer, automotive lidar, and other 3D sensing applications. ...Photonics Spectra June 2021 IssuePHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESAcousto-Optic Devices: Charts showing the characteristics of acousto-optic scanning devices, acousto-optic figures of merit, and solutions for common problems with acousto-optic processor devices.ACOUSTO-OPTIC SCANNING DEVICES: CHARACTERISTICS MODULATORS Material Bandwidth (MHz) Rise Time (ns) Acousto Input Power (W) (Saturation) Material Wavelength Range...Photonics HandbookComponent Choices: Avoiding Tolerancing Mistakes: Designing an optical system involves more than simply understanding the theory behind optics. To design a system efficiently and economically, it is important to understand the capabilities of an optical shop and the interaction of the specifications involved in ordering and designing components.To the novice or casual user of optics, the acquisition of an optical system can be a very difficult experience. Failure to understand the ground rules can result in unnecessarily high cost, late...Photonics HandbookLens Aberrations: Avoiding Defects in Imagery: A perfect lens can produce a perfect image. But seven primary lens aberrations can blur or distort the image instead, and they should be considered when creating an optical system.A lens collects light from a point on an object and focuses it to a corresponding conjugate point on an image. Under most conditions, the lens fails at this task because of some error in the...Photonics HandbookExcimer Optics: High Power Demands High Reliability: The excimer laser’s shift to commercial applications has created a demand for higher power levels and increased reliability from the laser itself, thus creating a greater demand for industrialized optics to control, redirect, reshape, and focus the intense UV radiation produced.The first high-reflectance mirror coatings for the UV and vacuum UV (VUV) were of the Al + MgF2 type produced in the late 1950s. Coatings of this design are still used today for multigas cavity...Photonics HandbookWHITEPAPERSAre You Facing any Problems Securing Optical Parts?You need just a couple of pieces for trial. You need to achieve an exact specification. You need to keep the same quality in every order. You cannot find the best fit material for your design. You...Photonics.com 7/13/2021Why We Test Lenses Over Temperature: Model Validation, Focus Hysteresis, and Other Unusual Failure ModesAthermalization of imaging assemblies is a common challenge in optomechanical lens design. A prototype that achieves the thermal performance predicted by raytracing software is far less common. This...Photonics.com 10/25/2021Antireflection 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 9/2/2022Product Development Strategies for Electro-Optical SystemsThis whitepaper looks at the unique challenges associated with optical systems by exploring two extremes, an ultra-high precision instrument, and a low-cost consumer product, and the different...Photonics.com 10/4/2022WEBINARSIntroduction to Display Metrology: Evaluating the Quality of Displays Using Scientific Systems and MethodsDisplay screens — on instruments ranging from smart devices to automotive displays to augmented and virtual reality headsets — influence the way individuals connect to the world....Photonics.com 11/17/2022Computational Microscopy, Sensing and Diagnostics for Telemedicine and Global Health ApplicationsAdditional Questions and Answers from the Webinar are below: With more than 6 billion cell phone users in the world, the majority of them in developing countries, there are opportunities for...Photonics.com 6/5/2013Mastering the Hidden Pitfalls of Metallic CoatingsMetallic mirror coatings are critical for countless optical systems. Their optical designs are usually quite simple but face challenges in terms of environmental stability and performance across...Photonics.com 8/20/2020Novel Solutions for XR Optical Testing: Displays, Waveguides, Near-IR, and BeyondExtended reality (XR) devices invoke a host of optical innovations — from micro-LED microdisplays to waveguide optics to near-infrared sensing systems. Combinations of these components have...Photonics.com 11/18/2021PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSparaffin oilA saturated compound of carbon and hydrogen used as a liquid coating material for optical components in high-power laser applications. See liquid coating.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009photonicsThe technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and...EDU.photonics.com 3/22/2016beam matrix1. A geometrical arrangement of two or more light beams for use in laser shows, object detection or other applications requiring arrayed multiple beams. 2. A mathematical 2 X 2 or 3 X 3 matrix for...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009dispersion-flattened single-mode fiberA type of glass optical fiber that provides low pulse dispersion over a broad portion of the light spectrum and as a result can operate at 1300-nm and 1550-nm wavelengths simultaneously.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009MEDIAWhat Is a Beamsplitter? - OPCO Laboratory Inc.For 40 years, OPCO Lab has been producing beamsplitters, optical components that split light into two, that are used across a range of products and industries.Photonics.com 11/11/2020FISBAFISBA AG is one of the leading suppliers in the optics industry. Its mass-produced optical components, systems, and microsystems are distributed worldwide, and alongside its headquarters in St....Photonics.com 10/28/2022Arden Photonics OverviewDavid Robinson, CEO and founder of Arden Photonics Ltd., describes the company's international and collaborative mindset, and highlights our key product ranges. At Arden Photonics we design and...Photonics.com 2/10/2021Light Matters Extra: Optifab 2017 - 10.2017In this month's Light Matters Extra, we give you an in-depth look at North America's largest optical fabrication exhibition and show – Optifab 2017. 188 companies filled the showroom floor of the...Photonics.com 10/26/2017PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESAstronomical 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...Dispersion-Shifted Fiber Optic FibersA dispersion-shifted fiber optic fiber is a type of single-mode optical fiber for use in high-bit-rate, long-distance telecommunications systems. The silica-clad fiber has a segmented core that...Silica Single-Mode Fiber Optic FibersPolarization-Maintaining Fiber Optic FibersCOMPANIESMLD Technologies LLCExperts In Thin-film Coating Design We practice a design-before-quote approach to help customers refine specifications and minimize technical risk. We understand how coated optical elements...Photonics Buyers' GuideExcelitas Technologies Corp.Excelitas Technologies® Corp. is a leading industrial technology manufacturer focused on delivering innovative, market-driven photonic solutions to meet the illumination, optical, optronic,...Photonics Buyers' GuidePFG Precision OpticsAt PFG Precision Optics our first priority has always focused on advancing technical competence to provide superior optical products to our customers. We produce a broad offering of very high...Photonics Buyers' GuideBMV Optical Technologies Inc.BMV Optical Technologies Inc. provides manufacturing services for optical components, systems, and thin-film coatings. Products include lenses (cylindrical and spherical), Gaussian reflectivity...Photonics Buyers' Guide