Subangstrom-level noise and nonlinearities better than 0.05 percent make them strong competitors to capacitance sensors.Dr. William O'Brien, Mad City Labs Inc.Science and industry requirements are fueling demand for smaller and higher-speed nanopositioners. Capacitance sensors, which are used in many nanopositioners, may pose problems when used with either miniaturized or faster nanopositioning systems, and they face growing competition from modern piezoresistive sensors, in part because of their subangstrom noise levels and nonlinearities better than 0.05 percent. A nanopositioner consists of three primary components: the guidance mechanism, the actuator and the position sensor. For applications that require subnanometer precision, many...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESLASER World of PHOTONICS 2019: An Innovation PlaygroundWith a first-rate portfolio, LASER World of PHOTONICS (Laser Munich) is a one-stop shop for research and technology, industry, and academia — showcasing numerous photonics components, systems,...BioPhotonics May/Jun 2019 IssueContinuously Variable Bandpass Filters Aid Optics and HSIHyperspectral imaging (HSI) has been in use for a couple of decades in applications such as satellite imaging and air reconnaissance. Despite its widespread use, there is a lack of clarity of what...Photonics Spectra June 2018 IssueFiber Optic Sensors Compete in Environmental Monitoring MarketModern societies are facing rising concerns about global environmental issues, including an alarming rise in pollution of our seas, waterways, land, and air. As we bear witness to widespread...EuroPhotonics Autumn 2019 IssueStrain Engineering Enables Precise Placement of Single-Photon EmittersScientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) have developed a way to directly write quantum light sources, which emit a single photon of light...Photonics Spectra May 2019 IssuePRODUCTSPCB Repair MicroscopeThe QianLi LC-IRP01 Thermal/Visible Microscope from Saelig Co. Inc. is a diagnostic tool for printed circuit board (PCB) repair. The microscope displays heat images to help identify damaged or...Photonics Spectra November 2019 IssueCell Imaging ReaderThe Cytation™ 7 Cell Imaging Multi-Mode Reader from BioTek Instruments Inc. combines an automated upright microscope, an inverted microscope, and multi-mode microplate detection in a single...BioPhotonics Mar/Apr 2020 IssuePCB Identification AppThe DXF Overlay application from TAGARNO allows microscope users to identify miniature printed circuit board (PCB) components during quality control processes. A search feature enables the...Photonics.com 8/22/2019SPIM MicroscopeLuxendo GmbH has extended the InVi-SPIM microscope to include full incubation capabilities, flexible illumination, and detection optics. The single-plane illumination microscopy (SPIM)...Photonics.com 4/30/2018PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESSuperresolution Microscopy: An Imaging Revolution: Despite tremendous accomplishments in recent years, superresolution microscopy is a relatively young field, and confusion exists in this domain of many abbreviations. However, this makes for captivating times as superresolution microscopy opens the door to wider imaging applications.Superresolution optical microscopy, for which the Nobel Prize was awarded to Eric Betzig, Stefan Hell, and William Moerner in 2014, has been one of the most momentous developments in the life...Photonics HandbookMicroscopy Illumination: Considering Nonlaser Light Sources: Metal halide and LED light sources are changing the illumination landscape in microscopy. Brighter, easier to use and growing in application, they are driving new options in fluorescence, conventional bright-field and other contrast techniques.As recently as five years ago, shopping for a microscope light source was fairly straightforward. For routine applications, it was tungsten halogen, typically 100 W, while for fluorescence, it was an...Photonics HandbookMeasuring Surface Roughness: The Benefits of Laser Confocal Microscopy: 3D imaging and ultrahigh resolution are ideal for the inspection of materials with defined surface finishes and textures.When evaluating the surface of a component, surface roughness can be assessed by eye or by rubbing it with a fingertip. Common expressions include “shiny,” “lusterless and...Photonics HandbookDetectors: Options for Low-Light Applications: Silicon photomultipliers and photomultiplier tubes each boast unmatched sensitivity, yet their distinct characteristics make them suited for different uses.Developed in the early 1990s, the silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) is a solid-state photodetector whose sensitivity to light rivals that of a photomultiplier tube (PMT) in a regime where a few hundred...Photonics HandbookWHITEPAPERSDiscovering Fine Neurovascular Structures in Tibial Epiphysis Using the FV3000 MicroscopeUnderstanding the vascular and neural projections to the knee joint is important for treating pain associated with knee arthropathy. With the FV3000 microscope, researchers at the Keio University...Photonics.com 10/3/2019Advantages of Optically Pumped Semiconductor Lasers – Invariant Beam PropertiesThe optically pumped semiconductor laser (OPSL) is a unique patented technology that combines the most desirable attributes of laser diodes, DPSS (Diode Pumped Solid State) and Ion lasers, while...Photonics.com 7/31/2018Hyperspectral Imaging Cameras in Rapid Detection and Potential Diagnosis of Agricultural Crop ThreatsRemote monitoring of crops via satellites using color cameras was the earliest form of spectral imaging in agricultural management. Due to limited capabilities, only basic plant health parameters...Photonics.com 6/6/2018The VisIR-765 “STED” - A Versatile Picosecond Pulsed Laser Module for Spectroscopy and MicroscopyStudying luminescence lifetime is a very powerful analytical tool, as it provides insights into the excited state dynamics of molecules, complexes, or semi-conductors. Pulsed laser modules with...Photonics.com 5/1/2018WEBINARSBiophotonic 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 6/11/2015Fast & Sensitive Camera Technologies – How to Choose the Best SolutionJoin us for a FREE webinar – Thursday, August 21, 2014, 1 - 2 p.m. EDT Dr. Orla Hanrahan has worked with Andor Technology as an Application Specialist in Life Science for the past four...Photonics.com 8/21/2014Light 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 4/22/2014Micro-Spectroscopy: Enabling Research From Novel Nano-Devices To Clinical DiagnosisMicro-spectroscopy is an ever developing modality for new and exciting research in the areas of nano-technology and bioscience. This webinar will look at modular approaches to microspectroscopy and...Photonics.com 3/24/2015PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSmultiband cameraA group of four cameras loaded with different combinations of filters and film (one is usually an infrared color film) to permit the recording of the same subject in four separate regions of the...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009convolutional neural networkA powerful and flexible machine-learning approach that can be used in machine vision to help solve difficult problems. Inspired by biological processes, multiple layers of neurons process portions of...EDU.photonics.com 6/30/2017back channelA channel for communication with the source in an otherwise unidirectional network, such as a channel that provides interactive features in a cable television network.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009multispectral photographyThe use of narrow bandpass filters and special photographic emulsions to discern features of a surface that would not be easily recognizable with regular black-and-white or color photographic methods.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009MEDIALight 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 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 2/21/2018Fundamentally 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 3/29/2018A 'Smart' Lighting Revolution - LIGHT MATTERS 08.2017In this episode, we take you to a U.S. National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. Researchers there are leading the charge for "smart"...Photonics.com 8/28/2017PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESOptical RadarsResearch MicroscopesScanning Probe MicroscopesPhase Contrast MicroscopesCOMPANIESSmarAct Inc.Since 2005, SmarAct develops piezo-based, high-performance positioners and measurement tools for the micro- and nanometer scale. Positioning systems with numerous degrees of freedom and parallel...Photonics Buyers' GuideAllied Vision Technologies GmbHABOUT US For 30 years, Allied Vision has helped people see the bigger picture to achieve their goals. We believe knowledge is power and always strive to deliver valuable insight with our...Photonics Buyers' GuideBasler AGBasler AG – We get the picture Long-lasting digital cameras with highest reliability and outstanding image quality Basler is the leading manufacturer of high-quality digital cameras...Photonics Buyers' GuideCanon U.S.A. Inc., Industrial Products Div.Applying optical and optoelectronic technologies amassed over many years, Canon provides high-value-added products to a wide range of industries. The Company is prominent globally as a manufacturer...Photonics Buyers' Guide