Nine innovations from across the globe took center stage last month at Prism Award ceremonies at SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco. From mini-spectrometers, smartphone plug-ins and fiber lasers to scintillation crystals and optical connectors, the 2015 Prism Awards recognized the best of the...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLES2019 Prism Award Finalists AnnouncedEstablished industry stalwarts will compete with disruptive startups at the Prism Awards ceremony and banquet during SPIE Photonics West 2019 in San Francisco. Celebrating its 11th year, the Prism...Photonics.com 12/5/2018Prism Awards Honor Industry’s Top InnovatorsWhat do the world’s smallest FTIR spectrometer and a smartphone add-on sensor for noncontact bioimaging have in common? The 2018 Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation. These products are among...BioPhotonics January 2018 IssueEndocon Uses GE Laser Technology for Hip Implant RemovalUsing General Electric’s Additive Concept Laser Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) technology, medical device developer Endocon GmbH has developed a 3D-printed surgical tool to improve and...Photonics Spectra February 2019 IssuePrism Award Finalists Vie for 2019 HonorsThe Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation bring anticipation and excitement each year to the Photonics West exhibition in San Francisco. Renowned as the “Oscars of the photonics...BioPhotonics January 2019 IssuePRODUCTSLidarThe Cube Range lidar from Blickfeld GmbH is a microelectromechanical (MEMS) device that detects obstacles at a distance of up to 250 m. The Cube Range was designed as a robust 3D solid-state...Photonics Spectra December 2019 IssueIndustry 4.0 TechnologiesIndustry 4.0 technologies from Pepperl+Fuchs GmbH are designed to work within Internet of Things and smart industry infrastructure. Connected Customization uses a multisensor system of lidar...Photonics Spectra April 2019 IssueCMOS Image SensorThe Emerald 5M CMOS image sensor from Teledyne e2v is designed for machine vision, automated optical inspection, and factory automation applications that require higher resolution images of objects...Vision Spectra Spring 2019 IssueLaser Annealing SystemThe microPRO RTP laser annealing system from 3D-Micromac AG is designed to enable several key process steps in semiconductor, power device, and MEMS manufacturing. Combining a state-of-the-art...Photonics.com 7/19/2018PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESOptical Materials: Double-Sided Lapping and Polishing: Double-sided lapping and polishing utilizes planetary action with the combination of a top and bottom plate to precisely grind and polish precision, parallel optics.Double-sided processing is a batch-type process that uses planetary action — generally with loose, abrasive particles suspended in a liquid vehicle — to abrade material almost equally...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 HandbookAspheric Lenses: Optimizing the Design: This second of two articles discusses the tools optical designers need to tailor their designs to the appropriate manufacturing process, optimizing the cost of component fabrication.With the understanding of aspheric lens manufacturing provided in part one of this article, designers have the tools to optimize their aspheres; the next step is to understand how to specify and...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 HandbookWHITEPAPERSWorking in the Basement: Measuring Signals Below the Noise Floor with a Lock-In AmplifierMeasuring optical signals in the femtowatt (10-15) to nanowatt (10-9) range can be a daunting task. Signal levels this low are lost in typical detector noise levels and swamped by background light....Photonics.com 1/26/2018The Role of Lidar in our CitiesOur first city belonged to the Mayans, one of six areas in the world where ancient civilization arose independently. Once a thriving hub of culture, commerce and magnificent architecture in...Photonics.com 8/31/2018Improving Additive Manufacturing with Accurate Surface MetrologyStandard manufacturing formative techniques (e.g., molding, injecting, casting, stamping, forging) and subtractive processes (e.g., CNC milling and turning, drilling, cutting) are being challenged by...Photonics.com 5/1/2019Automated Solutions for SAE Standard HUD MeasurementHead-up display (HUD) technology is one of the largest growth areas in the automotive market, and standard measurement criteria are rapidly being defined to evaluate augmented projections for visual...Photonics.com 9/1/2019WEBINARSDevelopments in Optics and Optical ComponentsFree Webinar Additional Questions & Answers from the Webinar below: Speakers: Dr. Robert R. McLeod Associate Professor and Graduate Director Electrical, Computer and Energy...Photonics.com 5/29/2013Photonics for OphthalmologyPhotonics Media invites you to join us for our upcoming FREE digital conference, "Photonics for Ophthalmology." The event will feature several 15-minute online presentations on the use of light-based...Photonics.com 6/9/2016Optics and Lighting Solutions for Machine VisionMachine vision technology is key to efficiently manufacturing a wide range of products today, from semiconductors to appliances to beverage containers. A crucial first step in any good machine vision...Photonics.com 3/20/2018The Future of Imaging: Three PerspectivesPresenters: Professor Stephen Boppart The Future of Healthcare With Optical Biomedical Imaging A medical doctor and professor at the University of Illinois, Boppart's...Photonics.com 12/14/2011PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSmetrologyThe science of measurement, particularly of lengths and angles.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009speckle metrologyRefers to the variety of techniques that use the interference pattern produced by laser light diffusely reflected by an object. There are two basic techniques: direct laser photography, used when...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009laser speckleSparkling granular pattern that is observed when an object diffusely reflects coincident laser light. Speckle appears as an irregularity in many holographs but has been exploited as a measurement...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009MEDIAPhotonics 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 2/21/2018Sneak Preview: Optifab 2017 Connects Industry and AcademiaOrganized jointly by SPIE and the American Precision Optics Manufacturers Association, Optifab 2017 will be held Oct. 16-19 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center in Rochester, N.Y. This...Photonics.com 10/5/2017Binding Light in Optics and Photonics - LIGHT MATTERS 11.2017Tune into this month's edition of Light Matters for 'Part 1' of an exclusive interview with SPIE CEO, Eugene Arthurs, as he speaks about his upcoming retirement. We’ll also take you to Rochester,...Photonics.com 11/17/2017Light 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 CATEGORIESSurface Quality Measuring EquipmentHandheld ScannersImaging ArraysAcousto-Optic ScannersCOMPANIESLaCroix 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' GuideBeijing Golden Way Scientific Co. Ltd.Beijing Golden Way Scientific provides high precision optical components manufacturing, utilizing optical processing facilities from raw material cutting, grinding, and polishing to final coating and...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' GuideTeledyne Judson TechnologiesTeledyne Judson Technologies (TJT) is a global leader for IR sensors from the Visible to VLWIR spectrum. Two-dimensional FPAs (InGaAs, InSb, and MCT) and Integrated Dewar Cooler Assemblies (IDCAs)...Photonics Buyers' Guide