BUFFALO, N.Y., Feb. 3, 2017 — A solar still about the size of a mini-refrigerator, made from polystyrene foam and porous paper coated in carbon, could provide inexpensive, efficient access to clean water in developing regions and regions affected by natural disasters. This is a floating solar still prototype that...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESWhispering Gallery for Light Boosts Solar Cell Absorption and PhotocurrentResearchers have developed a nanoscale coating for solar cells that enables the cells to absorb about 20 percent more sunlight than uncoated devices. The coating, developed by trapping light using an...Photonics Spectra July 2018 IssueOptofluidic Smart Glass System Is Cost-Efficient, High PerformingSmart glass panels that can switch between allowing light in and blocking it out could one day be used in eco-friendly windows, windshields, roof panes, and building envelopes to absorb light and...Photonics Spectra June 2018 IssueTechnique Could Offer Gentler Approach to Making Hybrid Photovoltaic MaterialsA thin-film deposition method for creating hybrid thin-film materials, applied to the fabrication of perovskite cells, could lead to a means to develop next-gen solar materials. Researchers at...Photonics.com 1/5/2018Optofluidic Smart Glass Heats and Cools Efficiently, InexpensivelyWe may not be able to control the weather, but new switchable window technology using optofluidic smart glass could someday be used to keep our vehicles, businesses and homes comfortable regardless...Photonics.com 12/20/2017PRODUCTSDiffuse Reflectance ProbeThe Diffuse Reflectance (DR) Probe from Ocean Optics Inc. measures 45° diffuse reflectance, enhancing UV-VIS and NIR spectroscopy results. The sampling tool removes localized variance in...Photonics Spectra February 2017 IssueLaser Beam Profiling Training ToolOphir Photonics has announced the "Understanding BeamGage: The BeamGage Training DVD" training tool for the BeamGage laser beam profiling system. Presented in 14 video chapters, the training...Photonics Spectra February 2017 IssuePanel LEDsThe CL series of panel LEDs from Wilbrecht Ledco Inc. is a 14-mm mount line for industrial and outdoor applications. The CL series incorporates a 10-mm LED available in red, green, yellow, blue...Photonics Spectra May 2017 IssueMagnifier LuminaireThe MLD magnifier luminaire from Waldmann Lighting Co. features glare- and distortion-free, 3.5-diopter magnification with a large, wide, 6.3-in.-diameter lens. Delivering bright, clear light...Photonics Spectra June 2018 IssueMEDIAFundamentally 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 3/29/2018'Green' Initiatives - LIGHT MATTERS 12/2017On this month's episode of Light Matters, we introduce you to a green energy company that is transforming China's national treasure — the giant panda — into panda-shaped solar farms. We also bring...Photonics.com 12/15/2017A '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 8/28/2017Light Matters Extra: Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA) - 08.2017On this episode of Light Matters Extra we take you to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, and introduce you to researchers at LESA -- the Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and...Photonics.com 8/28/2017WHITEPAPERSAcrofusion Makes SolChar Incinerator PossibleAcrolite recently had the opportunity to collaborate with researchers at the University of Colorado in an endeavor that sought to end these pressing global issues. With funding from the Bill and...Photonics.com 10/16/2017Laser Measurement Best Practices: How and When to Apply MeasurementsThere are many challenges that come with laser material processing. New tools can provide the means for more thorough application development, successful laser system integration, and can help to...Photonics.com 2/1/2017Application Note: Ocean FX High Speed Applications in Home LightingUnbeknownst to us, most of the light sources we use for general home illumination have some “flicker” associated with them, due primarily to the AC nature of the current provided for power. While...Photonics.com 7/1/2017Six Best Practices for Optical Product Design TeamsIn their groundbreaking study Six Myths of Product Development, Stefan Thomke and Donald Reinertsen exposed common fallacies of product development and presented best practices for overcoming them...Photonics.com 5/1/2018WEBINARSEnabling Nanophotonics, Data Storage and Energy Conversion with New Plasmonic MaterialsOver the past decade, one of the major focal points for the area of nanophotonics has been developing a new class of plasmonic structures and metamaterials as potential building blocks for advanced...Photonics.com 2/4/2015The Development and Application of an Innovative Technology Enabled by OpticsFree Webinar presented by Photonics Media & OSA Additional Questions and Answers from the Webinar below: Wayne Lem Market Manager Trojan Technologies From the water we drink to...Photonics.com 9/11/2013Enabling Technology for Highly Aspheric or Free-Form Optics ManufacturingFree Webinar Additional Questions & Answers from the Webinar (below) Dr. Dae Wook Kim Assistant Research Professor College of Optical Sciences University of Arizona ...Photonics.com 4/25/2013Preview Agilent’s soon-to-be-released Cary Universal Measurement Spectrophotometer (UMS)Free Webinar See what you’ve been missing: Learn how Agilent’s soon-to-be-released Cary Universal Measurement Spectrophotometer (UMS) will advance your materials analysis. ...Photonics.com 5/13/2013PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSshort-wave radiation (SWR)Characterizes the significant solar radiation at the surface of the earth, so named because its spectral range extends only from 0.3 to 2.8 µm.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009edge-defined film-fed growth (EFG)Process for growth of solar cells that results in rectangular shapes consisting of many interconnected cells in a series or series-parallel arrangement. EFG cells show increased efficiency with...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009actinicStimulating light used for the production of energy through photosynthesis, solar cell or other light senstitive device.EDU.photonics.com 4/15/2013heliographAn instrument designed to record the duration and intensity of solar radiation.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESOptical Delay Lines: Key to Time-Resolved Measurements: To obtain an accurate means of creating reliable delays in any time-resolved spectroscopy or dynamic experiment, several factors about the delay line stage must be considered to reduce or eliminate errors associated with linear stages.One of the most critical elements of any time-resolved spectroscopy and dynamics experiment is the optical delay line. 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. For example,...Photonics HandbookLaser Safety Considerations for Industrial EnvironmentsWhen 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 HandbookInterferometry: Measuring with Light: Long applied to optical shop testing, interferometry is now used to measure many different types of parts in a variety of applications, such as optical system performance, surface roughness, surface form and displacement of moving surfaces.An interferometer is an instrument that compares the position or surface structure of two objects. The basic two-beam division of amplitude interferometer components consists of a light source, a...Photonics HandbookPHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESSolar Energy CollectorsSolar SimulatorsSolar Cells and WafersSolar Tracking SystemsCOMPANIESRHK Japan Inc.RHK Japan is the sole agent for Nihon Tokushu Kogaku Jushi Co., Ltd. (NTKJ). Plastic lens product list: Fresnel Lens Solar Concentrator Fresnel Lens Linear Fresnel Lens Solar Concentrator...Photonics Buyers' Guide