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 MediaARTICLESTechnique 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 12/20/2017Whispering 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 IssueEngineered Quantum Dots Could Help Lower Solar Power CostA window architecture that includes two different layers of low-cost colloidal quantum dots tuned to absorb different parts of the solar spectrum could be used to build double-pane solar windows that...Photonics.com 1/8/2018PRODUCTSMini-Chrom MonochromatorsOur Mini-Chrom monochromators are a family of compact, in-line Fastie Ebert monochromators with a 74mm focal length, ideally suited for OEM system integration, as well as general spectroscopy use....Photonics Buyers' Guide January 2018 IssueTunable Light SourceThe SpectralLED RS-7-2 tunable LED light source from Gamma Scientific is designed for camera and image sensor calibration with a larger output port and increased output uniformity. The system...Photonics Spectra May 2017 IssueOptical RulerThe Light Aligner from Spectrolight Inc. is an optical ruler with precision pinholes and fiducials that simplifies the common problem of aligning a laser or other light beam. Key product...Photonics Spectra November 2018 IssueUV/VIS Rheometer AccessoriesPhotoRheometer Systems from Digital Light Lab are LED-based UV/VIS accessories for TA Instruments AR and Discovery Series Rheometers. The system interfaces with event signals and comes complete...Photonics Spectra September 2017 IssueMEDIA'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 12/15/2017Fundamentally 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: 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 8/28/2017A '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 8/28/2017WHITEPAPERSAcrofusion 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 10/16/2017Diode Lasers Enable Diverse Therapeutic ApplicationsDiode lasers have become the dominant laser type used in therapeutic applications. This is because these workhorse devices provide lower cost of ownership, a wider choice of output wavelength and...Photonics.com 10/29/2018Advantages 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 7/31/2018Application 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 7/1/2017WEBINARSEnabling 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 9/11/2013By a Stretch: Making Femtosecond Laser Design and Manufacturing Simpler, Leaner and CheaperNext-gen ultrafast lasers will be cheap, compact, robust and versatile. How does your laser measure up? This webinar will discuss challenges in femtosecond laser design and manufacturing, such as...Photonics.com 1/23/2018Enabling 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 4/25/2013PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMShydrogenated amorphous siliconA photoreceptor material used in solar cells and in drums for laser printers and high-speed copiers because of its high quantum efficiency over a wide spectral band, high data-rate capability and...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009astronomical unit (AU)The unit generally used to express distances within the solar system, and sometimes to measure interstellar distances. Technically, one astronomical unit is the mean distance between the Earth and...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009solar cellA device for converting sunlight into electrical energy, consisting of a sandwich of P-type and N-type semiconducting wafers. A photon with sufficient energy striking the cell can dislodge an...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009Lyot filterA type of filter consisting of a series of birefringent crystals and polarizers invented by French astronomer Bernard Lyot for isolating and observing significant wavelengths of solar light.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESLaser 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 HandbookOptical 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 HandbookStandard CIE IlluminantsPhotonics HandbookPHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESSolar Energy CollectorsSolar Photovoltaic SystemsSolar Photovoltaic Assembly Materials and EquipmentSolar SimulatorsCOMPANIESHORIBA ScientificHORIBA Scientific is a leading manufacturer of high performance spectroscopic instrumentation, for applications in nanotechnology, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemistry, photovoltaics,...Photonics Buyers' Guide