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Photonics Spectra: February 2013

Photonics Spectra
 February 2013


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FEATURES
Photonics Accelerates Bandwidth Race Technological developments in photonics are the future of mobile communications, from speedy interconnects to novel types of fibers and lasers. How remarkable that the first iPhone was released just over five years ago, back in the “dinosaur-phone era” of 2007. It was only 10 years ago that PDAs (personal digital assistants) were the hottest tool to organize a busy life, even though...
Data Demands Drive Free-Space Optics Light-based options promise to pick up where radio-frequency technology leaves off. In wireless communications, things are getting crowded. Growing data demands are bumping up against radio frequency...
QDs Are Entering the Mainstream Since their discovery in the 1980s, quantum dots have been quietly gaining momentum, making slow but steady headway in applications from displays and lighting to photovoltaics and health care. Unique...
Thermoelectric Cooler Controller Design Made Simpler TEC controller design experts offer tips to lower the cost and simplify the design of the devices, and to increase their ease of use. Thermoelectric cooler (TEC) controllers are becoming more...
Fast Camera Improves Surveillance on the Seas Case study: Automatically imaging the ocean and sending real-time pictures back to a base station enables faster panoramic shots for disaster prevention, aerial mapping and more. For the purposes of...
EDITORIAL
Craving Bandwidth? Photonics Satisfies Oliver Twist’s plea for “more” was met with incredulity and outrage, but demands by the world’s computer and smartphone users for more bandwidth and greater speed are being greeted with vision, effort and innovation. Optical technologies may hold the key to winning the bandwidth race and to communicating in free space. In our cover story, science writer Valerie C. Coffey...
WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW
ETOP - Meeting the Future of Global Optics Education Every couple of years, scientists, technicians and educators in optics and photonics come together to discuss and demonstrate the latest approaches to teaching in these fields at ETOP, the International Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics. ETOP 2013, to be held July 23-26 in Porto, Portugal, is sponsored by The Optical Society (OSA); SPIE, the International Society for...
LASERS IN USE
Laser Safety Training: How Much Is Enough? Experts offer practical advice for selecting and scheduling laser safety training. For people who work with lasers – laser safety officers, industrial hygienists, health physicists, environmental health and safety professionals, manufacturing and laboratory managers – some training is always better than none. Fortunately, laser safety training can be combined with other safety and...
LASER SAFETY
Laser Safety Training: How Much Is Enough? Experts offer practical advice for selecting and scheduling laser safety training. For people who work with lasers – laser safety officers, industrial hygienists, health physicists, environmental health and safety professionals, manufacturing and laboratory managers – some training is always better than none. Fortunately, laser safety training can be combined with other safety and...
TECH PULSE
Near-perfect optical absorber developed A tunable device coated with a film 100 times thinner than the wavelength of incident light absorbs 99.75 percent of a specific mid-infrared band on demand, potentially expanding thermal detection...
Theoretical calculation proposes using heat to power QCLs Heat generated in a quantum cascade laser (QCL) – something that normally causes the lasing to turn off – could actually be used to power the device instead, according to a theoretical...
Mechanical oscillator transfers optical signals Suppose you needed two PCs to exchange information. The process would be relatively easy because they speak the same language. Between a PC and a Mac, however, you would need a middleman, although...
Metamaterials manipulate light on a microchip Controlling light on a microchip is no easy feat, but new theoretical designs for miniaturized optical devices made of metamaterials could make it a little easier. A unified theory from researchers...
‘Hyper’ Ramsey excitation confirmed Shining laser light onto atoms and molecules is the best way to obtain precise information about their inner structure, but light above a certain intensity can fundamentally change their energy...
Tiny probes dramatically boost Raman signals Novel gold nanoparticles can goose the signal from Raman reporters, or molecules whose jiggling atoms respond to a probe laser by scattering light at characteristic wavelengths. The discovery could...
CERN detector to measure supershort pulses Conventional measurement techniques soon will be too slow to measure phenomena taking place on timescales faster than an attosecond. To measure such light pulses, scientists have proposed a method to...
Defying expectations, x-ray laser supercharges atoms Using a single flash from the world’s most powerful x-ray laser, researchers have stripped a record number of electrons from xenon atoms, creating a “supercharged,” strongly...
Recipe for supercheap hydrogen: sunlight + water + rust Water and rust can make supereconomical hydrogen from sunlight, a team from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) reported recently. Researchers have been pursuing the...
Raman researchers set a trap to cool ions Trapping ions with cold atoms cools the ions and could lead to experiments that generate molecular ions at interstellar space temperatures. The traps also can store ions in a stable condition for...
LIGHT SPEED
LEDs’ longevity could cause problem for market LEDs are known to last longer than traditional bulbs, but that very trait could actually have a negative effect on the market – after all, if they last longer, they don’t need to be replaced as often. That’s the conclusion of UK-based IMS Research, now part of IHS Inc., in its recent Packaged LEDs – World – 2012 Report. The lighting sector is currently driving...
Moves & Expansions Southern Photonics of Auckland, New Zealand, has partnered with I-Wave Corp. of Tokyo to provide sales and support to customers in Japan. I-Wave is an importer and exporter of ultrahigh-speed optical...
People In The News OneChip Photonics of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, has hired Jonathan Boocock as vice president of product development. He will lead efforts to extend OneChip’s photonic integrated circuit-based...
Demand for free-space optics devices to grow The global market for free-space optics (FSO) transmitter and receiver link devices used in stationary nonmilitary/aerospace applications registered at $29.83 million in 2012, an increase of 13...
VC funding for solar drops 50 percent in 2012 Venture capitalists (VCs) invested half as much in the solar industry in 2012 as they did the year before, and the overall VC funding for solar reached its lowest point since 2007, according to a...
Newport’s Photovoltaic Lab offers wafer testing Newport Corp.’s Technology & Applications Center’s Photovoltaic Lab in Irvine, Calif., now offers solar wafer testing and calibration on cells up to 156 x 156 mm. Endorsed by the...
Under One Roof Advanced Thin Films, a unit of Idex Optics & Photonics, has announced that the brands and capabilities for Precision Photonics and ATFilms have fused under one roof. The newly united team will...
GREENLIGHT
Photon funnel makes the most of sun’s rays A solar “funnel” exploits materials under elastic strain and could provide a new way of harnessing photons for electricity by capturing a wider spectrum of solar energy. “We’re trying to use elastic strains to produce unprecedented properties,” said Ju Li, an MIT professor and the lead author of the paper describing the new concept. Manipulating a material’s...
LIGHTER SIDE
NASA “spokeschicken” charms science learners Don’t be fooled by her appearance – Camilla is no ordinary rubber chicken. She’s a social media celebrity, an educator and an inspiration, traveling around the world and even to the edge of space in the name of science. Her full name is Camilla Corona SDO, and her purpose in life is to educate kids of all ages about space research. She serves as mission mascot for NASA’s...
PRODUCTS
Particle Measurement System Designed to provide customers with a streamlined solution for quantifying microscopic residue, defects and foreign particles during manufacture, Olympus America Inc.’s Inspector Series 5.2 delivers the accurate and reproducible data required to determine if parts meet quality specifications. It is used in the automotive, aerospace and medical device industries. The single-source...
Evident Scientific
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Multispectral Cameras Ocean Thin Films has introduced the compact PixelCam “snapshot” multispectral cameras for short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) analysis from 700 to 1700 nm. They simultaneously acquire four...
Pixelteq
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Micropolarizer Camera The PolarCam micropolarizer camera from 4D Technology is available through Laser Physics UK Ltd. It simultaneously captures multiple polarized images of each video frame, enabling a range of image...
Laser Physics UK Ltd.
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Long-Wave Pass Filters Semrock Inc. has announced expanded wavelengths for the EdgeBasic line of long-wave pass edge filters. Ten laser wavelengths have been added to the previous 19. The filters offer steep edge locations...
IDEX Health & Science - Semrock Optical Filters
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Stainless Steel Camera Enclosures The Turtle series of stainless steel enclosures with a Peltier temperature controller for cameras is being launched by autoVimation. Available in two sizes, the Peltier enclosures enable users...
autoVimation GmbH
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1-µm Laser Optics Ophir Optronics Ltd. has announced that its CO2 Optics Div. has developed optics for high-power 1-μm laser systems. The company’s OEM-approved fused-silica lenses deliver ultralow...
Ophir Optronics Solutions Ltd., Optics Group
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Intelligent Stereo Camera Vision Components GmbH is introducing the VC nano cube dual intelligent stereo camera. Featuring two remote sensor heads that measure 22 × 22 × 22.5 mm, it is suited for 3-D tasks and...
Vision Components GmbH
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Pulsed Laser Diodes OSI Laser Diode Inc. has introduced a line of high-power monolithic stacked pulsed laser diodes for military/defense, industrial, automotive and machine vision applications. Single and stacked pulsed...
OSI Laser Diode Inc.
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Multicamera Inspection System Olmec Ltd. has developed a multicamera, multi-illumination, high-speed inspection system to check the integrity of the foil seal on plastic lids that are used to seal glass and plastic containers in...
Olmec-UK Ltd.
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1877-nm Laser Diode Module Eblana Photonics Ltd. has released a single-wavelength 1877-nm laser diode module. The optically isolated 14-pin butterfly module is suited for moisture detection in tunable diode laser absorption...
Eblana Photonics Ltd.
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Stand-Alone Camera Controller Olympus Europa Holding GmbH has released a stand-alone controller for the 5-megapixel DP26 camera. Users can view samples and capture images directly on a monitor screen with no need for a dedicated...
Olympus Europa SE & Co. KG
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Fiber-Pigtailed Lasers Coherent Inc. has introduced a line of fiber-pigtailed (FP) lasers. The Sapphire FP lasers are compact continuous-wave visible, combining low noise and good output stability. They are available...
Coherent Inc.
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Laser Diode Driver The iC-HT laser diode driver from iC-Haus GmbH permits microcontroller-based activation of laser diodes in CW mode. Laser diodes can be driven by either the optical output power, the laser diode...
iC-Haus GmbH
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Superresolution System Molecular Devices LLC has released the MetaMorph superresolution system with synchronized image acquisition and processing, enabling analysis of object details smaller than 250 nm in fixed and live...
Molecular Devices LLC
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Optical Coherence Tomography Carl Zeiss Meditec AG has introduced its CIRRUS optical coherence tomography (OCT) products. The CIRRUS high-definition (HD) OCT line includes models 5000 and 500. The systems are for diagnosing and...
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
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4– to 5-µm and 8-µm Isolators Because feedback can disrupt applications of quantum cascade lasers and, in some cases, damage the laser, Innovation Photonics has developed the only device that stops the feedback: isolators for 4-...
Innovation Photonics
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Broadband Fiber Optic Cables Avantes BV has announced its broadband fiber optic cables for use from 250 to 2500 nm. Available directly, this gives users the broad range of two fibers combined into one, without any loss of...
Avantes BV
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Field Spectroradiometer The UDS-1100 from Spectral Evolution is suited for surface reflectance measurements where it is inconvenient or impractical to take frequent reflectance panel reference scans, especially on days with...
Spectral Evolution Inc.
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Companion Processor OmniVision Technologies Inc. has announced the OV480, a compact companion processor designed to enhance camera performance in wide field-of-view applications for automotive vision systems. It...
OmniVision Technologies Inc.
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Close-Focusing Miniature Zoom Lens The Model 207 motorized miniature zoom lens from Resolve Optics Ltd. can focus on an object at infinity down to an object positioned just 35 mm in front of the lens. Designed for use with...
Resolve Optics Ltd.
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CO2 Laser Mirrors A full line of CO2 laser mirrors that are optimized for use in high- and low-power lasers is available from Laser Research Optics. The mirrors are offered in ¾- to 3-in.-diameter sizes,...
Laser Research Optics
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Epoxy-Based UV-Curable System A one-component LED-curable system from Master Bond Inc. offers fast cure speeds. LED401 is based on LED technology. The adhesive, sealant, coating and encapsulant cures tack-free upon exposure...
Master Bond Inc.
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TERS Probes Bruker Corp. has released a line of IRIS TERS probes. By enabling tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), the probe tips provide nondestructive label-free chemical detection at the nanoscale. ...
Bruker Nano Surfaces
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Infrared Camera OptoTherm Inc. has released a thermal imaging camera that can be used in electronics applications such as product design and detecting shortcircuits. The system includes the IR LabMate thermal...
Optotherm Inc.
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Compact Interferometer The Mini interferometer manufactured by Zygo Corp. is a production-ready phase-shifting system that measures the form and shape of spherical and flat optics in volume manufacturing, with a compact...
Zygo Corporation
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Raman Microspectrometer The Artemis Raman microspectrometer from Craic Technologies is designed to be added to many types of optical microscopes and offers high sensitivity, high resolution, a broad spectral range and rapid...
CRAIC Technologies
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Correlative Microscopy FEI has announced a suite of solutions for correlative light and electron microscopy. They bring data from different imaging techniques together automatically in minutes, giving cell biologists the...
FEI Life Sciences (acquired by Thermo Fisher)
UV Marking Laser Trumpf Inc. has introduced the TruMark 6350 laser with improvements in design and performance compared with prior versions of the UV marking laser. Improved laser parameters enable increased...
TRUMPF Inc.
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Pumping Tee The McPherson Model DP100 is a high-vacuum pumping tee with a removable conductance-limiting aperture. The tendency of pressure to equalize in vacuum systems can interfere with experiments or...
McPHERSON
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Vision Measuring Machine Mitutoyo America Corp. has released the Quick Vision WLI vision measuring machine. Besides an optical vision head, it incorporates a white-light interferometer (WLI) head. Together they enable...
Mitutoyo America Corp.
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Imaging Sensors for Machine Vision FSI Technologies Inc. has added a 3-D imaging sensor to its machine vision product line. The GS 3-D imaging sensors support a new range of robot control and inspection applications. The...
FSI Technologies Inc.
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PHOTONICS SPECTRA 2013
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