Request InfoOptical Surfaces Ltd.KENLEY, England, Aug. 4, 2020 — Lightweight mirror design techniques from Optical Surfaces Ltd. can reduce the weight of a mirror by as much as 60%. Lightweight mirrors are designed to provide sufficient rigidity to ensure ultra-high precision optical performance while reducing the overall weight of the mirror. This reduced weight allows smaller, lighter support and control structures, reducing the overall cost of optical systems such as space telescopes and spectrographs. It also allows the creation of larger terrestrial telescopes and optical instruments than would be feasible with solid mirrors.See full productRelated content from Photonics MediaPRODUCTSPhotonics.com 7/8/2021Reflective Beam ExpandersThe A1-Series of Reflective Beam Expanders from Optical Surfaces Ltd. features an output clear aperture of 75 mm and a selection of magnifications, which are designed for researchers requiring high...Photonics Spectra April 2021 IssueBeam CollimatorsThe LW series of high-performance beam collimators from Optical Surfaces Ltd. is designed for Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) testing of optical systems. Benefiting from a lightweight design...Photonics.com 2/10/2020Off-Axis Parabolic MirrorsOff-Axis Parabolic (OAP) Mirrors from Optical Surfaces Ltd. combine the achromatic and diffraction-limited imaging properties of a parabolic mirror with the ability to deviate the light path off-axis...Photonics Spectra October 2019 IssueHyperbolic MirrorsHyperbolic mirrors from Optical Surfaces Ltd. are designed for deep space observation telescopes and earth observation satellites. Hyperbolic mirrors are used in a telescope design to correct...ARTICLESPhotonics.com 1/31/2020First Images from Inouye Solar Telescope Provide Detailed Look at SunThe first images from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Inouye Solar Telescope show a close-up view of the sun’s surface, detailing a pattern of turbulent plasma that covers the...Photonics Spectra November 2020 IssuePrimary Mirror Completed for NASA’s Roman Space TelescopeThe Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s primary mirror has been completed, NASA announced. The telescope will have a field of view 100× greater than the Hubble Space Telescope, and it...Photonics.com 12/10/2019Squeezing Improves LIGO’s Sensitivity to Quantum NoiseA new instrument called a quantum vacuum squeezer is helping LIGO — the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory — to detect gravitational wave signals nearly every week. Just...Photonics.com 3/5/2020SwRI Delivers Ultraviolet Spectrograph for Jupiter MissionAn ultraviolet spectrograph (UVS) designed and built by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is the first scientific instrument to be delivered for integration onto the European Space Agency’s...PHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESPhotonics HandbookNano-Optics Technology: Optical Alchemy: Transforming ordinary materials into extraordinary optics holds the key to progress.Optics today needs alchemy, and the forces that motivate microchip technology are a key reason why. Today, light can transmit and process digital information as well as electricity can — in...Photonics HandbookAdaptive Optics: Taming Atmospheric Turbulence: For more than three centuries, the Earth’s atmosphere has frustrated astronomers. The layer of gases that we breathe also distorts the images formed by telescopes. This means that conventional telescopes of more than a few centimeters in diameter cannot reach the resolution limit set by their optics.To Isaac Newton the problem was clear, and in 1704 he realized the effects of atmospheric turbulence on image formation. Just as heat waves shimmering above a hot patch of ground can distort our...Photonics HandbookIllumination Design and Analysis Software: A Vital Tool in the Designer’s Kit: Optical systems design and analysis software is a key element in an optical engineer’s toolkit. Simulation allows virtual tinkering with a system problem before ever creating — and in some cases eliminating — a prototype. The results can be analyzed to determine real system performance and to suggest changes to optimize the design and enhance performance.Illumination design has developed rapidly to include not only automotive headlamps and street lamps, but also backlit displays, fluorescent panel lighting, light-emitting diode or laser sources, and...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. 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This webinar will give you a general overview of machine vision system design...Photonics.com 1/22/2020Advancements in Precision Motion Control for Electro-Optical Manufacturing and Laser Materials ProcessingWith a focus on high-throughput/high-yield positioning and microrobotic solutions for leading-edge manufacturing, Scott Jordan and Matt Price from Physik Instrumente (PI) will present the latest...Photonics.com 10/8/2020Intelligent Motion Systems Based on Fast Optimization Algorithms and Hexapod 6-Axis MechanismsPART 1: Hexapods are 6-axis parallel-kinematic machines often employed to solve complex multi-axis precision positioning and motion applications in fields such as photonics, optics, metrology,...Photonics.com 11/10/2020Multiphoton Autofluorescence Imaging of T-Cell FunctionImmune cells, including T cells, have a range of functions depending on activation state and subtype. However, current methods to assess immune cell function use exogenous labels that are limiting...PHOTONICS DICTIONARY+ TERMSEDU.photonics.com 1/14/2013magnitudeIn astronomy, the relative brightness of a celestial body. Originally a scale from 1 to 6, where 1 represented the brightest and 6 the faintest visible night sky objects. This scale has been expanded...EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009scatterometerAn instrument used to determine the absolute or relative scatter levels of optical surfaces.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009grinding toolA tool of cast iron or another suitable medium used with a slurry of silicon carbide, aluminum oxide or emery for grinding optical surfaces.EDU.photonics.com 3/5/2018Geometrical opticsThe area of optics in which the propagation of light is described by geometrical lines (or rays) governed by Fermat's Principle. Geometrical optics is useful as long as the objects in which the light...VIDEOSPhotonics.com 11/17/2017Binding 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: Lightning Awards Luminate Rochester - 11/2017In this month's Light Matters Extra, we give you an in-depth look at the recent Luminate Lightning Awards. New York’s Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul was there and tells us why Luminate is important...Photonics.com 10/26/2017Light 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 10/26/2017Optics and Photonics at the Hub of the Industry - LIGHT MATTERS 10.2017Tune into this month's edition of Light Matters for some of the highlights from Optifab 2017, as distributors and buyers from all over the world met in the photonics industry hub of Rochester, New...PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIESFreeform OpticsAstronomical MirrorsAn astronomical mirror is generally a mirror used instead of lenses in astronomical and space applications. It is not limited in size, does not absorb UV or IR radiation, and is usually made aspheric...Astronomical OpticsAstronomical TelescopesAn astronomical telescope is an instrument used to observe celestial bodies. Larger astronomical telescopes use mirrors instead of refracting lenses.COMPANIESPhotonics Buyers' GuideLaCroix 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' GuideMLD Technologies LLCExperts In Thin-film Coating Design We practice a design-before-quote approach to help customers refine specifications and minimize technical risk. We understand how coated optical elements...Photonics Buyers' GuideA.R.W. Optical CorporationARW Optical is your reliable manufacturer of quality optics and coatings. Beamsplitters • Prototyping through volume-production quantities • High-performance and durable optical...Photonics Buyers' GuideCascade Optical CorporationCascade Optical Corporation has more than 35 years of expertise in custom vacuum-deposited thin-film coatings, specializing in IAD, low temp, low stress coatings for laser crystals and fiber optics....