Lasers can interact with matter in a variety of ways. Depending on the wavelength, the energy of the laser beam and a whole set of other parameters, such as pulse duration or repetition rate, laser photons have countless ways of mingling with the atoms, molecules and electrons weaving the fabric of matter.

A panel of industry experts weighs in on recent and future advances in laser technologies for machine vision, and offers a look at the market. Laser-based machine vision can be a valuable tool for manufacturers looking to improve various areas of...

Nanophotonics is now a major research theme in optical physics and engineering. Driven by the dream of untapped device functionality, nanophotonics studies the exciting science of the interaction of light with nanostructures, at the size scale where...

Researchers seek side-effect-free treatment for African sleeping sickness, and fast imaging technology plays a vital role in the effort. It’s an age-old epidemic, and it’s terrifyingly deadly: African sleeping sickness, or...

Overcapacity has caused financial problems in the past few years, so the solar industry has been somewhat less focused on implementing technology advances - but today things are looking up and research is being rivived. The solar market was...

Covert IR taggants represent a strong photonic tool in identifying key personnel and materials in both military and civilian applications. Covert infrared taggants are embedded markers that can emit coded optical signals outside of the visual...

The microscopy market is growing – set to exceed $5 billion by 2018 – even as microscopic targets get smaller and smaller. The microscopy market is trending upward – and the technology is continually allowing researchers to see...

Time-to-digital converters provide highly accurate measurements for photonics applications – with less energy consumption and lower overall costs. Measuring a quantity or value through digital monitoring of extremely small increments of time...

Advanced data mining, 3-D video imaging techniques and image fusion are bringing to fruition superaccurate real-time diagnostics, brain mapping and futuristic driverless cars. Developments in photonics have changed the landscape of imaging in...

Easy group delay dispersion measurements improve results in applications such as laser amplifiers, optical coatings, harmonic generation, bioimaging and microscopy. “Dude, where’s my pulse width?!” Anybody working with an ultrafast...

Ones to Watch Some bright lights are making very early contributions to photonics. by Laura Marshall, Managing Editor, [email protected] They’re making headlines for solving theoretical and real-world problems – and they...

Don’t put off thinking about regulatory approval for a medical device that you are bringing to market – experts say you’ll save big in the long run. Medical devices must pass strict regulations before they are released for clinical...

A Q&A with fiber companies reveals continuing advances in medical applications. Fiber optics allow medical devices to direct light to hard-to-reach areas for diagnostics and treatment – that’s hardly news. The first glass rod device...

Product requirements and advances in lasers are leading to growing adoption of photonic manufacturing. In medical devices, smaller is often better – after all, implantable electronics, stents and other pieces of equipment can go into more...

Optics technologies are advancing food safety applications. Natural pathogens. Food fraud and adulteration. Bioterrorism. Food safety is more of a concern today than it’s ever been before. Because the path from producer to consumer is...

Should Europeans adopt more of an American “rock star” attitude toward technology transfer? Perhaps we have a lot to learn from our US cousins when it comes to backing that promising business venture. Europe enjoys an excellent standing...

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 and versatile, quantum dots (QDs) are no longer...

Despite lingering economic concerns, the photonics community is looking ahead to a brighter future – even if it means more work in the short term. Ask members of the photonics industry to describe the current state of the market, and the word...

Sensors for monitoring environmental toxins and detecting explosives, powerful new lasers for biophotonics, and tools for lithography and spectroscopy are among the finalists for the 2013 Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation, the global competition...

Finalists from Europe include tools for pollution monitoring, manufacturing, brain imaging and more. Sensors for monitoring environmental toxins and detecting explosives, powerful new lasers for biophotonics, and tools for lithography and...

The first South African to earn a doctorate in biophotonics was recognized by her nation’s leader, an honor that took her by surprise. A physics professor from the University of Sydney in Australia works with light to speed up the Internet....

Optical fiber probes are still in the early stages of manufacturing, but filament fusion technology enables many probe designs, from ball lenses to fiber lenses, among others. Cleaving fiber bundles with high quality and good throughput facilitates...

The amount of time and energy needed to invest in the setup and use of an untried, but useful, piece of equipment can be daunting. But once some of the basics are explained, the initial effort seems far more palatable. Here is a look at how one...

With a wide range of wavelengths, short pulse durations, high average powers and high pulse energies, compact and cost-effective diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) lasers have a promising future in medical device manufacturing. Medical device...

Replacement bones and blood vessels are just two types of artificial tissues that require deep-imaging microscopy techniques to develop. Studying useful materials is not limited to macroscale structures such as sheet metal, optical glass, wood...