Laser Focus World articles from November 2003

Laser Focus World archives from November 2003

Expanding choices.(editor's desk)
November 1, 2003... The Model T, according to Henry Ford, was available "in any color you choose, so long as it's black." Introduced in 1908, the Model T revolutionized automobile manufacturing--Ford was not the first to build a car on an assembly line, but he...

Multiwavelength femtosecond pulses are phase-coherent.(news breaks)
November 1, 2003... Phase-coherent multiwavelength femtosecond pulse trains have been generated by scientists at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Tsukuba, Japan), who optically phase-locked the pump and subharmonic signal and...

Imaging interferometric microscope has large depth of focus.(news breaks)
November 1, 2003... By combining a low-numerical-aperture (low-NA) microscope objective with off-axis coherent illumination and injection of a far-off-axis zero-order beam, researchers at the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM) have created a 200x imaging...

Edge-detecting silicon retina chip has optical output.(news breaks)
November 1, 2003... Detection of object edges in images is important in vision-systems applications ranging from semiconductor lithography to industrial mass-production. Low-level feature-extraction methods with optical outputs can serve to extend the optical...

Finite-impulse-response filter separates color simply.(news breaks)
November 1, 2003... Researchers at Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China) and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a design method for a type of optical filter called a finite-impulse-response filter. Based on birefringence, the filter is...

Strontium aluminate turns fluorescent bulb into emergency light.(news breaks)
November 1, 2003... Emergency lighting for public and commercial buildings usually comes in the form of spotlight and battery-box units mounted here and there on the wall. These fixtures require their own wiring and must thickly populate a building for adequate...

Nitrogen implantation boosts gallium arsenide MSM detector performance.(news breaks)
November 1, 2003... Implanting high-energy nitrogen ions in gallium arsenide (GaAs) has allowed scientists at the Research Centre Julich (Julich, Germany), the Slovak University of Technology (Bratislava, Slovakia), and the University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)...

Large laser tackles nuclear-waste problem.(Nuclear Physics)
November 1, 2003... One of the major problems of nuclear power lies in the management and disposal of high-level radioactive waste. A recent meeting funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Swindon, England) highlighted this problem, with...

Tabletop laser induces transmutation.(Optoelectronics: world news)
November 1, 2003... Researchers at the University of Jena (Jena, Germany) and the Institute of Transuranium Elements (Karlsruhe, Germany) have succeeded in using a tabletop laser to bring about the gamma-ray-induced nuclear reaction that transmutes the long-lived...

Electrowetting is behind small and fast autofocus.(Liquid Lenses)
November 1, 2003... A few types of focusable fluidic lenses have been developed over the years; one form such a lens can take is that of a chamber with a transparent membrane that flexes as fluid pressure changes within the chamber (see Laser Focus World, August...

Near-IR imager detects early dental decay.(Medical Imaging)
November 1, 2003... Researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have developed a near-IR imaging system that detects dental decay earlier and more accurately than x-rays or other transillumination sources. Funded by a National Institutes of...

Ion milling makes diamond micro-optics.(Optical Fabrication)
November 1, 2003... Diamond optics transmit over a large spectral range, conduct heat very well, resist etching, and are exceedingly hard. These same properties, however, make fabricating diamond optics difficult--standard methods of micromachining are either...

Interferometers calibrate gauge blocks over optical fiber.(Optical Metrology)
November 1, 2003... If one were to generate a list of least known but most used measuring instruments, gauge blocks would certainly be included and might be listed near the top. they are "among the most commonly used standards for maintaining traceability in...

Subtleties of two-photon polymerization emerge.(Nanofabrication)
November 1, 2003... A collaboration led by researchers at PRESTO (part of the Japan Science and Technology Corporation) and Osaka University (both of Osaka, Japan) has demonstrated how factors considered unimportant at larger scales are crucial for precise...

High power, high brightness fiber-coupled diode lasers are now available.(Advance Diode Laser Technology)
November 1, 2003... A series of high power, high brightness, fiber-coupled laser diode devices are now available for industrial and medical applications from Apollo Intruments. The laser products are based on a new beam shaping technology developed by the company...

Tungsten film makes single-photon detector.(Quantum Cryptography)
November 1, 2003... Quantum cryptography will theoretically enable completely secure optical communications by taking advantage of the fact that anyone trying to eavesdrop on an encrypted code key will change the quantum state of the message-carrying photons and...

Serrodyne technique produces broad spectrum of close-packed pulses.(Wavelength-Division Multiplexing)
November 1, 2003... At NTT Photonics Laboratories (Kanagawa, Japan), researchers have developed a way of producing a broad-wavelength source from a single-wavelength pulse train. The technique uses a synchronized phase change in an electroactive medium to shift...

Biophotonic imaging reveals cellular and subcellular details.(Biophotonics)
November 1, 2003... The annual meeting of the Stanford University Photonics Research Center (Stanford, CA) provides an interdisciplinary academic and university showcase for leading-edge photonics research. While last year's meeting focused on recognizing the...

Laboratory St. Elmo's fire produces VUV light.(Vacuum-Ultraviolet Sources)
November 1, 2003... Lamps emitting at vacuum-UV wave-lengths (VUV; the region below approximately 190 nm, where air starts to strongly absorb light) could find use in ozone production, cleaning and surface modification of semiconductors, photochemistry, and water...

Mask makers contemplate the next generation.(Photomask Technology)
November 1, 2003... This year's SPIE symposium on photomask technology, held in September in Monterey, CA, opened with descriptions of deep-UV (DUV) laser writers replacing electron-beam (e-beam) systems and closed with discussions of maskless lithography. The...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2003... In "New technical conference probes quantum noise for new physics" (September, p. 32), the incorrect location was given for next year's SPIE Symposium on Fluctuations and Noise. The symposium will be held in the Canary Islands next year.

Coherent sets up new laser fab in Scotland.(laser)
November 1, 2003... Scotland's reputation in laser technology development and manufacturing has been strengthened with the opening of a new center of design and manufacturing excellence. Coherent Scotland (Glasgow, Scotland) has been chosen by its parent company...

LaserSight files for Chapter 11.(laser)
November 1, 2003... Eye-laser manufacturer LaserSight (Winter Park, FL) has filed for bankruptcy. One of the smaller players in the highly competitive laser vision correction market, the company had struggled the last few years to keep its financial legs and in...

UT Austin opens laser science center.(laser)
November 1, 2003... The University of Texas at Austin has received more than $1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to establish a center for studying and manipulating the interactions of a high-intensity...

Spectra-Physics and Jenoptik to partner.(laser)
November 1, 2003... Spectra-Physics (Mountain View, CA) has entered into a long-term partnership with Jenoptik Laser, Optik, Systeme (Jena, Germany) to produce, sell, and service thin-disk lasers. This global alliance combines the strengths of both companies to...

Chiral Photonics.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... Chiral Photonics (Clifton, NJ) has been awarded a three-year, $2 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Advanced Technology Program to develop and prototype a new type of low-cost fiber laser that is more...

Cool Laser Optics (CLO; Westborough, MA), the owner of key patents regarding skin cooling.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... Cool Laser Optics (CLO; Westborough, MA), the owner of key patents regarding skin cooling, reached an agreement with Lumenis over issues regarding alleged infringement of certain CLO patents. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but CLO...

Bender Shipping & Repair (Mobile, AL) has become the first shipyard in the United States to successfully laser weld a structural steel panel on the shipyard's production equipment.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... Bender Shipping & Repair (Mobile, AL) has become the first shipyard in the United States to successfully laser weld a structural steel panel on the shipyard's production equipment. The project team included Visotek (Plymouth, MI) and Alabama...

European VC firm invests in liquid lenses.(optics)
November 1, 2003... Sofinnova Partners (Paris, France), an international venture capital firm, has invested 2 million [euro] (US$2.3 million) in Varioptic (Lyon, France). Founded in 2002, Varioptic designs and commercializes optical lenses based on a liquid-liquid...

Inrad changes name to Photonic Products Group.(optics)
November 1, 2003... Inrad (Northvale, NJ), a provider of custom optics, crystals, crystal components, and thin-film services, has obtained shareholder approval to change its name to Photonic Products Group and to significantly increase the number of common shares...

Cree (Durham, NC) signed an agreement with OSRAM Opto Semiconductors (Regensburg, Germany).(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... Cree (Durham, NC) signed an agreement with OSRAM Opto Semiconductors (Regensburg, Germany) whereby OSRAM will purchase at least 500 million light-emitting diode chips over a 21-month period through June 2005....

Rockwell Scientific.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... The U.S. Air Force selected Rockwell Scientific (Thousand Oaks, CA) for a two-year, $5.9 million production run of special laser protective eyewear for aircrews....

Naked Optics.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... Naked Optics (North Branch, NJ) has been formed and appointed the exclusive distributor of Pilkington Special Glass and Phoenix Optical Glass, both of St. Asaph, Wales. Buzz Nesti has been named manager of Naked Optics....

Zygo.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... Zygo (Middlefield, CT) has an order from Northrop Grumman to supply custom sapphire windows for advanced infrared target-acquisition systems. Under this agreement, Zygo will deliver sapphire windows for use in the F-16 Block 60's Integrated...

Breault Research collaborates on scatter measurements.(optics)
November 1, 2003... Breault Research Organization (BRO; Tucson, AZ) has formed a collaborative working agreement that will provide its customers with measurements and expertise from The Scatter Works (Tucson). Measurements will be made in clean-room conditions on...

Free-space optics used for homeland security.(optics)
November 1, 2003... The U.S. Office of Homeland Security and Public Safety has deployed the Elliptica free-space optics (FSO) system from Terabeam (Redmond, WA) at its office in New Orleans. The homeland security office is using the system as part of an effort to...

Schott to supply photomasks to EUV.(optics)
November 1, 2003... Schott Lithotec USA (Poughkeepsie, NY) signed a license agreement with the EUV consortium (Santa Clara, CA) that gives Schott access to patents in the area of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography and the right to use the research results of...

MIT lab wins $7 million NIH imaging grant.(imaging & detector)
November 1, 2003... The George R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; Cambridge, MA) has been awarded a $7.2 million Bioengineering Research Partnership grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further...

The imaging Solutions Group.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... The imaging Solutions Group (ISG: Rochester , NY) has formed a relationship with Taeym Digital Vision of Belgium, which will extend ISG's capacity to market its Lightwise Camera products to the European machine-vision industry for applications...

DALSA.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... DALSA (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada) received a $1.9 million development contract from a leading manufacturer of semiconductor wafer inspection systems. Under terms of the contract, DALSA will produce high-performance digital cameras that will be...

CEDIP.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... CEDIP Infrared Systems (Croissy-Beaubourg, France) has been named the 28th fastest growing French company (out of 100) by Entreprendre, a leading European business magazine. CEDIP reported a 77% increase in sales and 80% increase in profits...

Symposium showcases EMCCD imaging.(imaging & detector)
November 1, 2003... Approximately 50 research scientists from 11 countries gathered recently for the first symposium to focus on the application and development of electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) technology. Hosted by Queen's University...

Strong growth projected for image-sensor market.(imaging & detector)
November 1, 2003... The market for image sensors continues to promise impressive growth, with new applications in cell phones, vehicles, tetherless endoscopes, and fingerprint recognition just getting off the ground, according to a new market study released by...

Strategic pact supports smart cameras.(imaging & detector)
November 1, 2003... Coreco (Monreal, Quebec, Canada) signed a multiyear strategic agreement with Tokyo Electronic Industry (TELI), a subsidiary of Toshiba (Tokyo, Japan), to supply its smart-camera technology to TELI. Under this exclusive supply agreement, which...

Corning shuts down Intellisense.(fiberoptics)
November 1, 2003... After denying rumors for the past year that it might be closed or put on the auction block, MEMS developer Corning Intellisense (Wilmington, MA) has been shut down by its parent company, Corning (Corning, NY). The move was part of Corning's...

OmniGuide Communications.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... OmniGuide Communications (Cambridge, MA) has commitments for $450,000 in government R&D grants from the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies to develop its hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber technology for use with Er:YAG...

Spire.(Also in the news ...)
November 1, 2003... Spire (Bedford, MA) has been awarded a $124 500 Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Eye Institute to develop a new 2.71-[micro]m fiber-laser-based instrument for glaucoma Surgery. The flexible fiber-based instrument is...

OFS reorganizes and restructures management team.(fiberoptics)
November 1, 2003... Fiberoptic manufacturer OFS (Atlanta, CA) is implementing a corporate reorganization and making changes to its executive management team that are expected to increase operational efficiencies. Kiyoshi Takeuchi, currently president and CEO of...

Agiltron wins $3.5 million ATP grant.(fiberoptics)
November 1, 2003... Agiltron (Wilmington, MA) was awarded a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Advanced Technology Program to develop a new type of optical switch based on optical HEMS technology. Agiltron will be joined...

The past is future: service delivery has remained a constant requirement and ROADMs offer an option.(WDM Solutions)
November 1, 2003... If you had fallen into a deep sleep eight years ago--just before the U.S. Telecommunications Act of 1996 took effect--and woke up at the September 2003 National Fiber Optic Engineers Con ference, you could be forgiven if you thought you had...

Quantum computers not likely to perform general-purpose tasks.(comment)
November 1, 2003... A Year or so ago, I read in an online Macintosh site that Apple was "looking into quantum computers" as the possible "computers of the future," or words to that effect. I do not know how accurate the news was (in any case, in this rapidly...

Software tool boosts beam analysis efficacy.(software & computing)
November 1, 2003... Laser beams in real applications usually pass through complex delivery systems on their way from the source to the target. Regardless of how perfect the beam quality is starting out, the on-target beam quality can be seriously degraded by...

Native-nitride passivation eliminates facet failure.(Semiconductor Lasers)
November 1, 2003... Now more than 40 years old, laser-diode technology has become critical for photonics, underpinning applications from data storage and solid-state industrial lasers to telecommunications. Despite its maturity, this technology still faces...

For the modern-day robot, seeing is nearing believing: optical sensors, streoscopic cameras, and complex computer algorithms are helping robots perceive, maneuver, and manipulate their environments in increasingly sophisticated ways.(Optoelectronics applications: vision systems)
November 1, 2003... It is hard not to be intrigued by the notion of a machine that can walk, talk, think, listen, work, and see just like a human. Scientists, engineers, and hobbyists have been working for decades to build robots that can mimic human behavior and,...

CCD cameras provide a better view for proteomics.(Imaging)
November 1, 2003... The completion of the Human Genome Project marks a flesh starting point for several new research paths. Because genes code for proteins, it is no surprise that proteomics is at the top of the list of emerging disciplines. Scientific and...

Pulsed lasers micromachine photonic integrated circuits: recent advances in laser technology create novel fabrication methods for optical integrated circuits based on monolithic glass modules.(Materials & Packaging)
November 1, 2003... Optoelectronic modules serve many existing and emerging applications including telecommunications, data storage, and the "lab-on-a-chip" biosensors used for biological threat detection or in point-of-care diagnostic systems. Many of these...

III-nitrides show promise for telecom wavelengths: it is conceivable that the future of III-nitrides for optical communications applications will be as bright as for blue/green and ultraviolet applications.(Materials & Packaging)
November 1, 2003... Recognized as technologically important materials for optoelectronics, III-nitride wide-bandgap semiconductors are used in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with emission wavelengths from the ultraviolet to amber, and blue/UV-emitting laser diodes....

Measurement of junction temperature confirms package thermal design: junction temperature of packaged laser diodes and high-power LEDs affects output wavelength, spectrum, power, and reliability.(Materials & Packaging)
November 1, 2003... Junction temperature affects light-emitting-diode (LED) and laser-diode performance in many ways. Light output center wavelength, spectrum, power magnitude, and diode reliability are all directly dependent on the junction temperature. The very...

Success brings its own problems: tight confinement and low loss in optical fiber combine to make the otherwise negligible nonlinear effects of silica into serious problems for optical networking.(Back to basics: nonlinear optics)
November 1, 2003... For many optoelectronic professionals, nonlinear optical effects are not an extraordinary means of generating new wavelengths, but rather a barrier to achieving optimum performance in their systems. Surprisingly, the most far-reaching problems...

Mid-IR stellar interferometer grows in capability.(Interferometry)
November 1, 2003... The past several years have seen a resurgence of the field of optical long-baseline stellar interferometry. The concept was first suggested in 1868, by Armand Fizeau and successfully carried out by Albert Michelson in 1890 and Michelson and...

OTDM promises higher communications speeds using optical processors: though expensive and undeveloped, OTDM may be a practical necessity at high data rates well above 40 Gbit/s, but it faces major development challenges.(Optical networking: optical time-division multiplexing)
November 1, 2003... Time-domain multiplexing combines pulses from two or more data streams to create a single data stream at a higher data rate. Traditionally electronic multiplexing circuits process multiple input signals to generate an output at the higher data...

Machine-control system.(new products)
November 1, 2003... DeviceNet is an industry-standard, machine-control interface, designed as an option for the MicroLYNX controller. The DeviceNet version of the MicroLYNX is designed to conform to ODVA, Vol. II, Release 2.0 Errata 3, as a position controller...

High-NA optical fiber.(new products)
November 1, 2003... Optran Plus Advantage is a new line of silica/silica optical fiber with an NA of 0.30. Designed for applications from laser delivery to sensing, the fibers perform from 160 to 2500 nm. Core sizes for stock fibers are from 100 to 600 [micro]m,...

Optic homogenizer.(new products)
November 1, 2003... A monolithic V-step optic homogenizer divides the original beam into several partial beams, rotates these by 90[degrees] around the axis of direction of propagation and then rearranges the partial beams to form one single, new, optically...

Brushless DC motor.(new products)
November 1, 2003... A new 3.25-in.-O.D. x 2.8-in.-long, corrosion-resistant, brushless DC motor has been specifically designed for use in harsh environments. The device provides 90% power efficiency and is enclosed in a sealed, stainless-steel housing. At its...

DPSS laser.(new products)
November 1, 2003... The Evolution-90 diode-pumped, intracavity-doubled, Q-switched Nd:YLF laser delivers more than 90-W average power and more than 18-mJ pulse energy at 5 kHz at 527 nm. It is designed for materials processing and for pumping high-power...

Spectroradiometer.(new products)
November 1, 2003... The OmniLED measurement system from Labsphere is a turnkey spectro-radiometer that has been developed for both laboratory and on-line production/QC measurement of LED outputs, including luminous and radiant intensity, power, and color. The...

Forsterite laser.(new products)
November 1, 2003... A tunable femtosecond Cr:Forsterite laser system with an yterrbium fiber-laser pump is designed for research and industrial applications. Model SciCRF-65P has pulse width of less than 65 fs FWHM, tuning range of 1230 to 1270 nm, output power of...

Prisms.(new products)
November 1, 2003... A line of hollow penta prisms have no glass substrate to cause absorption, with only the coating limiting the wave-lengths, and shorter optical path lengths than glass prisms. They are available with either enhanced aluminum coating for the...

Solid dye laser.(new products)
November 1, 2003... A solid dye laser, Model 90 OEM, consists of either a solid or liquid dye lasing material, a high reflector, and an output coupler. The dye has a lifetime of up to 100,000 pulses or greater and are designed for easy replacement. Solid dye discs...

Uncooled IR diode.(new products)
November 1, 2003... The EP1490 uncooled laser diode emits at 1490 nm for fiber-to-the-home or fiber-to-the-premises applications. It operates at up to 85[degrees] C and is based on GaInAIAs. It is available in a TO can, chip on substrate, and in die format. ...

Photo ICs.(new products)
November 1, 2003... The $9066/$9067 photo ICs have spectral response close to that of human visual sensitivity. They cover the 300- to 820-nm range with a peak sensitivity of 1.0 nA at 600 nm, without a visual-compensation filter. They have two active areas, one...

DC-DC converter.(new products)
November 1, 2003... A DC-to-DC converter, the SIP100, has an input range of 4 to 6.7 V and provides 30 to 100 V at 10 mA with ripple of less than 10 mV p-p. The device is regulated and analog programmable. It has a footprint of 36.8 x 4.06 mm in a 4-ram, single...

Chip metrology system.(new products)
November 1, 2003... The CLM-3D dual-beam metrology system is designed for rapid process development and process control of new semiconductor technologies below 130 nm, particularly those using copper and advanced etch processes. The in-fab system provides detailed...

Fiber laser.(new products)
November 1, 2003... A 100-W, Q-swtiched, ytterbium fiber laser produces 2 mJ/pulse at 1070 nm, with a pulse duration of 500 ns. Its frequency is adjustable from 20 to 50 kHz and it operates from a 110/220 V line. A 3- to 6-m fiber cable delivers the collimated...

Motion control.(new products)
November 1, 2003... The Mini Series is designed for motion control of miniature applications such as laser and optical focusing systems. The lead screw assemblies come in diameters as small as 0.125 in. with custom diameters less than 2 mm and custom-designed nuts...

Pyroelectric array detector.(new products)
November 1, 2003... A pyroelectric array detector from IR Microsystems has sensitivity across the 1- to 25-[micro]m range and can make a variety of continuous measurements across wide infrared bands. It has 64 pixels and a linear variable filter than makes each...

Alexandrite laser.(new products)
November 1, 2003... An alexandrite-based laser, the nUVo is a frequency-doubled, CW, UV laser source with 10- to 20-mW output. The diode-pumped, solid-state laser has a near-[TEM.sub.00] spatial-mode output, a pointing stability of better than 25 [micro]rad, and...

VOA.(new products)
November 1, 2003... The Normal-Off liquid-crystal-based variable optical attenuator offers channel blocking and automatic system turn-on protection by offering high attenuation when driving voltage is missing. It has a driving voltage less than 1 mW and comes in a...

Step motor.(new products)
November 1, 2003... The Super Torque step motor is a 1.8 [degrees] NEMA-size 17 stepper motor. It is capable of holding torque from 30 to 83 oz-in, depending on length. It comes in lengths of 1.34, 1.57, and 1.89 in. Unipolar and bipolar windings are available to...

Power supply.(new products)
November 1, 2003... A front-end power supply, the HP750 Series measures 1.6 x 5 x 10 in. and produces 9.83 W/[in.sup.3] power density. An optional [I.sup.2]C interface with interrupt capability is available. The device with standard rear-mount AC connection is...

Industrial endoscope.(new products)
November 1, 2003... The Light Scope mini is an industrial endoscope for remote viewing of inaccessible structures. It measures 8 mm in diameter and is battery operated. It is designed for restricted-space applications in security, such as for locksmiths, and...

Beam shaper.(new products)
November 1, 2003... The refractive beam shaper converts Gaussian laser input to produce a collimated, flattop beam that can propagate over large distances without change in power or intensity or loss of uniformity. It relies on low-dispersion refractive optics and...

VCSEL.(new products)
November 1, 2003... Oxide-confined VCSELs providing 850-nm pulses at 2.5 Gbit/s, the OPV300 series, are designed for high-speed data communications. They come in a variety of packages including TO-18 and TO-46 packages with either flat windows or ball lenses....