Laser Focus World articles from October 2003

Laser Focus World archives from October 2003

Adding another dimension.(editor's desk)
October 1, 2003... If you go into a very dark room on a bright day, make a small hole in the window cover, then look at the wall opposite the hole, what do you see? Imaged onto the wall is the world outside the window--but upside down! First mentioned by Chinese...

Diffractive lenses on VCSELs are suited for wafer-scale fabrication.(news breaks)
October 1, 2003... As a result of their geometry, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have enabled wafer-scale fabrication of semiconductor lasers. Now, researchers at Heptagon and the Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA (both of...

Fiber sensor measures curvature.(news breaks)
October 1, 2003... One common use of optical-fiber sensors is in measuring the deflection of mechanical structures by sensing strain. Strain sensors have their limitations, however; for example, very thin beams deflect appreciably even with little strain. In...

OLED color can be chosen after fabrication.(news breaks)
October 1, 2003... An organic light-emitting device (OLED) with a color that is configurable after fabrication has been developed by researchers at National Taiwan University (Taipei, Taiwan). The device contains three layers of different organic light emitters...

Curved filter corrects color of metal-halide-lamp fiber sources.(news breaks)
October 1, 2003... Optical fibers into which white light is coupled can serve as illuminators for critical applications such as surgery. The standard white-light source, the xenon short-arc lamp, produces very high-quality white light with a color-rendering index...

Single-mode ring laser diode emits stably and unidirectionally.(news breaks)
October 1, 2003... Ring-waveguide semiconductor lasers eliminate potential spatial hole-burning effects of ordinary linear-waveguide semiconductor lasers and may thus become useful in telecommunications. But stable single-mode unidirectional operation of a ring...

Backside irradiation and microspheres create nanoscale arrays.(news breaks)
October 1, 2003... Periodic nanoscale surface patterns on glass surfaces can be used as polarizing beamsplitters and other optical components. Patterning techniques can take the form of photolithography or ablation through a near-field optical probe; another...

Decision nears on camera type for LSST.(news breaks)
October 1, 2003... A large ground-based telescope is being designed that, if built, would search the cosmos for dark matter and energy by measuring weak gravitational lensing caused by distant galaxias and other objects. The telescope, which in one configuration...

Polarization helps reduce focal-spot size.(news breaks)
October 1, 2003... Pushing the size of a focal spot below the conventional diffraction limit can benefit microscopy, photolithography, and other optical applications. Apertures that modify phase and amplitude can reduce the volume of the focal spot, as can...

Safer gas replaces phosphine for semiconductor laser manufacture.(news breaks)
October 1, 2003... Phosphine gas (P[H.sub.3]) is the source of phosphor in the fabrication of aluminum gallium indium phosphide (AIGaInP) semiconductor lasers--the ubiquitous red-emitting lasers found in compact-disk players, barcode readers, and printers....

Shock waves may enable wavelength modulation.(Photonic Crystals)
October 1, 2003... Based on a computer simulation, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT; Cambridge, MA) believe that it should be possible to linearly transform the wavelength of a light beam in a Doppler-like fashion by applying a...

Optical magnetometer maps the heart.(world news)
October 1, 2003... In an electrocardiogram, electrodes attached to the body sense voltages that mirror electric currents connected with heart-muscle activity, With the advent of superconducting quantum-interference-device (SQUID) magnetometers, it has become...

Negative photoconductance boosts APD frequency response.(High-Speed Detectors)
October 1, 2003... With their high internal current gains, avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are used for high-speed optical detection in satellite, long-haul, and free-space telecommunications--all of which require the sensing of extremely weak light signals...

New approaches reveal more about QDs.(Quantum Dots)
October 1, 2003... Despite the considerable promise of self-assembling quantum dots (QDs) as optoelectronic building blocks for nanoscale devices and systems, basic issues still must be addressed. These include quantitatively measuring the interaction between a...

Thin-film encapsulation extends polymer OLED lifetimes.(Flat-Panel Displays)
October 1, 2003... When it comes to competing with liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) in the lucrative consumer electronics market, organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) displays have been hampered by limited lifetimes and higher production costs. While it is widely...

Latex molds spherical-micromirror arrays.(Micro-Optics)
October 1, 2003... Arrays of spherical micromirrors created by researchers at the University of Southampton (Southampton, England) may one day result in arrayed devices containing lasers or optically active material-filled microcavities as the elements. (1) The...

Cable-driven gimbals boost pointing accuracy.(Pointing And Tracking Systems)
October 1, 2003... In the world of directional pointing and tracking systems, many low-end systems are found for under $5000 with relatively low pointing accuracy for long-range applications. Various high-precision systems also exist for $50,000 and more, usually...

Extragalactic coherent radiation beats any lab source.(Astronomy)
October 1, 2003... Terawatt-level coherent radiation can be generated in the laboratory--but only for a few femtoseconds at a time. In space, continuous-wave coherent radiation of incredible power has been discovered. It has become known that there are water...

High-resolution OCT probes biological tissue.(Fiber Lasers)
October 1, 2003... Noninvasive optical techniques promise to enable in vivo imaging of cells and tissue with a resolution that reveals fine details of morphology. In particular, optical-coherence tomography (OCT) can provide cross-sectional visualization of...

Film industry pursues real-world measurements for digital cinema.(Digital Projectors)
October 1, 2003... Equipment and standards for objectively measuring the real-world performance of digital movie projectors are just now coming into being, as engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST; Gaithersburg, MD) collaborate...

Soliton-like laser pulses punch through fog.(Ultrafast Lasers)
October 1, 2003... Intense ultrafast pulsed laser beams have successfully been sent through a laboratory fog that approximates cloudy atmospheric conditions by Jean-Pierre Wolf and others at the Universite Claude Bernard Lyon (Villeurbanne, France). (1) Because...

Compact concentrator boosts light to detector.
October 1, 2003... Although the addition of focusing optics can increase the amount of light collected by a photodetector, it introduces a tradeoff between optical gain (the ratio between the input aperture area and the detector's surface area) and acceptance...

Basting leaves Lambda Physik after 30 years.
October 1, 2003... Dirk Basting, cofounder and chief executive of excimer-laser manufacturer Lambda Physik (Gottingen, Germany) for more than 30 years, has retired. His leaving was planned to coincide with the successful completion of a tender offer by Coherent...

Spectra-Physics creates subsidiary to pursue China market.
October 1, 2003... With the creation of a new subsidiary in Beijing, China, Spectra-Physics (Mountain View, CA) hopes to exploit the rapidly growing market for laser systems, photonic components, and OEM subsystems. Baining Liu, Spectra-Physics China operations...

PhotoSynergy wins Scottish SMART money for feasibility study.
October 1, 2003... New solid-state laser specialist PhotoSynergy (St. Andrews, Scotland), has been awarded funding by the Scottish Executive to take the company's ideas out of the labs and into the global marketplace. As part of the SMART award, the 16 winners...

Northrop Grumman to study laser radiation effects.
October 1, 2003... Northrop Grumman Information Technology (San Antonio, TX) has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command to conduct research into the physiological effects that occur when personnel are exposed to laser radiation and how...

TuiLaser.(Also in the news ...)
October 1, 2003... TuiLaser (Munich, Germany) has successfully installed its ExciStar M excimer laser in a New Wave Research UP193HE laser ablation system at time Open University (Milton Keynes, England). The UP193HE is specifically designed for solid sample...

U.S. Army.(Also in the news ...)
October 1, 2003... The U.S. Army reportedly plans to spend about $500 million over five years to develop a mobile combat laser. According to Col. Richard DeFatta, project manager for the Short Range Air Defense program, development of the tractor-trailer-size...

Melles Griot Optics Group consolidates in Rochester.
October 1, 2003... In a move to consolidate and strengthen the company's product portfolio and enhance customer access to its advanced optical engineering team in Rochester, NY, Melles Griot has completed a major reorganization. The OEM industrial optics portion...

Nanotechnology grant to support research in optics and biotech.
October 1, 2003... Polytec PI (Auburn, MA) has established PI NanoInnovation Grant, an annual program to support research related to nanotechnology, optics, and biotechnology. The $25,000 PI NanoInnovation Grant program will award funding in the form of equipment...

Report assesses LED opportunities.
October 1, 2003... Intertech (Portland, ME) has released a new industry report assessing global market opportunities for light-emitting diodes (LEDs), Light Emitting Diodes for Lighting and Display Applications: A Market Assessment, Technical Appraisal and...

Special Optics partners with Metastable, U.S. Air Force.
October 1, 2003... Special Optics (Wharton, NJ) and Metastable Instruments (St. Charles, MO) have signed a joint licensing agreement for the in-line beam steerer developed by Metastable Instruments. Special Optics will market and manufacture this device, which...

Zygo.(Also in the news ...)
October 1, 2003... Zygo (Middlefield, CT) has received a $6 million contract to produce high-quality optics for next-generation semiconductor equipment. The contract runs from 2004 through April 2006; the work will be performed at Zygo's optical manufacturing...

Optimax Systems.(Also in the news ...)
October 1, 2003... Optimax Systems (Ontario. NY) manufactured most of the lenses for the 10 cameras built into each Mars Rover. According to the company, the optics in these cameras will be used for position sensing and near- and far-field vision for maneuvering...

Sensor supports Shuttle thruster mapping system.(imaging & detector)
October 1, 2003... Laser Techniques (Bellevue, WA) is developing an automated, laser-based scanning system intended to improve the safety of future Space Shuttle missions. Building on work conducted in 2002 to design and demonstrate a miniature, high-performance...

Actuality Systems.(Also in the news ...)
October 1, 2003... Actuality Systems (Burlington, MA) has been granted key patents on its spatial three-dimensional technology in both the United States and Taiwan. The patents broadly describe a volumetric three-dimensional display system and specifically cover...

Redlake.(Also in the news ...)
October 1, 2003... Redlake (San Diego, CA) has completed the consolidation of its manufacturing operations within two existing facilities of the Roper Scientific and Industrial Imaging group at Roper Industries (Tucson, AZ) and Burnaby (BC, Canada). Redlake...

Universal Display.(Also in the news ...)
October 1, 2003... Universal Display (Ewing. N J) completed a $16.1 million registered direct offering of 2 million shares of its common stock to certain institutional investors pursuant to a Placement Agent Agreement dated Aug. 22 with SG Cowen Securities as...

Sunglasses incorporate microdisplays.(imaging & detector)
October 1, 2003... Kopin (Taunton, MA) is providing microdisplays for Eyetop, new consumer eyewear that displays multimedia images. Eyetop, manufactured and distributed by Ingineo SAS, are high-fashion sunglasses integrating Kopin's 320C (0.24-in. diagonal) color...

Headwall Photonics finalizes Agilent buyout.(imaging & detector)
October 1, 2003... Headwall Photonics (Fitchburg, M.A) has acquired the spectral module and holographic diffraction grating business of Agilent Technologies (Palo Alto, CA) through a management buyout. The deal included funding and asset list value in excess of...

FLIR wins $1 million contract for IR cameras.(imaging & detector)
October 1, 2003... FLIR Systems (Portland, OR) has been awarded a $1 million contract from the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to supply more than 100 ThermoVision Scout infrared handheld cameras. The ONDCP Counterdrug Technology Assessment...

Scottish firm succumbs to market forces.(fiberoptics)
October 1, 2003... Just two years ago, the future seemed very bright for Terahertz Photonics (Livingston, Scotland), which was spun out from Heriot-Watt University in 1998 to develop optical waveguide devices and materials. After attracting 3 million [pounds...

Insensys.(Also in the news ...)
October 1, 2003... Insensys (Hampshire, England), a provider of optical-fiber sensing solutions, acquired Indigo Photonics (Birmingham, England), a specialist in optical-fiber sensor systems and optical components based on fiber Bragg grating technology.

Koncent Communication.(Also in the news ...)
October 1, 2003... Koncent Communication (Fuzhou Fujian, China), a fiberoptic component manufacturer, has been awarded two US patents: one for a two-stage optical isolator with simplified assembly process and improved performance and the other for packaging...

Srico.(Also in the news ...)
October 1, 2003... Srico (Columbus, OH)has been awarded a $349,000 contract from the U.S. Air Force to develop a wideband, high-dynamic-range electro-optic modulator for analog radio-frequency photonic applications such as fiberoptic links used its phased array...

Intel refocuses photonics business.(fiberoptics)
October 1, 2003... Once considered a prime beneficiary of the telecom downturn, Intel (San Jose, CA) is refocusing its photonics strategy in direct response to the shift toward metro/access and enterprise applications in optical communications. This shift...

EC earmarks $50 million for photonics.(fiberoptics)
October 1, 2003... The European Commission (EC) has earmarked 45 million [euro] (US$49.4 million) for photonics-related research projects selected in the second phase of its Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). The deadline for submitting FP6 project proposals is...

Industry veteran steps down.(fiberoptics)
October 1, 2003... One of the hardest hit components providers in the industry, JDS Uniphase (San Jose, CA), has experienced yet another casualty. Effective Sept. 1, CEO and cochairman Jozef Straus is no longer at the helm of the mega-company he helped to create....

Good things in small packages: innovations in passive optics open metro/access applications.(WDN Solutions)
October 1, 2003... Starting with the principle of total internal reflection, which guides light through optical fiber, the fundamentals of optics have led to some very successful telecommunications products. Such products are needed now to bring on the...

Is low-tech business intrinsically less risky?(business forum)
October 1, 2003... Q: Would you agree that low-tech businesses are intrinsically less risky? A: I am not sure one cart generalize, given that every business has its risks. There is, however, some truth in the saying "pioneers get arrows in their backs" Since...

Nonsequential ray tracing defines complex objects.(software & computing)
October 1, 2003... Very general objects can be defined and ray traced to optical precision, without the need to approximate surfaces, using conventional CAD program formats. For complete generality covering all major aspects of optical modeling appropriate to...

India grows into fourth largest optical-fiber market.(market watch)
October 1, 2003... Fiber deployment in India has surged over the past two years. At the end of 2000, cumulative installations of fiberoptic cable in India totaled 2.5 million fiber-kin. By the end of 2002, cumulative installations had more than doubled to 6.7...

Spectroscopic line-scan systems open short-wave infrared applications.(Imaging Spectroscopy)
October 1, 2003... In conventional two-dimensional imaging, the total light reflected or emitted from each point on the surface of an object is measured and stored. In hyperspectral imaging and imaging spectroscopy, the intensity as a function of wavelength is...

Holographic data storage prepares for the real world: with critical materials and optical-engineering issues resolved, the first commercial holographic data-storage products are gearing up to enter the marketplace.(Optoelectronic applications: data storage)
October 1, 2003... From the perspective of the daily computer user, the information age has turned into a seemingly endless cycle of generating, accumulating, accessing, and archiving electronic data. As a result, the ability to store this ever-growing body of...

Novel design approach benefits C[O.sub.2] laser users.(Industrial Lasers)
October 1, 2003... In recent years, machine integrators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been keen to extend the range and variety of applications that are driven by low- to moderate-power, sealed C[O.sub.2] lasers. Marking, scribing, and drilling...

Rich and varied: ordinary silica exhibits a surprising variety of nonlinear optical behaviors when light is confined in micron-sized structures.(Back to basics: nonlinear optics)
October 1, 2003... The silica glass found in optical fibers is perhaps the last material one might think to choose to generate nonlinear optical effects. The symmetry properties of silica rule out the occurrence of second-order nonlinear processes, and the...

OFDR tracks temperatures on power generators.(Fiber Sensors)
October 1, 2003... As electrical generators age, they become increasingly prone to failure. The failure of a single generator will typically lower the output of a power plant by as much as 20% for as long as two months while the stator cores are evaluated and...

Optical nanocomposite is suited for photonics packaging.(Optical Fabrication)
October 1, 2003... Optically transparent materials are needed for the low-cost packaging of photonic components and modules. Critical properties required for those packaging materials include controlled refractive index, low cure shrinkage, and a coefficient of...

Fiber OPAs offer a promising way to tame four-wave mixing.(Optical networking: fiber OPAs)
October 1, 2003... Now in the early stages of development, the use of optical parametric amplification in fibers to effect a four-wave variation of three-wave mixing may find potential use in broadband amplifiers, fiber conversion, optical limiters, full 3R...

Accurate profiling requires an appropriate choice of equipment.(Beam Profiling)
October 1, 2003... Determining beam intensity as a function of position in space is known as beam profiling. Guiding light through delicate optical fibers and carving through pieces of steel are diverse applications in which beam profiling is used to achieve...

Spectroradiometer.(new products)
October 1, 2003... Aimed for production-line testing of LEDs, the GS-1253-LED is a lab-grade LED spectroradiometer that measures spectral characteristics including luminous intensity, color purity, low uncertainty chromaticity coordinates, dominant wavelength,...

High-power laser diode.(new products)
October 1, 2003... The Pico-TA 110 laser diode delivers pulses with a width of 100 ps FWHM and peak power up to 30 W at 780 nm. Wavelength depends on the laser oscillator module selected, with options ranging from 760 to 1060 nm. The repetition rate is adjustable...

Beam analyzer additions.(new products)
October 1, 2003... New features of the LBA-PC laser-beam analyzer include a camera digitizer card and Windows software for beam profile analysis. The new version adds an Active X interface for remote computer control and data collection, with example programs...

Beam homogenizer.(new products)
October 1, 2003... The Fly's Eye beam homogenizer converts the characteristically nonuniform beam of a UV excimer laser into a homogeneous beam with 95% uniformity while using4 more than 80% of the laser power. The single-element array adapts to most commercial...

Tunable lasers.(new products)
October 1, 2003... The TLB-6500-H-09 is a swept-wavelength tunable laser for the 980-nm band. Other new additions to the TLB-6500 line cover the O band (1260 to 1340 nm) and E & S bands (1425 to 1525 nm). The lasers were designed specifically for high-volume...

Reflection sampling system.(new products)
October 1, 2003... The RSS-VA variable-angle reflection sampling system is a compact optomechanical device that couples to spectrometers and light sources to measure spectral reflectance of optical substrates from 200 to 1100 nm at varying angles of incidence....

MEMS foundry.(new products)
October 1, 2003... Foundry services for microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) provides companies with design, rapid prototyping, manufacture, and packaging of MEMS for optical networking and other applications. The company also provides MEMS chips for variable...

Optical-filter specification system.(new products)
October 1, 2003... Build-A-Filter is an interactive e-commerce tool designed to accelerate optical-filter specification, quoting, and ordering as an integral part of its Rapid Custom Filter Program. The web-based Build-A-Filter program prompts customers to...

Optical-design software.(new products)
October 1, 2003... OptiFDTD 4.0 is a new software release that enables design and simulation of advanced passive and nonlinear photonic components. Enhancements to existing features include dedicated modules for PBG layout, band solvers, and new boundary...

Fused-coupler components.(new products)
October 1, 2003... A new line of fused-coupler components includes an amplifier pump WDM and compact in-line power monitors. The WDM enables the combination of the 980-nm pump laser with the signal in EDFA and ASE sources. The power monitor is an in-line,...

Single-mode fiber.(new products)
October 1, 2003... SM Light is a new single-mode fiber fully characterized in the L-band up to 1625 nm. The new fiber is designed for high-bit-rate applications, splicing, and resistance to bending and external mechanical stress. Cladding diameter is 125...

Laser with wavelength scanning option.(new products)
October 1, 2003... The new Indigo-S is a tunable nanosecond pulsed laser based on the harmonics of Ti: sapphire. The laser includes a wavelength scanning option that provides computer controlled wavelength scanning with 0.1-[cm.sup.-1] step size. This option...

Goniophotometer.(new products)
October 1, 2003... The SMS-10 universal goniophotometer from Optronik provides photopically corrected measurement of brightness, illuminance in lux, and color from sources with directional light distributions, such as LEDs and headlights. It comes in five models...

SWIR hyperspectral cameras.(new products)
October 1, 2003... Two new spectral cameras work in the short-wave infrared, covering ranges of 900 to 1700 nm and 1000 to 2400 nm. Cameras acquire images at 255 contiguous hyperspectral bands with spectral resolution of 5 to 10 nm. The cameras provide high...

MEMS VOA.(new products)
October 1, 2003... A wideband variable optical attenuator (VOA) based on MEMS is designed for power leveling in wavelength-division multiplexing. It is available in 20-, 30-, and 45-dB versions in an epoxy-free, hermetically sealed coaxial package. The device...

Brushless DC motor.(new products)
October 1, 2003... The new, low-profile, 000-0317 brushless DC kit motor is designed with an operating voltage of 12 V and can deliver more than 75 oz-in. of torque. The motor has a 0.51-in. profile and a diameter of 3.77 in. The motor has a large inner-rotor...

Spectrometers.(new products)
October 1, 2003... NIR spectrometers for the 0.9- to 2.2-[micro]m range include optics that have no moving parts. The TE cooled detectors are InGaAs photodiode arrays with 1024 pixels, each 25 [micro]m wide and 500 [micron]m tall. Extended-range detectors for the...

Air-cooled C[O.sub.2] lasers.(new products)
October 1, 2003... New 300-W and 150-W air-cooled C[O.sub.2] lasers have built-in RF supplies, integrated cooling, and provide high beam quality in both the near and far fields. The new lasers will also have a water-cooled option available. Universal Laser...

Single-shot autocorrelator.(new products)
October 1, 2003... The Delta compact, single-shot autocorrelator is based on a patent-pending cross-correlation design. The autocorrelator measures single-shot, ultrafast pulses from 30-fs to 150-ps pulse width. The basic model is small enough to fit into the...

UV fluorescent source.(new products)
October 1, 2003... An industrial-grade fluorescent lighting system, the Model 10X1 circular fluorescent illuminator is designed as a light source for applications including imaging, process control, and inspection for machine vision. It is built of a black...

Optical components.(new products)
October 1, 2003... Optical components, manufactured in-house, are available up to 12.0-in. diameter. Examples of specifications include 10 to 5 scratch and dig, 10 arcsec parallelism, 1/10 wave flat on piano components and 1/4 wave on radiused items. Standard...

Video microscope system.(new products)
October 1, 2003... The SuperVision high-power video microscope system has been upgraded to allow sharing of a VGA or better monitor with a user-supplied PC. Additional improvements include a built-in USB video frame grabber, auto-switching 100/240-V, 50/60-Hz...

Integrated light source.(new products)
October 1, 2003... An integrated amplified spontaneous emission source (ASE) and optical spectrum analyzer engine (OSA) is designed for sensor systems based on very long and dense FBG arrays. The integrated light source is offered on a PCI card, as a...

Ultrafast-laser optics.(new products)
October 1, 2003... A line of optics has been optimized for long life with ultrafast laser beams. The line includes mirrors, windows, spherical and cylindrical lenses, beamsplitters, and output couples. Lower-power optics use coatings that offer spectral bandwidth...