Laser Focus World articles from September 2003

Laser Focus World archives from September 2003

Is the Sun rising on solar energy?
September 1, 2003... From the relatively basic idea of concentrating the Sun's rays to start fires or bum holes, to the much more sophisticated concepts embodied in today's systems for producing solar electricity the concept of harnessing energy from sunlight has...

Interferometric position sensor samples standing waves.(newsbreaks)
September 1, 2003... An interferometric position sensor developed by researchers at the Technische Universitat Ilmenau (Ilmenau, Germany), the Research Center Julich (Julich, Germany), and the International University Bremen (Bremen, Germany) contains partially...

Centrifugally made plastic optical fiber has high bandwidth.(newsbreaks)
September 1, 2003... Plastic optical fiber (POF) offers inexpensive transport of information over short distances in vehicles and the home. Just as in glass optical fiber, a gradient-index profile greatly boosts data rates in POF over a step-index profile by...

Surface-plasmon waves couple to form widely tunable optical filter.(newsbreaks)
September 1, 2003... A type of optical filter with wide tunability across the visible and near-infared spectrum and only a single transmission peak has been developed by Yu Wang of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory pasadena, CA). The filter is based on the coupling of...

Beetles steer themselves by polarized scattered moonlight.(newsbreaks)
September 1, 2003... Recently it was discovered that the African dung beetle (Scarabaeus zambesianus) has, in the back of its eye, receptors for analysis of polarized light. Now, researchers at the University of Lund (Lund, Sweden), the University of the...

1300-nm-emitting indium gallium arsenide nitride laser operates at up to 100[degrees]C.(newsbreaks)
September 1, 2003... Quantum-well (QW) semiconductor lasers based on indium gallium arsanide nitride (InGaAsN) have the potential to produce higher 1300-nm optical outputs at higher temperatures than conventional lasers based on indium phosphide. Now, researchers...

Cat's-eye quantum-well modulating retroreflector reaches 50 Mbit/s.(newsbreaks)
September 1, 2003... Combining optical retroreflectors with electro-optic modulators, modulating retroreflectors (MRRs) are finding use in asymmetric free-space optical communications links. In these systems, only one end of the free-space link contains a laser;...

Optical monitor measures paper shrinkage.(newsbreaks)
September 1, 2003... When newsprint paper is manufactured, excess water must be removed, which causes the paper to shrink in the direction perpendicular to the direction it moves in processing, Knowing the amount of shrinkage helps in control of the manufacturing...

High-resolution x-ray and extreme-ultraviolet lens is achromatic.(newsbreaks)
September 1, 2003... Researchers at Xradia (Concord, CA) and Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY) have invented a type of x-ray or extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lens that could become the highest-resolution achromatic optic for use at these short wavelengths....

Laser cuts and bends foil.(newsbreaks)
September 1, 2003... Researchers at the Chiba Institute of Technology (Chiba, Japan) are laser-forming thin metal foil into three-dimensional structures by first cutting them out and then causing them to fold by irradiating certain portions with lower-power light....

Microreflectors permit passive free-space link.(Optical MEMS)
September 1, 2003... A team from the University of california-Berkeley (UCB) has developed a microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) corner-cube reflector (CCR) that modulates at rates up to kilobits per second and at voltages that can be supplied using solar cells....

Four CCRs from three mirrors.(Optical MEMS)
September 1, 2003... To give the device the widest field of view, it actually consists of four CCRs, each pointing 90[degrees] from the other and 45[degrees] from the plane of the substrate. This geometry is implemented using just three mirrors--two whose planes...

Copier figures out its own problem.(optoelectronics world news)
September 1, 2003... Though they are some of the most-sophisticated pieces of equipment in the office, copy machines don't possess a whole lot of glitz--a perception worsened by the sight of a repairman next to a heap of copier parts. And, now that photorealistic...

Clarification.(optoelectronics world news)
September 1, 2003... The cover article "Amplified ultrafast lasers move out of the laboratory" (July, p. 69) should have noted that all of the information described that did not directly reference another source was obtained from Quantronix and Continuum personnel....

Correction.(optoelectronics world news)
September 1, 2003... John Stack, president and COO of Edmund Optics, who wrote the article "West meets East, over and over again" in the "Optoelectronics Asia" special report (July, p. S11) was incorrectly identified as president of the Automated Vision...

Image processing reveals lithium atoms.(Microscopy)
September 1, 2003... Collaborating researchers at three institutions have used sophisticated image-processing techniques to achieve an effective 0.8 [Angstrom] of resolution through a 1.0-[Angstrom] transmission electron microscope, and to actually observe lithium...

Second-harmonic-generation microscopy provides clues to brain-cell development.(Bio-Optics)
September 1, 2003... The generation of ultraviolet (UV) light using second-harmonic generation (SHG) can be exploited in microscopy, in which a specimen can emit SHG light that clarifies certain structures of interest in the specimen. Given its capability for...

Bessel beam does a twist.(Optical Trapping)
September 1, 2003... Research into newly discovered properties of optical traps has won a team from St. Andrew's University (St. Andrews, Scotland) the European Optics Prize for 2003. They share the award with their coworkers at INAOE (National Institute of...

Junction temperature becomes easy to measure.(Light-Emitting Diodes)
September 1, 2003... With their long life, ruggedness, and steadily improving brightness and efficiency, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) will inevitably become a major player in the general lighting market. The chief limiting factor on the widespread availability of...

New technical conference probes quantum noise for new physics.(Fluctuations and Noise)
September 1, 2003... It has long been recognized that high-sensitivity photodetection systems are limited by quantum-mechanical noise, but virtually all photodetection sensitivity calculations--whether for fiberoptic or free-space optical communications, or for...

Ancient statue gets modern treatment.(optoelectronics)
September 1, 2003... In 1999, an ancient bronze sculpture was found lying 40 m beneath the surface of the Adriatic Sea near the Croatian island of Losinj. The statue, of a male athlete named Apoxyomenos, depicts the man scraping oil and dust from his body after a...

High quality produces higher-order stopgaps.(Photonic Crystals)
September 1, 2003... A technique for fabricating polymerresin photonic crystals (PCs) developed by researchers at the Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Australia) can be carried out in a single step in less than an hour, requires no chemical...

Economics tempers innovation as semiconductor industry recovers.(Semiconductor Manufacturing)
September 1, 2003... Innovation, upturn, sustainable recovery--these terms peppered conversations, presentations, and press conferences during the week-long Semicon West 2003 conference (July 14-18; San Francisco and San Jose, CA). Sponsored annually by SEMI (San...

Laser Technology sold to shareholder group for $11 million.
September 1, 2003... Laser Technology (Englewood, CO), which makes laser detectors and other laser-measurement devices, is being sold to a group of its shareholders in a deal valued at $11 million. The company has entered into a definitive merger agreement with LTI...

Defense bill targets medical FEL.(laser)
September 1, 2003... The $369 billion 2004 Defense Appropriations Bill, which passed the U.S. Senate in late July, includes $18.5 million to support the Medical Free Electron Laser (MFEL) at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN). Vanderbilt University is one of the...

GSI Lumonics to stay in Canada.(laser)
September 1, 2003... GSI Lumonics (Ottawa, ON, Canada) has shelved plans to move to the United States because the board of directors did not think it could garner the two-thirds of shareholder votes needed to support the decision. The Canadian maker of lasers and...

Coherent opens new laser facility in Connecticut.(laser)
September 1, 2003... Coherent (Santa Clara, CA) has officially opened its new facility in Bloomfield, CT, completing the consolidation of its C[O.sub.2] laser business and the completion of the transition of some of its product lines from California to Connecticut....

FemtoLasers Produktions (Vienna, Austria) has established (FemtoLasers) (Harvard, MA).(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... FemtoLasers Produktion (Vienna, Austria) has established (FemtoLasers) (Harvard, MA), which will be responsible for all activities of FemtoLasers Produktions in the United States. Canada and Mexico....

OpTek Systems.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... OpTek Systems (Abingdon, England) is expanding its U.K. facilities by 7000 sq ft in response to increasing demand for its precision machining systems and contract laser machining services. OpTek Systems specializes in precision laser-processing...

GSI Lumonics (Ottawa, ON, Canada) has signed an agreement with Laser Solution Europe.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... GSI Lumonics (Ottawa, ON, Canada) Has signed an agreement with Laser Solution Europe (Milan, Italy) making Laser Solution the exclusive distributor for GSI Lumonics" industrial-laser products in Italy. Italian-speaking Switzerland, and...

Optical Society of America.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... The Optical Society of America awarded its $10.000 New Focus Student Award for outstanding achievements in semi-conductor and laser research to University of Central Florida graduate student Michael Mielke. Mielke has been working on a low-cost...

Terabeam secures free-space optics contract in China.(optics)
September 1, 2003... Free-space optics provider Terabeam (Redmond, WA) has signed a contract with Great Wall Broadband Network Service (Shanghai, China), the leading broadband Internet service provider in China, to extend Great Wall's broadband network in 15 cities...

Corning.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... The board of directors of Corning (Corning, NY) has approved the first of three phases in its $180 million plan to expand its LCD glass manufacturing facility in Taiwan. The company expects the expansion to be completed by the end of 2004, with...

Thales.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... Thales (Orsay, France) has officially opened the 700 [m.sup.2] extension of its optics manufacturing facility in Kecskemet, Hungary Established in 1997, the original 500-[m.sup.2] facility was built to make glass lenses for medical...

Actuality Systems.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... Actuality Systems (Burlington, MA) has been granted key patents on its spatial 3-D technology in both the United States and Taiwan. The patents broadly describe a volumetric 3-D display system and specifically cover unique optics for...

RPC Photonics returns to Rochester.(optics)
September 1, 2003... RPC Photonics (Rochester, NY), a spinoff of Corning Rochester Photonics, returned to independent operation in May 2003. The company develops optical components for a variety of applications using precision structured surfaces fabricated in...

Equinox black coating ready for space applications.(optics)
September 1, 2003... The optical black-coating product line Deep Sky Black from Equinox Interscience (Golden, CO) has undergone extensive testing and is now space qualified, according to the company. Deep Sky Black (DSB) is a low-reflectivity/high -missivity...

Optimax optics play key role in Mars Rover.(optics)
September 1, 2003... Continued investment in computer-controlled machining equipment and engineering research for manufacturing process improvements is securing Optimax Systems' (Ontario, NY) position as an important supplier for many NASA programs, including the...

Data Optics partners on spectrometry software.(optics)
September 1, 2003... Measurement Microsystems (MM; Montreal, Quebec) and Data Optics (Ypsilanti, MI) have formed a partnership to distribute MM's software package, MM Spectra. The software is designed to enhance the spectral resolution of existing or new...

Coreco partners with Japanese firm on high-speed imaging.(imaging and detector)
September 1, 2003... Coreco Imaging (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is partnering with Tokyo Electronic Industry Co. to design a high-speed inspection system that provides 100% reliability in consumer durable goods inspections. The new inspection system consists of a...

Nova Biomimetics.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... Nova Biomimetics (Solvang, CA) was awarded four SBIR contracts by various offices of the U.S. Air Force and Missile Defense Agency to develop and test new variable acuity superpixel imaging focal-plane array sensor technology....

Fairchild Imaging.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... Fairchild Imaging (Milpitas, CA) and Agilent Technologies signed a licensing agreement concerning Agilent's ultra-low-noise CMOS technology, designs, manufacturing rights, test equipment and residual inventory of devices and cameras developed...

Cambridge Display Technology.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... Cambridge Display Technology (Cambridge, England) is closing the plant it owns in Oxford, England, and moving those staff and operations to Cambridge. The firm is also relocating all process-development activities to its Godmanchester facility....

Daktronics to install LED display at Paris racetrack.(imaging & detector)
September 1, 2003... Daktronics (Brookings, SD) has been chosen to manufacture and install its ProStar large-screen LED video display for the Hippodrome de Paris Vincennes, one of the premier horse racing facilities in Europe. The ProStar display will be the...

Sensors Unlimited wins new imaging contracts.(imaging & detector)
September 1, 2003... Sensors Unlimited (Princeton, NJ), a provider of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) technology, has received a subcontract from Battelle (Columbus, OH) for a 12-month, $530,000 program to develop what the company says will be the first...

High-energy laser testbed contract targets sensing and tracking.(imaging and detector)
September 1, 2003... Boeing has been awarded a contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory (Kirtland Air Force Base, NM), for a mobile testbed to enable development of beam control and fire control solutions for tactical high energy laser weapon systems. The...

Headwall acquires Agilent diffraction-grating business.(imaging and detector)
September 1, 2003... Headwall Photonics (Fitchburg, MA) 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 $8...

Industry consolidation continues with two more mergers.(fiberoptics)
September 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....

JDS Uniphase.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... Fred Leonberger, chief technology officer at JDS Uniphase San Jose, CA) for nearly a decade, has retired from the company to pursue other interests. Leonberger's career in optoelectronics dates back nearly 30 years. He spent 10 years at MIT...

Bookham Technology (Oxfordshire, England) and BTI Photonic Systems (Ottawa, Canada) have formed a technology, product, and commercial association to deliver optical subsystems.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... Bookham Technology (Oxfordshire, England) and BTI Photonic Systems (Ottawa, Canada) have formed a technology, product, and commercial association to deliver optical subsystems. The association allows both companies to more rapidly introduce...

AXT.(Also in the news)
September 1, 2003... The board of directors of AXT (Fremont, CA). a manufacturer of compound semiconductor substrates and optoelectronic devices, has approved management's plan to exit the company's unprofitable optoelectronics business, The company ceased...

New firm acquires Demeter assets from Finisar.(fiberoptics)
September 1, 2003... DMG Tecbnologies (Los Angeles, CA) was formed in July to acquire the assets and IP rights of Demeter Module Group from Finisar (Sunnyvale, CA) in a privately funded transaction. DMG Technologies designs and manufactures optical subassemblies,...

Australian groups partner on optical communications.(fiberoptics)
September 1, 2003... A new collaboration between Australia's leading optical communications experts will pursue the development of photonic chips. CUDOS--the ARC Centre of Excellence for Ultrahigh bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems--has been established with...

Japan stays open for business: companies adjust to conditions by constantly questioning market needs.(WDM Solutions)
September 1, 2003... July in Tokyo is hot and humid, with the sky close and gray. It frequently rains. The weather must have been similar when Commodore Perry and his fleet of four warships sailed into Tokyo Bay in July 1853, and demanded that Japan be opened to...

Will investor jeopardize company's 'small' status?(business forum)
September 1, 2003... Q. A big company wants to make a small investment in my company. They will put someone on our board and also get an option to acquire the company, Will I still qualify for SBIR? A. I have an authoritative answer for you, quoting Maurice...

Solar electricity: pie in the sky gets a piece of the action.(Photovoltaics)
September 1, 2003... The vision inspired by the oil embargo of the 1970s was clear. The United States would wean itself from its dependence on foreign oil by developing renewable energy resources such as solar electricity. And why not? Every hour, enough sunlight...

Surveillance cameras meet new security demands.(Digital Cameras)
September 1, 2003... The tragic events of September 11, 2001, almost overnight introduced new challenges to the world of security. The need for more-reliable and versatile sources of video information became a reality. More than 40 million surveillance cameras...

'Nano' takes its first real steps into the industrial world: nanomaterials, nanoprocesses, and nanotools are pushing the boundaries of what the laser industry has typically considered materials processing.(Optoelectronic applications: materials Processing)
September 1, 2003... Like many things bearing the prefix "nano," nanomanufacturing--also known as nanofabrication, nanomachining, and nanoprototyping--is pushing the boundaries of what the laser industry has typically considered materials processing. In the...

VCSEL-based reflective sensors tackle more demanding applications.(Sensors)
September 1, 2003... Reflective optical sensors are used to sense the presence or absence of a distant object and generally consist of four elements: drive and control electronics, an optical source, an optical detector, and an optical lensing system (see Fig.1)....

Multiplexers adapt for instrumentation.(Gratings)
September 1, 2003... A wide range of current and emerging applications for lasers use multiple wavelengths simultaneously. In many types of instruments, low-power visible laser sources such as semiconductor, diode-pumped solid-state, air-cooled argon-ion, and HeNe...

The many variations of the Raman effect: stimulated Raman scattering, in a variety of forms, produces coherent beams of light that are found in a wide range of applications.(Back to basics: nonlinear optics)
September 1, 2003... When light is scattered, the great majority of the photons retain the same quantum of energy and same wavelength as their original value. Such elastic scattering can occur through a variety of mechanisms, depending on how the light interacts...

Optical MEMS are more than just switches: prospects for MEMS are encouraging. Despite the collapse of the telecom market, many other applications are under development.(Optical networking: optical MEMS)
September 1, 2003... All-optical switching seemed such a compellingly logical application for optical MEMS that the two became closely identified during the telecommunications bubble. The collapse of the bubble hit MEMS switches hard--the demand for all-optical...

Solid-state lighting offers 'vices' as well as 'virtues'.(Light-Emitting Diodes)
September 1, 2003... Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have become remarkably effective light sources and they have been getting a lot of press lately. While they are wonderful devices and deserve recognition, they are not without their flaws. Our company designs...

Vibration control system.(new products)
September 1, 2003... The 8000 series vibration control system uses active feedback to damp vibrations from 1.0 to 1000 Hz for instruments such as interferometers and photo-imaging microscopes. The tabletop unit dynamically isolates all six possible translational...

Low-temperature microscope system.(new products)
September 1, 2003... The CryoView 2000 low-temperature microscope system is capable of simultaneous NSOM, SPM, or confocal modes of operation. Low-temperature measurements in all SPM modes can be made simultaneously in conjunction with standard far-field optical...

Facet passivation rector.(new products)
September 1, 2003... A new passivation and facet-coating reactor utilizes a proprietary Native Nitride Ion Beam Epitaxy ([N.sup.2]IBE) process to increase damage threshold, improve output power, and extend the lifetime of edge-emitting semiconductor lasers. The...

Imaging spectrographs and monochromators.(new products)
September 1, 2003... The SpectraPro 2000 series imaging spectrographs and monochromators feature USB interfaces, on-board filter-wheel control and optional dual spectrograph ports. The USB feature is directly compatible with Roper Scientific CCDs and allows control...

Diode laser.(new products)
September 1, 2003... An acetylene-stabilized diode laser, Model C2H2LDS-1540, uses the saturated absorption line of acetylene as a reference. It can be used as a calibration reference-frequency light source for wavelength-division multiplexers, as well as for...

Translation stages.(new products)
September 1, 2003... Stainless-steel linear translation stages, Models 9067 for 1-in. travel and 9066 for 0.5-in. travel use crossed-roller bearings and are aimed at applications such as fiber alignment and high-stability positioning in laser systems. They have...

MEMS analyzer.(new products)
September 1, 2003... The MMA-300 system for full-field 3-D characterization of MEMS dynamics includes a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer and stroboscopic video microscopy. It measures out-of-plane vibration with amplitudes to [+ or -]10 m/s with 2-pm resolution...

Float glass.(new products)
September 1, 2003... Borofloat borosilicate float glass now comes at a thickness of 1 in., for antiballistic windows, lenses, and medical-diagnostic applications and applications that require a sight glass under extreme pressure or hydrolytic conditions. It is...

Optical mold inserts.(new products)
September 1, 2003... NiColoy electroformed mold inserts are replicas of machined metal optics made with submicron accuracy. They can be used to produce multiple identical stampers and inverted patterns for use in the mass production of plastic optical components....

Filter couplers.(new products)
September 1, 2003... Couplers for polarization-maintaining filters and tap filters are manufactured using thin-film-filter technology. The couplers are environmentally stable and have a minimum extinction ratio of 20 dB. Split ratios of 50/50, 20/80, and 10/90 are...

Ultrafast amplifier.(new products)
September 1, 2003... The Spitfire HPR all-solid-state, single-stage, regenerative amplifier offers pulse duration from less than 50 fs to more than 80 ps, [M.sup.2] Spectra-Physics, Mountain View, CA Write in 210 or go to www.onlinecenter.to/lfw ...

Laser welding service.(new products)
September 1, 2003... Laser welding technology is aimed at the microfluidics industry and aids in the design and production of smaller devices for bioanalysis, drug delivery, and drug discovery. Partnered with Leister Technology, the company supplies products for...

LED color calibration.(new products)
September 1, 2003... The PM-LED is a turnkey system that allows manufactures to calibrate LED display panels that are used to build large video screens. The CCD-based colorimeter system performs color and luminance measurements and automatically corrects the...

Benchtop erbium laser.(new products)
September 1, 2003... A benchtop version of the Scorpion erbium microfiber laser module is housed in a self-contained unit that includes front-panel controls, and LCD display, and as RS-232 connector. The turnkey system, based on Windows-compatible software,...

Metrology stylus.(new products)
September 1, 2003... The Dektak 8 advanced-development profiler stylus for surface metrology uses low-force tip technology and 3-D data analysis for characterization of MEMS, semiconductors, data-storage devices, and other surfaces. It provides 7.5-angstrom,...

Laser protection filter.(new products)
September 1, 2003... Laser protection coatings have been developed based on thin-film rugate notch filters. Rugate technology utilizes a single film with a continuously varying refractive index to allow filters to be designed with spectral characteristics that are...

Differential probe.(new products)
September 1, 2003... The E2696A InfiniiMax 6-GHz active differential probe allows engineers to measure and validate differential signal designs, helping to shorten design cycles and reduce overall design costs of RF and microwave circuits used in aerospace and...

Nd:Yag optics.(new products)
September 1, 2003... A series of high-flatness optics are designed for Nd:Yag, Nd:YV[O.sub.4], and Nd:YLF laser systems that require extremely low wavefront distortion. The components are specified to deliver (X20 surface flatness at 632.8 nm after coating....

Micro-IR camera.(new products)
September 1, 2003... The LTC550 MicroIR is an environmentally qualified, IR camera designed for day and night surveillance and general imaging applications. Based on IRIS' 320 x 240 uncooled MicroIR technology, the camera produces imagery for situational awareness,...

Flat voice-coil actuator.(new products)
September 1, 2003... The model LAg5-30-001 is a thin, rectangular shaped linear actuator with a total stroke of 0.4 in., a continuous stall force of 3.4 lb and a peak force rating of 8.5 lb (for maximum 10 s). The device is a two-wire, hysteresis-free, cog-free,...

Virtual-instrumentation driver.(new products)
September 1, 2003... A comprehensive LabVIEW 6.0 driver for the Model 555 digital delay/pulse generator has been introduced. LabVIEW is a platform for virtual instrumentation architecture that allows users to run remote testing, or testing using many instruments...