Photonicsspectra 201201

January / 2012
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Whats on
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Our Annual Trends Issue
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January 2012
t
TABLE OF CONTENTS
16 | TECH NEWS
Photonics Spectra editors curate the most significant photonics research
and technology headlines of the month and take you deeper inside
the news. Featured stories include:
Zinc oxide microwires boost LED performance
Spin lasers could push data into the fast lane
Chemically assembled metamaterials pave way for superlenses
34 | FASTTRACK
Business and Markets
2011 Prism Award finalists announced
Tokyo gears up for Photonix Expo
55 | GREENLIGHT
by Marie Freebody, Contributing Editor
Sensor Reveals 1000 Colors Across Land, Sea, Space
NEWS & ANALYSIS
10 | EDITORIAL
106 | BRIGHT IDEAS
127 | HAPPENINGS
129 | ADVERTISER INDEX
130 | PEREGRINATIONS
To seek out the soft glow of new life and new civilizations
DEPARTMENTS
THE COVER
The cover of the 2012 trends issue was
designed by Juliana Willey.
16
Photonics Spectra January 2012 4
112Contents_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:57 AM Page 4
PHOTONICS: The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant
energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The range of applications of photonics extends
from energy generation to detection to communications and information processing.
Vol ume 46 I ssue 1
www. phot oni cs. com
58 | SURPRISING SURGES, CAUTIOUS EXPECTATIONS, POSITIVE OUTLOOKS
by Laura S. Marshall, Managing Editor
Leading lights of the photonics industry share their perspectives
on the markets current and future health.
68 | MASS-MARKET IMAGING SYSTEMS CUT TIME, COST, SIZE
by Marie Freebody, Contributing Editor
Liquid lenses, 3-D mapping and ever-smaller cameras are helping bring to fruition
applications such as stretchable optoelectronics and robots that guide the blind.
78 | PUTTING MORE THAN GLASS IN THE TOOLBOX
by Hank Hogan, Contributing Editor
Alternative optical materials such as polymers and metamaterials have increased
in quality, enabling systems that can do more in a smaller space.
86 | MEDICAL MARKETS AND NEW NICHES DRIVE LASER ADVANCES
by Lynn Savage, Features Editor
The health of laser manufacturing is fairly robust, thanks in large part to novel
applications in surgery and biomedical research.
94 | A BRAVE NEW WORLD OF PHOTONICS
by Gary Boas, Contributing Editor
Photonics experts predict which visionary applications in the automobile, solar,
defense and lighting industries could become a reality in 20 to 50 years.
PHOTONICS SPECTRA ISSN-0731-1230, (USPS 448870) IS
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58
FEATURES
68
112Contents_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:58 AM Page 5
Photonics Spectra January 2012
Group Publisher Karen A. Newman
Editorial Staff
Managing Editor Laura S. Marshall
Senior Editor Melinda A. Rose
Features Editor Lynn M. Savage
Editors Caren B. Les
Ashley N. Paddock
Krista D. Zanolli
Copy Editors Judith E. Storie
Patricia A. Vincent
Margaret W. Bushee
Contributing Editors Hank Hogan
Gary Boas
Marie Freebody
Creative Staff
Senior Art Director Lisa N. Comstock
BioPhotonics Art Director Suzanne L. Schmidt
Designer Janice R. Tynan
Director of Publishing Operations Kathleen A. Alibozek
Electronic Media Staff
Director Charley Rose
Multimedia Services & Marketing
.NET Developers Brian L. LeMire
Alan W. Shepherd
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e
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Who Has the Conn?
Editorial Advisory Board
Dr. Robert R. Alfano
City College of New York
Valerie C. Bolhouse
Consultant
Walter Burgess
Power Technology Inc.
Dr. Timothy Day
Daylight Solutions
Dr. Anthony J. DeMaria
Coherent-DEOS LLC
Dr. Donal Denvir
Andor Technology PLC
Patrick L. Edsell
Avanex Corp.
Dr. Stephen D. Fantone
Optikos Corp.
Randy Heyler
Ondax Inc.
Dr. Michael Houk
Bristol Instruments Inc.
Dr. Kenneth J. Kaufmann
Hamamatsu Corp.
Brian Lula
PI (Physik Instrumente) LP
Eliezer Manor
Shirat Enterprises Ltd., Israel
Shinji Niikura
Coherent Japan Inc.
Dr. Morio Onoe
professor emeritus, University of Tokyo
Dr. William Plummer
WTP Optics
Dr. Richard C. Powell
University of Arizona
Dr. Ryszard S. Romaniuk
Warsaw University of Technology, Poland
Samuel P. Sadoulet
Edmund Optics
Stuart Schoenmann
CVI Melles Griot
Dr. Steve Sheng
Telesis Technologies Inc.
William H. Shiner
IPG Photonics Corp.
John M. Stack
Zygo Corp.
Dr. Albert J.P. Theuwissen
Harvest Imaging/Delft University
of Technology, Belgium
Kyle Voosen
National Instruments Corp.
10 Photonics Spectra January 2012
T
he conn is the area of the submarine from which the rudder is controlled and where
the periscope is located. Fans of sub movies and any submariners among our read-
ers know that Who has the conn? is never in question, as ownership is announced
out loud and repeated every time that responsibility changes.
This is a position of critical importance, as the rudder steers the ship, and the periscope
allows a peek at the surface without revealing the subs location. You know something
big is going on when the captain takes the conn, and Im sure you know where Im
going with this first message of the year.
Steering clear of some pretty serious surface dangers, both natural and man-made, has
kept captains of industry busy for several years now, and despite signs of improvement,
it has never been more important to keep a hand on the rudder and an eye to the periscope.
When I asked Managing Editor Laura Marshall to discuss her choice of a periscope
for the cover of this issue, she said, A periscope is a long-standing symbol of vision:
It rises from the murky depths to give a clear picture of whats ahead. And our annual
trends issue is a periscope of sorts, guiding readers into the unknown waters of the new
year. Heres whats inside:
Surprising Surges, Cautious Expectations, Positive Outlooks, by our managing editor,
is a Q&A with photonics industry leaders including SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs. The
article begins on page 58.
Mass-Market Imaging Systems Cut Time, Cost, Size, on page 68, by contributing
editor Marie Freebody, explains how liquid lenses, 3-D mapping and ever-smaller cameras
are bringing new applications to fruition.
Putting More Than Glass in the Toolbox, by Hank Hogan, contributing editor, makes
it clear that alternative materials such as polymers and metamaterials have increased
in quality, enabling systems that can do more in a smaller space. The article starts on
page 78.
Medical Markets and New Niches Drive Laser Advances, by features editor Lynn
Savage, which begins on page 86, describes the robust health of laser manufacturing
due to novel medical applications.
A Brave New World of Photonics, by contributing editor Gary Boas, outlines experts
predictions about visionary applications on the distant horizon that could become reality
in 20 to 50 years. It starts on page 94.
A number of time-, work- and lifesaving developments are heading our way. Dont forget
to check out the Prism Awards finalists on page 34 for a look at the most innovative
products of 2011. We all hope you enjoy this issue and, as always, we welcome your
comments.
Meanwhile, periscopes in modern submersibles are being replaced by or augmented with
photonics masts, sophisticated collections of sensor and imaging technologies that cast
that peek at the surface in a new light.
Here at Photonics Media, we augment the technical briefs and feature articles in our
print publications with daily news and Light Matters weekly video newscasts at
www.photonics.com. Read the issue, and then visit us online for an improved view
of the horizon.
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Photonics Medias industry-leading site features the latest industry news and events
from around the world.
Spread the Enlightenment Win an iPad 2
Watch Light Matters

Email the link to a friend or colleague,
and copy LightMatters@photonics.com
Be entered into a drawing to win an iPad 2
Deadline is Feb. 1, 2012.

For contest rules,
visit: www.photonics.com/a41434
Welcome to
Blog: Different Wavelengths
Each week Gary Boas, our nomadic contributing editor, chronicles his take on
the photonics industry through his blog - Different Wavelengths. Whether he takes
inspiration from pop culture, old sci-fi comic books or government policy, Gary
has a knack for telling stories that have the reader conjuring up new ideas, ques-
tioning old theories or remembering what made science so appealing in the first
place. To explore Garys blog, visit: www.Photonics.com/DifferentWavelengths.
Year-End Review
Most popular topics of 2011
Visit Photonics.com for our year-end roundup of some
of the most popular topics of 2011.
Our readers enjoyed news about paradoxical cats, a streak
camera that captures light particles in motion, and even
iPhones used for microscopy and spectroscopy, but the most
talked about story in 2011 was about BMWs plan to incorporate lasers into its
headlights, making them 1000 times more intense than conventional LEDs.
To view the most popular topics of 2011, visit: www.Photonics.com
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Check out a sample of the
new digital version of Photonics
Spectra magazine at www.
photonics.com/DigitalSample.
Its a whole new world of infor-
mation for people in the global
photonics industry.
In the February issue of
Photonics Spectra
Youll also find all the news that affects your
industry, from tech trends and market reports
to the latest products and media.
Waveguides Need Characterization, Too
Robert Ferguson of the National Physical Laboratory
in the UK discusses how measuring the attenuation
and isolation of the polymer waveguides in optical
printed circuit boards will help manufacturers develop
and produce better boards for optical communica-
tions.
Quantum Communications
Is Ready for its Close-Up
Photonics is key for quantum communications,
thanks to the ability to impose a quantum state on
particles of light and detect that state at a point
many miles away. Regular contributing editor
Hank Hogan looks at technical issues such as
how to increase transmission distance or construct
a quantum repeater that still must be worked
out.
Optical Fiber Design
Getting the most out of a communications system
requires constant improvements in the design of
fiber optic lines. Features editor Lynn Savage will
discuss some of the most recent trends in fiber
design and materials.
Lasers in Communications
Reducing Size & Cost
The laser has revolutionized the way the world
communicates, and with the ever-increasing
demands on bandwidth, speed and deployment,
efforts to reduce size and cost have never been
so important. One technology that promises to
answer these demands is the VCSEL.
Power Distribution Improves
Industrial Laser Systems
Electrical power is vital to a lasers operation.
Power quality, availability and the distribution
of that power play a crucial role in the lasers
performance. Manufacturers must consider
these factors when designing new systems.
Dave Proli of Marway Power Solutions writes
about the ins and outs of power distribution
for laser systems.
112Online_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:02 AM Page 14
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Zinc oxide microwires boost LED performance
ATLANTA Microwires made of zinc
oxide can enhance LED performance,
improving the efficiency at which LEDs
convert electricity into ultraviolet light.
LEDs may be the first to be enhanced by
the creation of an electrical charge in
a piezoelectric material using the
piezo-phototronic effect.
A mechanical strain to the microwires
creates a piezoelectric potential an elec-
trical charge in the wires, enabling tun-
ing of the charge transport and enhancing
the carrier injection in the LEDs, said re-
searchers at Georgia Institute of Technol-
ogy School of Materials Science and Engi-
neering. This could mean big things for
many electro-optical processes, including
advances in the energy efficiency of light-
ing devices.
Our discovery is groundbreaking re-
search not only for exploring the piezo-
phototronic effect through three-way cou-
pling among mechanical, electronical and
optical properties, but also can largely im-
prove the efficiency and performance of
LEDs and the design of a large range of
optoelectronic devices based on ZnO and
GaN with the use of their piezoelectric
property, said Zhong Lin Wang, a
Regents professor at Georgia Tech.
Traditional LED designs use structures
such as quantum wells to trap electrons and
holes, which must remain close together
long enough to recombine. The longer that
electrons and holes can be retained in prox-
imity to one another, the higher the ultimate
efficiency of the LED device.
Mechanically compressing or otherwise
straining structures made from piezoelec-
tric materials such as zinc oxide creates a
piezoelectric potential because of the po-
larization of ions within the crystals. In
the gallium nitride LEDs, the researchers
used the local piezoelectric potential to
tune the charge transport at the p-n junc-
tion. The zinc oxide wires form the n
component of a p-n junction, with the gal-
lium nitride thin film providing the p
component. Free carriers were trapped at
this interface region in a channel created
by the piezoelectric charge formed by
compressing the wires.
The effect was to increase the rate at
which electrons and holes recombine to
generate photons, enhancing the external
efficiency of the device through im-
proved light emission and a higher injec-
tion current.
The new devices increased their emis-
sion intensity by a factor of 17 and
boosted the injection current by a factor of
four when compressive strain of 0.093
percent was applied to the zinc oxide wire.
That improved conversion efficiency by as
much as a factor of 4.25. The LEDs pro-
duced emissions at ultraviolet wavelengths
(about 390 nm), but Wang believes that
the frequencies can be extended into the
visible light range for a variety of opto-
electronic devices.
Beyond LEDs, he also believes that the
approach pioneered in this study can be
applied to other optical devices that are
controlled by electrical fields.
We are now extending this research to
thin-film-based LEDs and arrays of
nanowire-based LEDs, Wang said. We
anticipate to use the piezo-phototronic
effect to enhance the efficiency of GaN-
based LEDs so it can make great contribu-
tions to energy saving and solid-state
lighting.
The research was published online in
Nano Letters (doi: 10.1021/nl202619d).
NEWS
TECH
Georgia Tech professor Zhong Lin Wang (right) and
graduate research assistant Ying Liu study their
enhanced LEDs. Courtesy of Gary Meek.
Adding mechanical strain onto zinc oxide microwires enhances LED performance.
112_Tech News_Layout 1 1/5/12 5:34 PM Page 16
Spin lasers could push data into the fast lane
BOCHUM, Germany A new concept for
ultrafast semiconductor lasers uses the in-
trinsic angular momentum of electrons
also known as spin to break previous
speed barriers, with the potential to
achieve modulation frequencies of well
above 100 GHz. The results could be a
significant step toward high-speed data
transmission for the Internet of the future.
Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum
were inspired by spintronics combining
quantum mechanical spin with semicon-
ductor-based electronics to develop the
next generation of electronic and optoelec-
tronic devices.
Optical data transmission by semicon-
ductor lasers is a prerequisite for the glob-
ally networked information technology
world. The maximum speed of conven-
tional semiconductor lasers has been a
limiting factor; typical modulation fre-
quencies are at levels well below 50 GHz.
By using spin lasers, the researchers
overcame the previous limits for the mod-
ulation speed. In conventional lasers, the
spin of the electrons injected is entirely ar-
bitrary, while in spin lasers, only electrons
with a previously determined spin state are
used. Injecting these spin-polarized elec-
trons forces the laser to work simultane-
ously on two laser modes with different
frequencies.
The frequency difference can be tuned
easily using birefringence in the resonator,
according to researcher Dr. Nils Gerhardt.
This is done simply by bending the micro-
laser. By coupling the two laser modes in
the microresonator, oscillation with a new
frequency occurs, which theoretically can
reach well over 100 GHz.
The results were published online in
Applied Physics Letters (doi: 10.1063/
1.3651339).
The next step will be to develop a spin
laser with a modulation bandwidth signifi-
cantly higher than 100 GHz in order to
demonstrate the full potential of our con-
cept, Gerhardt said. Furthermore, we
want to investigate the polarization dy-
namics in detail to find the fundamental
limitation for the maximum modulation
speed.
The team must address electrical spin
injection at room temperature to make
such devices commercially viable, Ger-
hardt added.
Injecting spin-polarized electrons into semiconduc-
tor-based microlasers results in modulation speeds
that are superior to those of conventional lasers.
Courtesy of Dr. Nils Gerhardt et al, Ruhr University
Bochum.
Relaxation oscillations (a) mark the maximum speed achievable in conventional semiconductor lasers.
By injecting spin-polarized electrons in a micro-cavity laser, oscillations that can be much faster than the
relaxation oscillations are generated in the polarization of the light field (b). Because the oscillation lifetime
can easily be tuned via the current (c), such spin lasers are suited for optical data transmission.
CPD = Circular polarization degree.
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TECHNEWS
ITHACA, N.Y. A new meta-
material can self-assemble 3-D
structures with nanoscale fea-
tures, a feat that could make
superlenses to image pro-
teins, DNA and viruses.
Metamaterials offer new
ways to manipulate light via
negative refractive indices and
typically are made with com-
mon deposition and lithography
techniques such as electron
beam lithography or atomic
sputtering. But these techniques
can only create materials in thin
layers. The new method, pro-
posed by Cornell University re-
searchers led by Ulrich Wies-
ner, enables three-dimensional
self-assembly of metamaterials.
Today, most metamaterial
fabrication relies on top-down
approaches such as lithography
techniques, making efficient
access to three-dimensionally
isotropic metamaterials chal-
lenging, thus hindering their
practical application, ex-
plained Kahyun Hur, a gradu-
ate student. We expect that
bottom-up-type metamaterial
fabrication can overcome some
of these limitations. In particu-
lar, block copolymer self-as-
sembly provides a facile route
to 3-D isotropic material fabri-
cation.
Block copolymers are made
by joining two polymer mole-
cules at the ends so that when
each end chains up with others
like itself, the two solids form
an interconnected pattern of re-
peating geometric shapes
planes, spheres, cylinders or a
twisty network called a gyroid.
After the structure has
formed, one of the two poly-
mers can be dissolved away,
leaving a 3-D mold that can be
filled with a metal. Then the
second polymer is burned
away, leaving a porous metal
structure.
In a recent paper published
online in Angewandte Chemie
(doi: 10.1002/ange.201104888),
the researchers propose the cre-
ation of metal gyroids that
allow light to pass through but
are made up of nanoscale fea-
tures that interact with light. In
this way, it should be possible
to design materials with a nega-
tive index of refraction.
Wiesners team performed
computer simulations of several
different metal gyroids, includ-
ing gold, silver and aluminum,
that could be made by copoly-
mer self-assembly, then calcu-
lated how light would behave
when passing through them.
They found that only silver pro-
duced satisfactory results.
They concluded that such
materials could have a nega-
tive refractive index in the
visible and near-infrared
ranges. In addition, they noted
that the amount of refraction
could be controlled by adjust-
ing the size of the repeating
features of the metamaterial,
which can be done by modify-
ing the chemistry used in self-
assembly.
Special lenses made of such
a material could image objects
smaller than the wavelength of
visible light, including proteins,
DNA and viruses. Some experi-
menters have made such super-
lenses, but so far none of these
work in the visible light range.
Negative-refraction materials
also might be configured to
bend light around an object
at least a small one and
make it invisible.
Chemically assembled metamaterials pave way for superlenses
112_Tech News_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:54 AM Page 18

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112_L-3Communications_Pg19_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:31 AM Page 19
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Step aside
LEDs, theres a new light source in town.
A new four-color laser source can produce
high-quality white light that is appealing
to the human eye.
LEDs widely accepted as sturdier,
more efficient replacements for incandes-
cent bulbs lose efficiency at electrical
currents above 0.5 A. Diode lasers, how-
ever, improve at higher currents to provide
even more light than LEDs.
To test whether the white light produced
by the diode lasers is pleasing to the eye,
researchers at Sandia National Laborato-
ries developed a series of tests that were
carried out at the University of New Mex-
icos Center for High Technology Materi-
als. One by one, 40 volunteers sat before
two near-identical scenes of fruit in bowls,
housed in adjacent chambers. Each bowl
was randomly illuminated by warm, cool
or neutral white LEDs, by a tungsten-fila-
ment incandescent lightbulb, or by a com-
bination of four lasers (blue, red, green,
yellow), tuned so that they produced a
white light.
The participants were instructed to
choose the lit scene with which they felt
most comfortable. The pairs were pre-
sented 80 times in random order, and the
light sources providing the illumination
were not revealed, to ensure that only the
lighting itself and not sequence or tester
preconceptions played a role in subject
choices.
The result was a statistically significant
preference for the diode-laser-based white
light over the warm and cool LED-based
white light, but no statistically significant
preference between the diode-laser-based
and either the neutral LED-based or incan-
descent white light.
Since the tests show that diode laser
light is as pleasing as its competitors, we
expect weve removed some of the road-
20
t TECHNEWS
Sandia researcher Jeff Tsao examines a setup used to test diode lasers as an alternative to LED lighting.
Skeptics believed that laser light would be too harsh to be acceptable, but research by Tsao and colleagues
suggests that the skeptics were wrong. Images courtesy of Randy Montoya.
In the test setup, similar bowls of fruit were placed in
a lightbox with a divider in the middle. The bowl on
the left side was illuminated by a diode laser light
and the one on the right, by a standard incandes-
cent bulb. The aesthetic quality of the diode laser
lighting compares favorably with the standard
incandescent light.
People warm to white light from
four-color diode lasers
blocks to further research in this area, said Neal Singer, a sci-
ence writer at Sandia, adding that more research to compact vari-
ous diode laser light sources must be conducted.
Diode lasers are slightly more expensive to fabricate than
LEDs because their substrates must have fewer defects than those
used for LEDs. Still, such substrates are likely to become more
available because they improve LED performance as well, the
researchers say.
Although blue diode lasers perform well enough that BMW
AG plans to use them in its vehicles next-generation white head-
lights, the performance of red diode lasers is not as good, and
yellow and green have a ways to go before they are efficient
enough for commercial lighting.
The study was published in Optics Express (dx.doi.org/10.
1364/OE.19.00A982) on July 1, 2011.
t TECHNEWS
Four laser beams yellow, blue, green and red converge to produce a
pleasantly warm white light. Results suggest that diode-based lighting could
be an attractive alternative to increasingly popular LED lighting, itself an
alternative to compact fluorescent lights and incandescent bulbs.
Super absorber could boost
efficiency in solar cells
EVANSTON, Ill. A new material that absorbs a wide range of
wavelengths could lead to more efficient, less expensive solar
technology.
Solar cells are only as efficient as the amount of sunlight they
collect. Unlike a laser, the solar spectrum is very broadband,
ranging from the ultraviolet to the near-infrared, so a solar cell
needs a broadband response to capture this light most efficiently,
said Koray Aydin of Northwestern Universitys McCormick
School of Engineering and Applied Science.
To achieve this, Aydin and colleagues used unconventional
materials metal and silicon oxide to create thin but complex
trapezoid-shaped metal gratings on the nanoscale level that
can trap a wider range of visible light. On their own, the two ma-
terials do not absorb light; however, when used together on the
nanoscale, they achieve very high absorption rates.
112_Tech News_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:56 AM Page 21
The research is not directly applicable
to solar cell technology because metal
and silicon oxide cannot convert light to
electricity. In fact, the photons are con-
verted to heat and might allow novel
ways to control the heat flow at the
nanoscale. However, the innovative
trapezoid shape could be replicated in
semiconducting materials that could be
used in solar cells.
If we can turn a reflective metal and
transparent dielectric to an absorbing ma-
terial through optical design and nanofab-
rication, we can surely use it for increas-
ing the absorption in semiconductors,
which are already absorbing, Aydin said.
If applied to semiconducting materials,
the technology could lead to thinner,
cheaper and more efficient solar cells. The
new grating design captured a range of
wavelengths because of the local optical
resonances, causing light to spend more
time inside the material until it gets ab-
sorbed. Because the composite metamater-
ial collected light from many angles, it
would be useful in dealing with sunlight,
which hits solar cells at different angles as
the sun moves from east to west through-
out the day.
Although solar energy conversion is the
first application that occurred to Aydin, he
said that the new material could be used in
other areas.
Plasmonic and nano-/microwire-based
solar cells are receiving lots of attention
and these approaches are all based on
the idea that shaping the materials (semi-
conductors, metals and/or dielectrics)
could yield increased absorption and
therefore increase efficiency, he said.
Our design offers a much broader, polar-
ization-independent and relatively angle-
insensitive response. We also believe that
the design of ultrathin absorbers could
have implications in defense applications,
as they could be used to protect vehicles/
planes from the penetration of electromag-
netic radiation.
The researchers hope to prove that
they can better the absorption in semicon-
ductors.
Findings from the study appeared Nov.
1, 2011, in Nature Communications (doi:
10.1038/ncomms1528).
22
t TECHNEWS
A scanning electron microscope image of broad-
band plasmonic superabsorbers. Proposed arrays of
crossed trapezoidal metallic elements yield broad-
band, polarization-independent optical absorption.
Courtesy of Koray Aydin, Northwestern University.
112_EdmundOptics_Pg23_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:32 AM Page 23
STUTTGART, Germany Chemical spill?
Gas leak? Mine collapse? Send in the
spiders.
Laser-based 3-D printing can help fabri-
cate mobile robot spiders that can explore
environments considered unreachable by
or too hazardous for humans.
The prototype robot, developed by re-
searchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Man-
ufacturing Engineering and Automation
IPA, looks and moves much like a real
spider. With a camera and measurement
equipment onboard, it can provide emer-
gency responders with images on the
scene of a chemical accident and even
offer data about poisonous substances.
And as does a real spider, the device keeps
four legs on the ground at all times, ren-
dering it able to navigate any terrain.
The researchers used selective laser sin-
tering (SLS) to shape the plastics for the
prototype, combining rigid and elastic
shapes in a single component. They ap-
plied step-by-step thin layers of a fine
polyamide powder and melted them into
place with a laser beam to create the
robots complex geometries, inner struc-
tures and lightweight components.
All components required for motion,
such as the control unit, valves and com-
pressor pump, are located on the robots
body. It can carry a variety of sensors and
measuring devices, depending upon the
appliction. Hinges interoperate with bel-
lows drives to pneumatically bend, extend
and turn the artificial limbs as needed.
Using SLS saves materials, minimizes
assembly effort and reduces the time it
takes to build the spider, said Ralf Becker,
a scientist at Fraunhofer. He added that
individual parts can be quickly swapped
and, because the robot is so easy and
cheap to produce, it can be discarded after
just one use.
The robot spider also could be useful
for exploration and search-and-rescue mis-
sions; for example, after natural catastro-
phes and industrial or reactor accidents.
It also could help responders to fires by
broadcasting live images or tracking down
hazards or leaking gases.
The prototype was displayed at the re-
cent EuroMold 2011 show in Frankfurt,
Germany.
t TECHNEWS
Lasers give rise to spider robots for
dangerous missions
A robotic spider could help emergency responders
obtain information about chemical spills and other
dangers. Images courtesy of Fraunhofer IPA.
The robot spiders legs are 20 cm long. Elastic bellows drives serve as its joints.
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TORONTO Scientists have put together a couple more pieces
of the puzzle to explain how energy levels align in a critical
group of advanced materials, which could have implications for
developing sustainable technologies such as dye-sensitized solar
cells and organic LEDs.
Its been known for years that transition metal oxides, also
known as superconductors, make excellent electrical contacts in
organic-based devices, but the reason why hasnt been known
until now.
What we found was shocking, said Mark T. Greiner, a mate-
rials science and engineering doctoral candidate at the University
of Toronto. We wanted to understand what is so special about
oxides that makes them so useful in organic electronic devices.
We soon realized that the property we were aiming to understand
was the same property that makes oxides valuable catalysts: their
ability to transfer charge to molecules.
To better understand this property, Greiner and Zheng-Hong
Lu, professor and Canada Research Chair in organic optoelec-
tronics, examined as many materials as possible. They tested a
large number of metal oxides, spanning a wide range of proper-
ties from insulators to p- and n-type semiconductors to metallic
conductors. What they discovered was a surprise.
All of the oxides followed the same trend, regardless of their
electronic properties, Greiner said. He explained that this trend
could be represented by a single simple equation.
The findings imply that charge transfer between metal oxides
and molecules depends primarily on the oxides electron chemical
potential and the molecules ionization energy, Greiner said.
26
t TECHNEWS
Piece of energy puzzle could lead to
better OLEDs and solar cells
Teasing out the mysteries of transition metal oxides could help progress solar
cells. Courtesy of Zu Lab, University of Toronto.
112_Hamamatsu_Pg27_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:32 AM Page 27
Providing a piece of the puzzle to fur-
ther understand energy-level alignment,
Greiner is hopeful that their findings will
drive further developments in the field and
that the discovery will extend into other
fields of research as well, including
catalysis.
The engineers are now at work to refine
their model. With their results indicating
that the charge-injection barrier plateaus at
a minimum value, the team is designing
experiments to investigate the physical
causes behind this minimum injection
barrier, and will explore the limitations
of the model by testing it on non-oxide
materials.
The research appeared online in Nature
Materials (doi: 10.1038/nmat3159).
28
t TECHNEWS
Compact laser frequency comb could go places
GAITHERSBURG, Md. A new compact
laser frequency comb is no larger than a
shoebox and has a high-quality optical
cavity just 2 mm wide. Until now, fre-
quency combs have been delicate lab in-
struments, bulky about the size of a suit-
case and challenging to operate. The
new microcombs developed at the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technol-
ogy are a step closer to user-friendly chip-
based combs that could enable new
applications in astronomy, high-capacity
telecommunications and if other compo-
nents are miniaturized as well portable
versions of the most advanced atomic
clocks. In the past decade, laser frequency
combs have helped propel advances in
timekeeping, trace gas detection and re-
lated physics research.
The prototype frequency comb consists
of a low-power semiconductor laser about
the size of a shoebox and a high-quality
optical cavity just 2 mm wide. NIST says
it is the first to use a cavity made of fused
silica, or quartz, the most common optical
material. This means that the device could
be integrated easily with other optical and
photonic components, said researcher
Scott Papp.
The new compact version relies on a
low-power laser and the cavitys unusual
properties: It is designed to limit disper-
sion and to confine light in a small space
to enhance intensity and optical interac-
tions. Infrared laser light travels in a loop
inside the cavity, generating a train of very
short pulses and a spectrum of additional
shades of infrared light. The small cavity,
with no moving parts, offers insight into
basic processes of frequency combs, the
large versions of which are difficult to
observe.
A stack of 10 optical microresonators made from a solid rod of fused quartz glass for use in NISTs
compact laser frequency comb. (Only one is actually used.) A low-power infrared laser produces light
that travels in a loop inside one of the cavities. Each cavity is 2 mm wide and shaped like a flat ellipse.
A detail of the rod is shown on opposite page. Courtesy of S. Papp, NIST.
Among the features of the new comb is the wide spacing be-
tween the teeth 10 to 100 times wider than the gaps found in
typical larger combs. This spacing allows scientists to measure
and manipulate the teeth more easily. The widely spaced teeth
can be individually read by astronomical instruments. The combs
could thus be used as ultrastable frequency references in the
search for Earthlike planets orbiting distant stars.
Portable frequency combs could have other applications also,
the researchers said. For example, because a frequency comb can
simultaneously generate hundreds of telecommunication channels
from a single low-power source, a microcomb eventually might
replace the individual lasers now used for each channel in fiber
optic telecommunications.
So far, our compact comb works in the telecom band near
1550 nm, Papp said. But to take advantage of the worlds most
precise optical atomic clocks at NIST, we will have to increase
the combs spectral range by a factor of 10.
To do this, Papp said his team will have to learn more about
the mechanisms that control broad-bandwidth generation of the
microcomb spectrum. In addition, they will have to understand
and implement appropriate means to interface the device with
ultrastable atomic clock signals.
Both of these steps are critical for microcombs to be used as
the gears of next-generation optical clocks, Papp said.
29
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t TECHNEWS
LAUSANNE, Switzerland In team
sports, single players can sometimes get
lost on the crowded field. But a new sys-
tem can follow multiple players at once,
even when theyre buried under a pile of
bodies in a football tackle or crouching
behind another player.
The new tool, developed at cole Poly-
technique Fdrale de Lausannes Com-
puter Vision Laboratory (CV Lab), can
track athletes movements continuously
from the time they enter the field by over-
laying their numbers and jersey colors
on their computer screen images. These
superimposed images make it easier for
spectators, referees and coaches to distin-
guish individuals out on the field, and they
can be produced without special chips,
extra gear or additional markers.
The system consists of a computer and
eight video cameras: Two are set up on
each side of the field, two look down onto
the field from overhead, and two zoom in
on players. Software running on the com-
puter uses three algorithms to detect, track
and identify the players.
The first algorithm divides the field into
30
t TECHNEWS
Technology tracks movements of individual athletes
Innovative multicamera algorithms can automatically track multiple basketball players. Courtesy of CV Lab, EPFL.
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112_Nusil_Pg31_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:15 AM Page 31
a grid of squares measuring 25 sq cm
each, then removes the background in all
images simultaneously. It deduces the
probability of the presence of a player in
each small square. The other two algo-
rithms connect the series of results ob-
tained from the first to establish individual
trajectories. Each algorithm uses global
optimization methods, which result in a
system that can track people in real time
in a reliable manner.
Our technology is nonintrusive, in the
sense that people do not need to wear ad-
ditional markers or devices in order to be
tracked, said Horesh Ben Shitrit, a doc-
toral candidate in the CV Lab and one of
the developers of the algorithms. We
manage to track people for a long period
of time and preserve their identities.
Although the scientists are concentrat-
ing their tracking on sports players, Shitrit
said the technology, with some adapta-
tions, also could track pedestrians to mon-
itor traffic in an area, or follow the move-
ment of clients in a store for marketing
purposes. Currently, the team also is in-
volved in a new project for tracking med-
ical staff in operating rooms to optimize
the work flow during surgery, he said.
Next, the researchers plan to use their tra-
jectories, in addition to other visual cues,
to analyze the behavior and performance
of teams and their players. We would like
to find patterns in the games style of dif-
ferent teams and evaluate different tech-
niques of individual players, Shitrit said.
t
0pt|6entr|c
30
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TECHNEWS
Ashley N. Paddock
ashley.paddock@photonics.com
The tracking software deduces player positions even in the presence of obstacles, such as other players.
112_LightworksOptics_Pg33_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:15 AM Page 33
FAST
TRACK
Applications: refractive eye surgery, bio-
medical device manufacturing, and micro-
machining for the photovoltaics, semicon-
ductor and anti-counterfeiting markets.
SCIENTIFIC LASERS
Newport Corp. Spectra-Physics
InSight DeepSee
Based on novel technology, not Ti:sap-
phire, InSight DeepSee represents a game-
changer for deep-tissue multiphoton imag-
ing. It delivers nearly double the tuning
range of existing ultrafast lasers (680 to
1300 nm), provides seamless access to
long infrared wavelengths for deepest in
vivo imaging (1000 to 1300 nm), and is
the only fully integrated turnkey laser pro-
duct available that is optimized for such
tasks. Dispersion compensation ensures
high peak at low average powers, and an
optional dual-wavelength output offers
two beams for multimodal and CARS
(coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering)
imaging.
Applications: biological imaging, such
as two-photon excited fluorescence, sec-
ond-harmonic generation, third-harmonic
generation, multimodal, femtosecond
CARS, autofluorescence and two-photon
uncaging.
PD-LD Inc.
LabSource VBG
-Stabilized Dual
Laser Source
Laser-induced fluorescence frequently ob-
scures Raman spectra of many substances,
but the dual laser source LabSource allows
accurate and consistent subtraction of the
fluorescence contribution from the Raman
signal, enabling a significantly better sig-
nal-to-noise ratio than competing methods.
It replaces costly tunable lasers that are the
state of the art in shifted excitation Raman
difference spectroscopy (SERDS) with
highly stable, accurate and affordable vol-
ume Bragg grating (VBG)-stabilized laser
diodes. It also incorporates a fiber optic
switch and shutter, achieving better wave-
length and power stability as well as eye-
safe operation. The switching time is just
5 ms, and the insertion losses are <1 dB.
length of 213 nm, a very short wavelength
that enables direct laser writing of struc-
tures with feature sizes below 1 m. The
laser delivers <7-ns short pulses with a su-
perior beam quality of M
2
<1.6. It is seen
as an attractive replacement for standard
UV sources, such as excimer lasers,
which deliver a poor beam profile, and
frequency-doubled argon-ion lasers, which
consume dramatically high amounts of
power and must be water-cooled.
Applications: metrology, micromachin-
ing, TFT display fabrication and quality
control.
Newport Corp. Spectra-Physics
Mosaic
532-11
This is the first all-in-one DPSS laser of
this class, combining the power supply,
diodes and laser cavity. With shorter pulse
widths, Mosaic Q-switched DPSS lasers
have higher peak powers, resulting in
cleaner laser scribing and less thermal
damage to parts. Mosaic lasers also have
excellent near- and far-field beam pointing
stability and superior pulse-to-pulse stabil-
ity. The integrated E-Pulse
feature
allows users to tailor the overall pulse
energy to the job at hand. The Mosaic is
smaller than competitive DPSS lasers of
similar power, nearly maintenance free,
and it offers low cost per watt.
Application: microelectronics manufac-
turing.
Amplitude Systmes
Satsuma HE
Answering the markets need for a high-
precision ultrafast tool that is reliable, in-
dustry-ready and affordable, this compact
ultrafast fiber laser is the most advanced
on the market, with a pulse duration of
<500 fs and a repetition rate of 100 kHz to
2 MHz. The Satsuma 10W combines char-
acteristics that are usually mutually exclu-
sive: pulse energy >20 J, average power
>10 W, in an air-cooled housing measur-
ing <13 30 in. It overcomes the severe
thermal limitations of crystal-based ytter-
bium lasers by incorporating the excellent
heat dissipation properties of fiber.
BY MELINDA ROSE, SENIOR EDITOR
T
he finalists for the 2011 Prism
Awards for photonics innovation have
been announced in nine categories by
co-sponsors Photonics Media and SPIE,
and feature a wide range of products, from
eyeglasses that automatically change focus
to the first product to incorporate artificial
muscles with optics. Winners will be an-
nounced during a gala dinner at SPIE
Photonics West 2012 in San Francisco.
The finalists, by category, are:
INDUSTRIAL LASERS
Xiton Photonics GmbH
Impress 213
This is the first commercially available
industrial-grade diode-pumped solid-
state (DPSS) deep-ultraviolet laser
below 250 nm. The Impress 213 is a
high-repetition-rate (more than 10 kHz)
Q-switched laser with an emission wave-
2011 Prism Award Finalists Announced
112_FastTrack_Layout 1 1/5/12 3:16 PM Page 34
Haas Laser Technologies Inc.
TLC Objective
Although athermalizing mid- to far-

infrared optics in sensor or detector im-
aging is common, it has never been ap-
plied to high-power lasers by athermaliz-
ing a laser focusing objective until now.
This high-power laser objective passively
compensates for thermal lensing when
used with multikilowatt lasers, mitigating
it to a few microns. The TLC (thermal
lensing compensation) Objective incor-
porates a balancing of the temperature
coefficient of refractive index (dn/dT) be-
tween two high-power laser optical mate-
rials, the thicknesses, air spacing and cur-
vatures to minimize thermal lensing
between 20 and 250 C, using a propri-
etary optical design merit function. This
means that applications will be in focus
from the moment the laser is turned on to
when it is turned off; whether in seconds,
minutes or hours.
Applications: passively compensates
thermal lensing for high-power collimators
and focusing lenses.
DETECTORS, SENSING,
IMAGING AND CAMERAS
Mermec
T-Sight 5000
In the past, railway inspections were per-
formed visually, during off-peak traffic
hours. Mounted to the front of a high-
speed train, T-Sight 5000 allows such
inspections to be performed in real time
Reducer (LSR) is an extremely compact,
low-cost solution for effectively reducing
speckle contrast in laser illumination. Al-
though a traditional approach is to use
rotating diffusers, the LSR uses electroac-
tive polymers to oscillate a diffuser. A
breakthrough in miniaturization, the LSR
enables speckle reduction in laser-based
pico projectors. This is also one of the first
products worldwide to commercialize
electroactive polymer technology and the
first to combine EAPs also known as ar-
tificial muscles with optics.
Applications: pico projectors, cinema
and business projectors, metrology, mi-
croscopy, interferometry and lithography.
PixelOptics Inc.
emPower!
These prescription eyeglasses change
their optical focusing distance electro-
actively, representing the most significant
advance in multifocal eyeglasses since
Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals in
1784. Because they are electrically
controlled, these variable-focus lenses
change focus faster than the blink of an
eye, without any moving parts and without
making a sound. They can be operated
manually or automatically. All eyeglasses
available today have static focus: Once
fabricated, they have a fixed focus. The
emPower! uses optics, electronics and
chemistry to provide, for the first time,
dynamic focus.
Application: vision correction.
Applications: Raman spectroscopy, two-
color cytometry, and other life sciences
applications that require live tissue or
organic matter.
KMLabs
Wyvern X
As the first 1-MHz-repetition-rate Ti:sap-
phire ultrafast regenerative amplifier, the
Wyvern X satisfies a demand for very
short duration pulses at moderate (up to
20 J) pulse energies and the highest pos-
sible repetition rate. Marking the first
substantial improvement in this product
category in nearly two decades, it com-
bines cryogenic cooling technology with
advances in pulse switching, and achieves
dramatic improvements in power and rep-
etition rate. By using 22 W of CW green
pump light to pump a single laser crystal,
up to 3.7-W output can be obtained at a
repetition rate that can be varied from
50 kHz to 1.7 MHz, all with a 60-fs pulse
duration.
Applications: scientific and industrial
applications, including ultrafast spectros-
copy, microscopy, precision machining
and surgery.
OPTICS AND
OPTICAL COMPONENTS
Optotune AG
Laser Speckle Reducer
Speckle is one of the biggest roadblocks to
lasers becoming the standard light source
for projection. Optotunes Laser Speckle
at speeds greater than 300 k/h. The
internal architecture of the T-Sight 5000
integrates two systems (clearance gauge
measurement and tunnel wall inspection)
sharing the same laser illuminating source.
The system contains no rotating or moving
parts and is the smallest, lightest and most
accurate on the market.
Applications: in-depth inspection and
analysis of tunnels and clearance profiles
on railways.
Vieworks Co. Ltd.
VN Series Camera Link
The VN Series cameras are the only
pixel shift digital instruments that achieve
up to 142-megapixel resolution. Not only
does image resolution increase, but a
true color image is realized as well as a
100 percent fill factor. The VN Series
cameras offer such ultrahigh resolution
(73/96/142 megapixels) by adopting
two-dimensional nanostage pixel shift
technology. The cameras capture multiple
images by mechanically shifting the image
sensor in X and Y directions, and combine
those images to generate an output image
with extended resolution. The most
significant benefit of a VN pixel shift
camera in comparison with a general
fixed sensor camera is its ability to
acquire more than four times higher
resolution.
Applications: LCD panel inspection,
PCB inspection, film/document digitizing.
CyberOptics Semiconductor
WaferSense APS
Measuring just 8 mm thick and 300 mm
in diameter, the wafer-shaped airborne
particle sensor (APS) is a light-scattering
airborne particle counter that travels into
a semiconductor fab tool such as a typical
wafer and quickly helps isolate sources of
particle contamination. The APS validates
and analyzes wafer contamination in real
time for wafer processing equipment used
in the semiconductor market and can
detect and count particles as small as
100 nm. The WaferSense APS repre-
sents a significant change in particle de-
tection methodology, enabling engineers
to monitor and control contamination in
their tools and protect die yield with real-
time views of particle conditions to ad-
dress particular areas of concern instead
of the whole tool.
Applications: particle contamination de-
tection during semiconductor wafer pro-
cessing as well as preventive maintenance.
DEFENSE AND SECURITY
Headwall Photonics Inc.
Hyperspec RECON
The Hyperspec RECON sensor is the first

and only handheld hyperspectral sensor
built and delivered under contract to the
US Department of Defense. It solves the
significant problem of providing enhanced
intelligence, surveillance and reconnais-
sance support to soldiers for long-distance
spectral imaging of potential threats and
targets. In 1 to 3 s, the VNIR (380 to
1000 nm) sensor, with its aberration-
corrected diffractive optics and custom
focal place array/electronics assembly, can
spectrally resolve and rapidly render tar-
gets as small as the size of a human face
from a distance of one mile. The sensor
was designed to address the problem of
detecting potential human threats such as
snipers at distances that allow for adequate
countermeasures.
Applications: forward reconnaissance,
ground-based spectral imaging, mobile
sensor deployment for base protection,
border security and perimeter observation.
Zomega Terahertz Corp.
Micro-Z
The handheld Micro-Z is the only un-
tethered handheld terahertz system capable
of broadband spectroscopic identification
of compounds. The system integrates an
ultrafast laser, a terahertz source and
terahertz detector into a single battery-
operated package to solve the problem of
real-time field identification of chemicals
such as explosives and related compounds,
even in reflection geometry and under
covering layers. Previous devices of this
type were restricted to the lab or station-
ary installations, and samples had to be
brought to the machine, not the other way
around. With its handheld capability, the
Micro-Z forces a completely new mea-
surement methodology that compensates
for the random motion and sample charac-
teristics found in the real world.
Applications: mobile sensing, including
chemical and explosives identification.
Physical Optics Corp. (POC)
Mobile ELISA-Based Pathogen
Detection (MEPAD)
Based on a disposable microfluidic chip,
this product addresses the need for real-
time biohazard identification by replacing
a process that requires analytical expert-
ise and laboratory processing with a cost-
efficient and fully automated one. A
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112_Jenoptik_Pg37_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:33 AM Page 37
highly sensitive portable fluorescence
measurement unit controls the flow of
samples and reagents through the chips
microfluidic channels. The fluorescence
detection subsystem is composed of a
commercial 635-nm diode laser, an ava-
lanche photodiode that measures fluores-
cence, and three filtering mirrors that
provide more than 100 dB of excitation
line suppression in the signal-detection
channel. Special techniques to suppress
the fluorescence and scattering back-
ground allow optimizing the dynamic
range for a compact package. Concentra-
tions below 100 ng/ml can be reliably
identified.
Application: rapid identification of
biohazards.
LIFE SCIENCES
AND BIOPHOTONICS
89 North
Heliophor
Unlike currently available light sources,
such as arc lamps, metal halides or LEDs,
the Heliophors pumped-phosphor light
engine allows production of a wider
range of output wavelengths, all matched
to common fluorescent proteins and dyes,
as well as a straightforward calibration
system that ensures that output intensity
is consistent across measurements even
those taken weeks or months apart. The
product is the first to use phosphors to
shift the energy of the pump source to
match the fluorescent probes, and its
high-speed switching ability afforded by
the pump source allows the light source
to serve as its own shutter. This means
that high-speed live-cell imaging can
be done without the need for additional
equipment, such as shutters and con-
trollers, or for dedicated microscopy
facilities.
Applications: quantitative fluorescence
microscopy and multidimensional imag-
ing, such as live-cell imaging and high-
throughput screenings.
Coherent Inc.
OBIS
The OBIS represents a paradigm shift
it is the first visible laser with the opera-
tional and integration simplicity of an
electronic component. In life sciences,
the number of fluorescent assays increases
at a rapid rate, and incorporating a new
laser wavelength in a test or instrument, or
replacing an existing laser, is a complex
and time-consuming endeavor. But OBIS
is the first self-contained product in which
every unit and model has identical beam
parameters, irrespective of wavelength,
power, even laser technology. It replaces
the conventional three-part (controller,
umbilical, head) laser architecture and,
with an embedded smart controller, is
the first laser to offer true plug-and-play
functionality. Laser modules can be inter-
changed in minutes or seconds, rather
than hours.
Applications: life sciences, environmen-
tal monitoring, inspection and machine
vision.
Rebellion Photonics Inc.
The Arrow
The Arrow is the first product that over-
comes the sensitivity limitations and
image artifacts produced by existing
hyperspectral systems that rely on either
scanning or computational methods for
biomedical imaging. The Arrow provides
unparalleled imaging performance because
f
Custom Solutions for any Atmosphere.
UNDER PRESSURE TO
FIND STABLE MOUNTS?
OPTICAL MOUNTS LENSES TABLES OEM
Vacuum compatible actuators
Thermal and Vibrational analysis
Mounted optics flatness testing
Special cleaning and packaging
Cleanroom assembled and tested
Size 12 to 450 mm
18 inch mirror mount
Vibrational stability
Select your vacuum compatible product by visiting
www.CVIMellesGriot.com/Vacuum or browse our vacuum
compatible mounts and optics at standard catalog prices.
We design and manufacture in-house.
Contact us for OEM mounts.
Scan the Code or go to
cvimellesgriot.com/
Vacuum
FASTTRACK
Defense
SCHOTT North America, Inc.
2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 450
Arlington, VA 22202
Phone: 1-703-418-1409
Fax: 1-703-418-4762
defense@us.schott.com
www.us.schott.com/defense
Advanced Optics
SCHOTT North America, Inc.
400 York Avenue
Duryea, PA 18642
Phone: 1-570-457-7485
Fax: 1-570-457-7330
info.optics@us.schott.com
www.us.schott.com/advanced_optics
Your Partner for Excellence in Optics
SCHOTT is now offering US-manufactured Chalcogenide Glasses with excellent
transmission in the NIR through LWIR with low dn/dT dispersion values.
Commonly used in applications in the NIR to LWIR region from 0.8 m 12 m
Outstanding performance in defense applications such as thermal imaging,
UAVs, etc.
Polished lenses/windows available in sizes up to 100 mm diameter and 150 mm
length / thickness or up to 140 mm diameter and 30 mm length / thickness
US-based melting and fabrication in SCHOTTs Duryea, PA facility
112_SchottNA(Optics)_Pg39_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:33 AM Page 39
of its snapshot advantage a simple optical system that allows
acquisition of all hyperspectral information in a single camera
frame. In this mode, all light emitted by the sample is collected
and registered at all times. The poor light efficiency of existing
products results in phototoxicity effects in cells, making them
unsuitable for observing real-time phenomena. By using image
mapping spectrometry technology developed at Rice University
in Houston, the Arrow has light sensitivity that is orders of mag-
nitude higher than that of existing systems, allowing the observa-
tion of cell chemistry as it is happening.
Applications: fluorescence imaging, imaging spectroscopy
and computer-aided pathology, among others.
OTHER LIGHT SOURCES
Intematix
ChromaLit
In standard LED architecture, phosphor compounds are coated di-
rectly onto the chip, resulting in directional, bluish light with re-
stricted end-use applications. With ChromaLit, Intematix removes
the compound from the chip, keeping the phosphor performance
stable over the lifetime of the LED, while maintaining color con-
sistency and uniformity. ChromaLit deposits the phosphor onto a
substrate material that operates remotely from the blue chip. This
design shift eliminates the need for a diffuser (which accounts for
a 9 percent light loss in conventional LEDs) and achieves 30 per-
cent efficacy gain over conventional white LEDs. It also reduces
glare, increases design freedom, and streamlines supply and pro-
duction of luminaires to enable widespread adoption.
Applications: general and decorative lighting, and specialty
lighting applications such as signs and signals.
Philips Lumileds
LUXEON
A
LUXEON A delivers illumination-grade LED light sources by
incorporating thin-film flip-chip technology and unique Lumi-
ramic phosphor technology to target white color point perfor-
mance. With hot testing and color binning, every LUXEON A is
specified at real-world operating conditions (junction temperature
85 C). This represents a change in behavior from the semicon-
ductor mentality to a lighting approach. Every LUXEON A
LED falls within a single three-step MacAdam ellipse centered
on the blackbody curve, eliminating the potential significant dif-
ferences between color bins. Philips Lumileds is unique in offer-
ing a single white die emitter with a single bin selection. The en-
tire production has the same color, so when a customer specifies
a CCT of 2700 K, thats what he/she gets.
Applications: lighting for shop, outdoor, office, school
and home.
OEwaves
Ultranarrow Linewidth Laser
This ultranarrow linewidth source, based on a high-quality factor
(Q) Whispering Gallery Mode (WGM) microresonator, offers
superfine instantaneous and dynamic optical spectral linewidth of
less than 300 Hz and ultralow phase/frequency noise in a small
form factor. The laser is scalable to a variety of wavelengths in
the C- and L-bands. The design is based on the self-injection
locking of a suitable commercially available laser diode via a res-
onant optical feedback from the microresonator. Its monolithi-
cally integrated approach, and microscale mass and volume make
the laser virtually insensitive to environmental vibrations.
40
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Applications: advanced sensing and detection, monitoring and
metrology.
TEST, MEASUREMENT, METROLOGY
Zygo Corp.
DynaFiz
DynaFiz is a laser-based interferometer system with hardware

and software innovations engineered to accurately measure the
surface form and transmitted wavefront of optics in the presence
of air turbulence and/or extreme vibration. It has an optimized
light-efficient optical design and a proprietary high-power stabi-
lized laser that enable high shutter speeds that freeze the inter-
ference pattern, providing a real-time, continuous display of the
measured surface profile. The foundation for this advance is an
inventive single-frame data acquisition based on in situ calibra-
tion, a custom high-power HeNe laser and advanced, proprietary
signal processing. This allows DynaFiz to overcome the problems
of conventional solutions involving complex, polarization-sensi-
tive hardware, and provides breakthroughs in capability, perfor-
mance and flexibility.
Applications: measuring components inside of thermal or
vacuum chambers, and measuring or aligning components at
astronomical observatories.
KLA-Tencor
FabVision Solar
This integrated software solution is designed to help photo-
voltaic cell manufacturers improve production yield, cell effi-
ciency and profitability by allowing them to react in real time
to metrology and defectivity excursions. It collects, stores and
monitors very large amounts of images, defects and measure-
ment data from KLA-Tencors ICOS
PVI-6 solar modules

through advanced process control methodologies derived from
the semiconductor. FabVision Solar is the first to offer complete
data collection from an optical inspection tool set, complemented
with other sources of data. It also is the first to deploy real-time
as well as off-line defect reduction features, with complete off-
line image review capability.
Application: data management and analysis for photovoltaic
cell manufacturing.
WITec GmbH
True Surface Microscopy
Confocal Raman microscopy often is desirable because of its
suppression of out-of-focus light, but it can be challenging when
analyzing large, rough or inclined surfaces. True Surface Micros-
copy follows the surface topography with high precision so that
even rough or inclined samples always stay in focus while con-
focal and confocal Raman imaging are performed. To achieve
this capability, the topographic coordinates from an integrated
profilometer are used to perfectly follow the sample surface in
confocal Raman imaging mode. Samples that previously re-
quired extensive preparation to obtain a certain surface flatness
now can be effortlessly and automatically characterized as
they are.
Application: analytical surface inspection.
nanoplus
DFB Laser at 3 m
Tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLS) is a versatile technique
for detecting molecular constituents in gas phase. There are
f
FASTTRACK
many instruments detecting gases such as
CO, CO
2
, H
2
O, O
2
, NH
3
, SO
2
, and many
more in the region between 760 nm and
2.9 m. This DFB laser source will now
enable a new qualitative level of monitor-
ing techniques using TDLS. Customers
now can use their established know-how
from existing gas measurement systems
to develop new instruments for detecting
hydrocarbons in the 3- to 3.5-m region.
Applications: tunable diode laser
spectroscopy and hydrocarbon detection.
GREEN PHOTONICS/
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
Opalux Inc.
P-Ink Displays
P-Ink Displays can show any color in the
rainbow with high brightness, low voltage
use and no need for color filters, unlike
other reflective color displays on the mar-
ket that suffer from low contrast, that rely
on color filters and that have low color
performance and high cost. The photonic
crystal-based P-Ink technology allows
reflected color bands to be tuned over a
wide spectral range, from UV to visible
colors to near-infrared, and to be pro-
duced cost effectively in a roll-to-roll
process. This enables a paradigm shift in
display construction because every pixel
can be any color, as opposed to being
fixed as in a traditional RGB display
mode, allowing for a much wider and
brighter palette. The materials also can
be coated onto surfaces of all shapes and
sizes.
Application: color reflective displays.
Cogenra Solar
Solar Cogeneration Solution
Cogenras hybrid concentrating photo-
voltaic/thermal solution integrates
common silicon photovoltaic cells with
an advanced thermal transfer system in
a low-cost, scalable design without the
massive capital investment typically
required in factories. It uses up to 80 per-
cent of the delivered energy, while also
cooling the solar cells. Similar hybrid
solar heating and electricity systems
have failed in the past by overheating
the solar cells. By tapping into existing
manufacturing infrastructure and fab-
ricating components that are shipped flat
from centralized factories (similar
to Ikeas business model), Cogenras
solution can be scaled and deployed
rapidly.
Applications: solar energy generation for
electrical and hot water for energy-inten-
sive industrial and institutional sites.
nanoplus
DFB laser at 3 m
Because of their respective fundamental
transitions, many important hydrocarbons
could be detected most sensitively be-
tween 2.9 and 3.5 m, a wavelength range
where no suitable laser sources have been
commercially available until now. These
DFB laser diodes allow such laser sources
to be used in sensor systems for the first
time.
Applications: tunable diode laser spec-
troscopy, hydrocarbon detection and envi-
ronmental monitoring.
42
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Melinda A. Rose
melinda.rose@photonics.com
112_Qioptiq_Pg43_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:34 AM Page 43
TOKYO Photonics industry members
from around the world will converge on
Tokyo Big Sight conference center April
11-13 for the Photonix Expo & Confer-
ence. The show will be held concurrently
with the 22nd FINETECH Japan, a flat
panel display exhibition and conference;
FilmTech Japan, an expo on film technol-
ogy; and Plastic Japan, which focuses on
the raw materials for plastics and plastics-
related technologies.
Photonix 2012 is a comprehensive event
for the photonics and optics industry, com-
bining the 12th FOE (Fiber Optics Expo),
Asias largest optical communications
show, the fifth Optics & Sensing Technol-
ogy Expo, the fifth Laser & Applications
Expo, and the second MEDIX (Medical &
Bio Photonics Expo), which covers the
hottest applications in the industry.
This years conference organizers ex-
pect 500 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees
to participate, with likely exhibitors in-
cluding the following: Edmund Optics,
44
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FASTTRACK
Tokyo gears up for Photonix Expo
This years Photonix Expo & Conference will be held in April at Tokyo Big Sight conference center,
concurrently with FINETECH Japan, FilmTech Japan and Plastic Japan.
www.picocomponents.com
email: ad.sci@horiba.com
Solutions for:
Elemental Analysis
Fluorescence
Ellipsometry
Raman
Optical Components
Forensics
Particle Characterization

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.picocomponents.com www

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112_Horiba_Pg45_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:35 AM Page 45
Exfo, Fianium, Finisar, Fujifilm, Fujikura,
GE Energy, Gigoptix, IPG Photonics,
JDSU, Jenoptik, Newport, Ophir Electron-
ics, Opnext, Spectra-Physics, Trumpf,
Yenista Optics and more.
Attendees come from various corners of
the photonics manufacturing world, from
electronics, automotive, semiconductors,
optical instruments and components to
medical and industrial devices. Visitors
from telecom include carriers and system
manufacturers, and many universities and
institutes send engineers and researchers
as well.
FOE will cover optical communication
systems and equipment, including long-
distance network systems, data center
solutions, metro communication systems,
home office networks, fiber-to-the-home
systems, optical systems for factory auto-
mation, passive optical network systems,
in-vehicle optical networks and more. It
also will include transmission equipment
such as synchronous digital hierarchy,
synchronous optical networks, optical
cross connects, wavelength division multi-
plexers, dense wavelength division multi-
plexers and media converters.
A large portion of the expo will involve
devices and materials such as optical
waveguides, attenuators, transceivers,
isolators, connectors, amplifiers and inter-
connects; large-scale integrations; LN
modulators; and splitters and couplers.
Lenses and glass products at the show will
include optical fibers, HUBs, ONUs,
OLTs, vertical-cavity surface-emitting
lasers, ferrules, filters, optical PCBs and
other devices and materials. Providers of
optical measuring and inspection equip-
ment also will be present, with products
including optical spectrum analyzers, soft-
ware, optical time-domain reflectometers,
optical network analyzers and optical
power meters.
The Laser & Applications Expo will
feature laser processing machines for
marking, cutting, drilling, welding, tem-
pering, cladding and more; light sources;
low-power lasers; laser measurement in-
struments; components; and laser safety
products.
The Optics & Sensing Technology Expo
will present optical components and
lenses; glass, plastic, ceramic, silicon and
other materials; processing technologies;
software and design tools; and optical sen-
sors and optical metrology instruments.
The Medical & Bio Photonics Expo will
include light sources; image processing
devices and technologies; mechanical
components and materials; and related
technologies.
The show is organized by Reed Exhibi-
tions Japan Ltd. For more information,
contact Mitsuru Takazawa, Kyoko Naga-
kusa or Hajime Suzuki of Reed Exhibi-
tions Japan by phone at +81 3 3349 8549,
by fax at +81 3 3349 4933, or by email at
photonix@reedexpo.co.jp.
46
f
FASTTRACK
BUSINESSBRIEFS
Newports Ophir Acquisition Closes Ophir
Optronics Ltd. shareholders have approved the
electro-optics systems makers acquisition by
Newport Corp., and regulators have approved
the $230 million deal. The Jerusalem-based
Ophir makes photonics instrumentation and
3-D noncontact measurement systems. It will
become the third division of Newport, joining
Lasers, and Photonics and Precision Technolo-
gies. Newport supplies solutions based on its
expertise in photonics technologies, including
lasers, photonics instrumentation, submicron
positioning systems, and optical components
and subsystems.
QD Vision Relocates To support the launch of
new products in 2012, QD Vision Inc. has relo-
cated to a high-volume production facility in
Lexington, Mass. The new complex houses its
global headquarters as well as its production
and development facilities. The company an-
nounced that it is working with several global
consumer electronics companies that will em-
ploy its Quantum Light optics in their new pro-
ducts. QD Vision develops nanotechnology-
based optical products for solid-state lighting
and displays.
Skorpios Technologies Closes Funding
Round Skorpios Technologies has closed a $19
million Series B round of financing, which will
be used to expand its infrastructure and to com-
plete the commercialization of its technology.
Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks and other
communications ecosystem companies partici-
pated in the funding. Founding investors Cot-
tonwood Technology Fund and Sun Mountain
Capital also participated. Based in Albuquer-
que, N.M., Skorpios Technologies designs, de-
velops and manufactures integrated optical
modules and subsystems in support of the entire
optoelectronic communications ecosystem.
Precision Optical Relocates Precision Optical
has moved to a 42,000-sq-ft facility in Costa
Mesa, Calif., about five miles from its previous
location. The plant more than doubles its office
and manufacturing space. The company also
has acquired additional coating, metrology and
manufacturing equipment, increasing its manu-
facturing capacity and expanding its breadth of
technical capabilities. It manufactures specialty
laser-quality prisms, coatings, assemblies and
plano-optical components.
SETi to Expand UV LED Production Sensor
Electronic Technology Inc. (SETi) of Columbia,
S.C., will expand its R&D efforts and make the
transition to becoming a high-volume manufac-
turer of ultraviolet LEDs shorter than 365 nm.
SETi initially will scale to supply quantities of
more than 100 million LEDs per year. Currently
under way, the first phase of the expansion in-
volves retrofitting an existing facility to 20,000
sq ft and converting it to an R&D center. The
company recently closed on a property where it
will focus its high-volume manufacturing lines.
Telops Secures Contract, Selects Rep Infrared
camera and hyperspectral imaging systems
provider Telops Inc. of Quebec City has received
a contract for a cooled infrared camera by the
Patuxent River Infrared Signature Measurements
(PRISM) team, under the auspices of the US
Naval Air Systems Command. The contract in-
cludes delivery of a cooled very long wave in-
frared camera. Featuring real-time temperature
calibration and instantaneous availability of
processed and calibrated images, the camera
will assist the US Naval Air Warfare Center and
will support PRISMs efforts to provide the capa-
bilities, facilities and expertise necessary for
conducting R&D and evaluation of naval air-
craft, weapons and associated systems.
In other news, Telops has appointed Hadland
Imaging LLC of Santa Cruz, Calif., as an au-
thorized sales representative to strengthen its
position in the US. Hadland Imaging, which
provides products and services such as ultra-
high-speed cameras, is expected to benefit from
Telops expertise in optoelectronics systems and
in the design and production of high-perfor-
mance cooled infrared cameras. The agreement
will allow Telops to develop its business rela-
tionships in California, New Mexico, Oregon
and Washington.
Cubic Wins $19M for Laser-Based Trainer
Cubic Defense Applications, a unit of Cubic
Corp., has won a $19 million competitive con-
tract for the Instrumentable Multiple Integrated
Laser Engagement System Individual Weapons
Systems (I-MILES IWS). The contract was
awarded by the US Armys Program Executive
Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumenta-
tion for an upgraded performance specification,
I-MILES IWS 2010. The initial order is for the
base year of the contract, with four option years
and a potential value of more than $200 mil-
lion. I-MILES IWS 2010 uses laser emitters
mounted on weapons and on-body sensors to
replicate combat and record it for review.
Ilumisys Grants License to LED Optics Ilumi-
sys Inc., a supplier of solid-state lighting tech-
nology, has granted a license for LED fluores-
cent tube replacements to LED Optics of Boca
Raton, Fla., a manufacturer of replacement LED
T8 tubes. The contract provides for royalty pay-
ments in exchange for rights to manufacture
and sell products covered by the patent portfolio
of ilumisys parent company, Altair Engineering.
The partnership will allow LED Optics to expand
its portfolio of LED retrofit products. LED Optics
also manufactures other high-end LED bulbs
used in commercial applications.
MicroVision Receives $3.5M Order Micro-
Vision Inc. of Redmond, Wash., has received a
$3.5 million follow-on order from ESPlus Co.
Ltd. for its PicoP laser projection display engine.
The order is scheduled for shipment to the
Kimpo City, South Korea, consumer electronics
manufacturer during the fourth quarter of 2011.
An earlier order of approximately $500,000
was delivered in the third quarter to support
initial production of ESPlus mobile media
player. The company planned to fulfill customer
orders during the fourth quarter of 2011 and
plans to place additional orders for PicoP en-
gines in future quarters.
Cree Subsidiary to Add Jobs Ruud Lighting
of Racine, Wis., recently acquired by Cree Inc.,
plans a 208,000-sq-ft expansion to its manufac-
turing facility and a $24.5 million investment in
the fabrication and assembly of LED lighting.
The company estimates that 469 full-time jobs,
mostly assembly positions, will be created over
the next four years. The expansion will extend
component and product storage capacity and
house several manufacturing lines for new and
existing Cree LED production. The company also
will invest in manufacturing equipment.
Navitar Licenses Technology to Carl Zeiss
Optical technology provider Navitar Inc. has
agreed to license its Hoffman Modulation Con-
trast (HMC) to German optics manufacturer Carl
Zeiss MicroImaging GmbH. Zeiss will manufac-
ture objectives, modulators, slit apertures and
condensers using the technology and will dis-
tribute and sell them under its iHMC product
name. Originally developed and patented by
Robert Hoffman, HMC is a light microscopy con-
trast method for viewing colorless and transpar-
ent biological specimens. Navitar received sole
ownership of the trademark after its acquisition
of Modulation Optics.
Zephyr Photonics in Transition Research and
development company Zephyr Photonics, re-
cently acquired by Torch Hill Investment Part-
ners, a Washington-based private equity firm,
is making the transition to becoming a commer-
cial enterprise. Based in Zephyr Cove, Nev.,
Zephyr will use its patented vertical-cavity sur-
face-emitting laser technology to deliver high-
bandwidth, harsh-environment photonic solu-
tions for national security applications. It plans
to enable optical interconnect solutions that
meet the requirements of military, aerospace
and security applications, according to Tom
Steding, its new CEO, recently appointed by
Torch Hill.
FEI Buys Till Photonics Scientific instruments
maker FEI has purchased Till Photonics GmbH
of Munich for 14.5 (about $20 million). Till
provides digital light microscopes and high-
speed imaging systems for live-cell fluorescence
microscopy. FEIs acquisition adds key technol-
ogy to correlative microscopy for cellular biol-
ogy, which integrates high-performance light
and electron microscopy. The company plans to
accelerate the growth of its life sciences busi-
47
f
FASTTRACK
ness, an important part of its plan to double its
served available market in the next three years.
Leica Acquires Labindia Unit Leica Micro-
systems of Wetzlar, Germany, a provider of
microscopy systems and histology solutions, has
purchased the microscopy and histopathology
business of Labindia Instruments Pvt. Ltd., a
Delhi, India-based company that has distributed
Leicas products in that country for more than
20 years. The acquisition supports Leica Micro-
systems strategy to expand its operations in
India. More than 130 employees from Labindia
transferred to Leica, which said that the expan-
sion creates more opportunities for interaction,
collaboration and innovation for its customers
in the life sciences, industrial laboratories and
hospitals for both diagnostics and surgery.
Coatings Drawn at 2500 m/min Nextrom of
Vantaa, Finland, recently combined its OFC 20
draw process technology with DSM Functional
Materials DeSolite supercoatings. The result
was process speeds of 2500 m/min 50 per-
cent faster than that of average production in
the industry, the company said. Nextrom sup-
plies optical pre-form, fiber and fiber optic
cable manufacturing solutions, while DSM Func-
tional Materials of Elgin, Ill., specializes in opti-
cal fiber coatings. The tests, conducted at Nex-
troms facility, demonstrated excellent cure
levels; draw, fiber and microbending perfor-
mance; dynamic fatigue; and strip force, the
company said.
Picometrix Receives Development Contract
Picometrix, a subsidiary of Advanced Photonix
Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich., has received a follow-
on $600,000 Phase II Small Business Technol-
ogy Transfer government contract from NASA to
further develop a CT terahertz scanner acces-
sory for single-sided inspection of spacecraft
and launch vehicle composite structures. The
award encourages small businesses to partner
with nonprofit research institutions to develop
technologies for commercialization. For this
contract, Picometrix is partnering with the Uni-
versity of Michigans Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science department to develop a
prototype for NASA over 24 months.
BaySpec Expands Production Capacity
Miniature spectral engines supplier BaySpec Inc.
of San Jose, Calif., has expanded production
capacity for its optical channel performance
monitors (OCPMs). The IntelliGuard series
OCPMs, which are upgradable for new 10-,
40- and 100-G modulation schemes, will be
fabricated at BaySpecs 48,000-sq-ft manufac-
turing facility.
Oxford Instruments Buys Company Oxford
Instruments plc of Abingdon, England, has ac-
quired Platinum Medical Imaging LLC of Deer-
field Beach, Fla., and Vacaville, Calif. Oxford
Instruments said it was attracted to Platinum
Medical because of growth in the third-party
service market and recent US health care re-
forms, which encourage medical imaging facili-
ties to move to more cost-effective provider
services. Combining Platinum with OiService,
Oxford Instruments MRI service business in
North America, strengthens the groups service
offerings and positions it for further global
development.
SiOnyx Wins $3M Contract SiOnyx Inc., maker
of a patented material known as black silicon,
will develop technologies for sensing laser light
in targeting systems under a new $3 million
multiphase contract with the US Department of
Defense. Based in Beverly, Mass., SiOnyx will
create enhanced focal plane array designs for
tactical imaging systems under the contract,
awarded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR)
and Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren
Div. The award builds on support from ONR
and the Night Vision Electronic Sensors Direc-
torate to develop infrared-enhanced silicon de-
tector designs, and the collaboration is expected
to advance visible, near-infrared and short-
wave infrared camera technology.
In October, SiOnyx announced that its black
silicon ultrafast laser texturing technology
achieved a 0.3 percent absolute efficiency boost
over industry-standard baseline solar cells. The
SiOnyx 156-mm multicrystalline silicon cells,
made in collaboration with German research in-
stitute ISC Konstanz, achieved average absolute
efficiencies of more than 17 percent. Vital for
reducing the cost of silicon-based solar cells,
the technology boosts efficiency in thinner
wafers. SiOnyx said its black silicon process
dramatically enhances the sensitivity of silicon-
based photonics and represents a breakthrough
in the development of smaller, cheaper, high-
performing photonic devices in applications
ranging from simple light detection to advanced
digital imaging and photovoltaics.
Emcore Bolsters Cable Production Emcore
Corp. of Albuquerque, N.M., has announced
full-scale production of its new 56-Gb/s 14 data
rate (FDR) active optical cables for Ethernet
router and switch applications, and computing.
The cables are an addition to the companys
Connects Cables line. Emcore said it is the first
manufacturer in full-scale production of 56-
Gb/s FDR active optical cables, which are pro-
duced at its contract manufacturing facility in
China. The cables provide the highest aggre-
gated level of data throughput in a compact,
lightweight form capable of supporting the
bandwidth needs of advanced systems, the
company said.
In other news, Emcore was awarded a contract
by ASRC Research and Technology Solutions for
the design, manufacture and delivery of 32
solar panels for NASA Ames Lunar Atmosphere
and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission.
LADEE is a robotic mission designed to orbit the
moon to study and characterize its atmosphere.
This includes fine dust particles suspended
above the lunar surface. The spacecraft is
scheduled to launch in early 2013 aboard a
Minotaur V vehicle from the Wallops Flight
Facility in Wallops Island, Va.
QED Opens New Facility QED Technologies
International Inc. of Rochester, N.Y., has
opened a renovated manufacturing facility for
its new division, QED Optics. The plant is
equipped with magnetorheological finishing
(MRF), polishing and subaperture stitching inter-
ferometry (SSI) metrology systems and with a
metrology tower for measuring large-aperture
f
FASTTRACK
This is no optical illusion.
It's sIrIy vHet ve UeIIver.
CtIcs. CcetIrQs. PrecIsIcr.
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SCCC Vest Nccre AverUe, Gerte Are, CA O27C4 / 7J4.B4C.CJ2C / Irfc@Qc.ccr
When it comes to precision optical components, glass fabrication, and thin film coatings...there
|sr'l ruc| We dor'l do. w|el|er cuslor or slardard, We |ave l|e erg|reer|rg slall, cuslorer
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Booth #4333, North Hall
Copyright 2012 Precision Glass & Optics. All rights reserved.
112_PrecisionGlass&Optics_Pg49_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:35 AM Page 49
optics. QED Optics specializes in polishing and
metrology of flats, spheres, on- and off-axis
aspheres, free-form optics and cylinders and
can work with optical components ranging from
~1 mm to 1 m in diameter. It employs propri-
etary MRF and SSI technologies and will help
customers manage the full optics fabrication
process.
Cobolt Completes Expansion Diode-pumped
solid-state laser manufacturer Cobolt AB of
Stockholm has completed a 40 percent expan-
sion of its cleanroom production facilities and
made investments in new manufacturing and
test equipment. The addition provides the ca-
pacity needed to meet the growing demand for
its laser-based analytical instrumentation pro-
ducts. Cobolts UV, visible and near-infrared
lasers are built and sealed in ISO:9001-certified
cleanrooms for stand-alone use or for OEM
integration with equipment for fluorescence
analysis, Raman spectroscopy, interferometry
and range finding.
Imra America Partners with MagArray Imra
America Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich., and MagAr-
ray Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., are collaborating
to develop MagArrays magneto-nanoparticle
immunoassay technology, which is based on re-
search from Stanford University. The companies
will develop highly sensitive immunoassay sen-
sor systems. If the work progresses as planned,
Imra will support MagArrays development with
funding of up to $10 million over the next 3
years. Imra also will provide scientific and tech-
nical support. MagArrays technology eventually
could play a leading role in the way that cancer
and other serious diseases are diagnosed and
treated.
LumaSense Buys Thermal Imaging Assets
To enhance sales, support and aftermarket serv-
ices for its line of thermal imaging devices,
LumaSense Technologies of Santa Clara, Calif.,
has acquired the thermal imaging and services
assets of Reliability Point LLC of Zachary, La.
The companies have worked together for the
past five years on a number of industrial ther-
mal imaging projects. Reliability Point, whose
customers include steel, oil and gas, petrochem-
ical and other process manufacturers, will retain
its other distribution arms, which include vibra-
tion instrumentation, precision laser systems
and corona cameras. LumaSense develops pro-
ducts and services that measure temperature
and gas in industrial facilities.
Heraeus Opens Center in Singapore Her-
aeus of Hanau, Germany, a developer of front-
and back-side silver pastes for crystalline solar
cells, has opened its Asian Photovoltaics Center
in Singapore. The center will be the companys
latest full-service facility, complete with research
and development, manufacturing, and sales
and technical service capabilities. Heraeus is
committed to increasing its capacity with several
expansions and, although the industry is going
through a short-term consolidation, expects full
recovery and growth.
Zygo Receives Order, Contract The Optical
Systems Div. of Zygo Corp. has been awarded a
$4 million order from a major medical device
manufacturer to produce high-precision assem-
blies used in an ophthalmic medical instrument.
The devices will be manufactured at its Electro-
Optics Group in Tucson, Ariz., which specializes
in metrology-based manufacturing and preci-
sion active assembly of optical systems for the
life sciences, semiconductor and defense mar-
kets. Based in Middlefield, Conn., Zygo also is
a supplier of optical metrology instruments.
The Optical Systems Div. also has been
awarded a $9 million contract with the College
of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at the
University at Albany in New York and the
SEMATECH consortium of chipmakers to de-
velop extreme-ultraviolet lithography optics that
will be incorporated into the fifth-generation
Micro-Exposure Tool (MET-5) at the colleges Al-
bany NanoTech Complex. The MET-5 program,
managed by the consortium, is intended to aid
researchers in extending semiconductor lithog-
raphy resolution capability to less than 16 nm.
Development and production are expected to
take place over a 22-month period.
Rofin-Sinar Opens Subsidiary in India To
meet the demands of its growing Indian mar-
50
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112_SchottNA(Lighting)_Pg51_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:36 AM Page 51
kets, laser source and laser-based system solu-
tions manufacturer Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc.
recently opened a subsidiary in India. Rofin
Baasel Laser India Pvt. Ltd. is in Mumbai and
will handle sales and service for all Rofin laser
products in India. Rofin-Sinar has operational
headquarters in Plymouth, Mich., and Hamburg,
Germany.
MEMS Display Prototypes Created Pixtronix
Inc. of Andover, Mass., and Chimei Innolux
Corp. (CMI) of Taiwan have developed 5-in.-
diagonal microelectromechanical systems
(MEMS) display prototypes. The companies previ-
ously developed 2.5-in.-diagonal prototypes.
Since then, they have fabricated a MEMS display
twice the size with four times the resolution. The
new displays, which use Pixtronix MEMS technol-
ogy, were built by CMI. They offer low power
consumption and high-quality imaging.
Optim Acquires Company Endoscope manu-
facturer Optim LLC has acquired Precision Endo-
scopic Technologies, formerly Max Endoscopy of
Mentor, Ohio. The new company, called Preci-
sion Endoscopic Technologies LLC, will operate
as a division of Optim and will be collocated at
its headquarters in Sturbridge, Mass. Precision
manufactures a patented infrared coagulation
system, which has FDA 510(k) clearance for re-
mediation and treatment of hemorrhoids. The
system operates through the working channel of
most gastrointestinal endoscopes currently used
for colonoscopies and sigmoidoscopies.
Calient Funding Round Raises $19M Calient
Technologies Inc. of Santa Barbara, Calif., a
specialist in photonic switching, has raised
$19.4 million in venture financing from new
and existing internal investors. The company will
use the funding to expand into the data center
and cloud computing markets and to finalize
development of its 3-D microelectromechanical
systems photonic switching systems and mod-
ules for OEMs and system integration partners.
Calient will bring to market new modular pho-
tonic switching systems and subsystems for en-
terprise and cloud data centers as well as for
applications such as subsea cable and govern-
ment networks.
Companies Ink Micromachining Deal Ap-
plied Energetics Inc. (AE) of Tucson, Ariz., and
Laser Light Technologies Inc. of Hermann, Mo.,
will jointly develop ultrashort-pulse lasers and
processes for the laser machining market. AE
will provide an ultrashort-pulse laser to Laser
Light Technologies for the purpose of develop-
ing methods for micromachining a variety of
materials. The latter company will provide AE
with expertise on micromachining materials at
AEs Laser Applications Center and with feed-
back for optimizing processes for developing fu-
ture laser systems. Laser Light also will sell AEs
lasers to its customers on a commission basis.
Prysm Adds $100M in Funding Digital display
provider Prysm Inc. of San Jose, Calif., has re-
ceived more than $100 million in new capital
since its launch, bringing total financing to more
than $135 million. The financing has enabled
the company to begin volume production of its
laser phosphor display (LPD) technology and
amass a global support team of more than 150
personnel. In addition, the company is sup-
ported by more than 25 channel partners. The
LPD technology brings large-scale displays to
retail establishments, broadcast studios, sports
venues and company boardrooms.
Lighthouse Imaging Secures Patent Light-
house Imaging Corp. of Portland, Maine, has
announced that a key element of its Endolume
endoscopic testing device has been issued
Patent No. 8040496 by the US Patent and
Trademark Office. The patent is for the com-
panys Optical Bridge, which enables the
Endolume to measure endoscopic light sources
without a light cable. This allows for more
accurate measurements. The Endolume hand-
held device measures the luminous intensity
of endoscopic system light sources as well as
light transmission through cables and rigid
or flexible endoscopes. It enables clinical
engineering staff to quickly troubleshoot the
illumination for endoscopic systems before
patient procedures.
52
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112_PowerTechnology_Pg54_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:14 AM Page 54
GreenLight
Sensor Reveals 1000
Colors Across Land, Sea, Space
55
BY MARIE FREEBODY, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Microscale salinity maps of agricultural fields such as these maps of a plot in Genigar Field in Yizreel Valley in Israel help farmers manage their
optimal yield production. The left image was generated by conventional field work. The right image was generated from ground measurements
acquired by the new SpectralTool assembly and is 100 times faster to produce. EC = electrical conductivity. Images courtesy of Eyal Ben-Dor, Tel Aviv University.
I
t can be used underground, underwater
and even in space. A versatile new sys-
tem, it comprises innovative optics
that can be used with any spectrometer,
can collect more than 1000 colors and is
so stable and reliable that it can be used
to detect contaminants and other environ-
mental hazards almost anywhere and in
real time.
The fore optics (the optics in front of
the sensor) were developed by researchers
at Tel Aviv University in Israel. The result
is a small, easy-to-use system that can re-
motely monitor harmful contaminants in
forests, urban areas, agricultural lands,
harbors and marinas.
Although initial applications focused on
monitoring and protecting the environ-
ment, professor Eyal Ben-Dor at Tel Aviv
Universitys Department of Geography
and the Human Environment noted that
the system has both commercial and scien-
tific applications. For example, it can be
used to help companies adhere to regula-
tions on environmental contamination.
When the device is used in combination
with a hyperspectral camera, spatial do-
main is added to the systems spectral ca-
pability. The camera can read information
from as close as 1 cm to as far as 800 km,
meaning that it can be placed anywhere
from the ground itself to unmanned air-
craft, satellites or weather balloons. It
also can be pointed toward the stars to
help astronomers gain insight into the
makeup of a planets atmosphere.
112_Greenlight_Layout 1 1/6/12 9:02 AM Page 55
GreenLight
The prototype of the device is described in an article published
in Soil Science Society of America (2008, Volume 72, Issue 4, pp.
1113-1123; doi:10.2136/sssaj2006. 0059), where its first use was
to assess underground soil horizons down to 100 cm. In this case,
the device was assembled in combination with a spectrometer to
extract the spectral fingerprint of the soil profile with quantitative
information.
The assembly, dubbed the SpectralTool, works by interpreting
reflected light from the sun (or another source) as it bounces off
an object, material or environment. It is connected to a spectrom-
eter, where the incident light is dispersed into several spectral
channels using a prism and is directed toward a detector com-
posed of an array of microsensors.
Each microsensor generates one pixel and represents a differ-
ent chemical reaction between two compounds. The original de-
vice operates from 0.4 to 2.5 m to encompass the suns radia-
tion depending upon the spectrometers capability. The latest
system also can work from 3 to 15 m to use the radiation from
the Earth based on the new field spectrometer sensitive to that
range and commercially available.
The point information can be projected onto the spatial domain
LASYS is clearly focused on machines, processes
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GreenLight
This map shows the infiltration rate of water within a soil
profile generated using the AISA hyperspectral sensor
(developed at Specim in Oulu, Finland) mounted onboard
an aircraft. Such maps help farmers manage water consump-
tion and prevent soil erosion. Areas 1, 3 and 4 indicate
validation areas where the infiltration rate was measured.
Area 4 represents a low infiltration rate and, hence, high
potential for runoff. In each area, two subfields exist with
low (warm color) and high (cold color) infiltration rates.
by using an imaging camera. The resulting image is now com-
posed of spatial dimension (the pixels column arrangement) and
spectral dimension (the pixels row dimension), Ben-Dor said.
The end product is a spectral cube that represents radiation
fluxes that then translate into reflectance values in order to com-
pare with spectral libraries measured by our instrument.
The remote capability of the hyperspectral device enables real-
time analysis of environmental composition samples of soil,
sediment or water without so much as a touch.
The scientists say that the potential uses of the spectral infor-
mation are endless. Their device and other similar versions avail-
able can benefit areas including medicine, pharmacology, the tex-
tile industry and civil engineering. It can be used, for example, to
survey the areas around gas pipelines for leaks, to determine salt
levels in soil to save crops before they are destroyed or to moni-
tor water quality in marinas, which often are highly contaminated
by gasoline and sealants from the undersides of sea vessels.
There are some applications still not known or developed
suggesting that it is just an emerging and promising field, Ben-
Dor said. l
marie.freebody@photonics.com
GreenLight
Surprising Surges,
Cautious Expectations,
Positive Outlooks
BY LAURA S. MARSHALL, MANAGING EDITOR
MARKET TRENDS
A Q&A roundtable on the
state and future of the
photonics industry
112_ Feat Market Trends_Layout 1 1/5/12 3:49 PM Page 58
T
he economy grew tremendously in
2010, according to leaders of compa-
nies in all areas of photonics lasers,
optics, imaging and beyond who report
high expectations that this growth is set to
continue, especially in industrial sectors.
In some cases, the growth came so sud-
denly that manufacturers were unprepared,
having cut back on resources during the
downturn the year before; others used that
downtime to develop new technologies or
applications for existing products.
Several companies in the past year have
begun to consolidate, merging with or ac-
quiring other companies, and some indus-
try leaders feel that this consolidation will
help the industry maneuver even faster,
delivering innovation and sparking even
further growth in the years to come.
Photonics Spectra reached out to some
key players in the industry to gather a
snapshot of the current photonics market
and to paint a picture of where that market
is likely to go.
Our panelists were Eugene Arthurs,
CEO of SPIE; Herman Chui, senior direc-
tor of product marketing at Spectra-
Physics; Joe Delfino, VP of sales and
business development at Qioptiq; Ravi
Guntupalli, business manager at Princeton
Instruments; Dr. Thomas Fehn, head of the
Lasers & Material Processing Div. and an
executive management board member at
Jenoptik; Thomas Kessler, VP of global
sales, and Samuel Sadoulet, VP of engi-
neering and R&D, both at Edmund Optics;
Tim Morris, general manager of Trumpf
Inc.; Mike Naselaris, general manager at
Sydor Optics; Jean-Michel Pelaprat of Vy-
tran Corp. and a member of OSAs Corpo-
rate Associates Committee; Bill Shiner,
VP of industrial markets at IPG Photonics;
and Simon Zilian, sales manager at Triop-
tics GmbH.
They painted a picture of a market with
specific opportunities and its own special
challenges but nearly all remained up-
beat about the possibilities ahead.
Q. How would you describe the
market in 2010?
Delfino, Qioptiq: Robust, relative to the
overall economy. Anticipated contraction
ended up to be a minor slowdown as com-
panies reduced inventories too drastically
and ended up shorthanded as a result. Sup-
ply couldnt keep up with demand in sev-
eral product areas.
Morris, Trumpf: The downturn was ex-
tremely rapid, and most of us were some-
what surprised that the recovery was al-
most as rapid on the way back up. The
fabrication segment saw one of the largest
declines but also one of the quickest re-
coveries. The companies that weathered
the storm and used the slow period to pre-
pare for the upturn were certainly in the
best position to take advantage of opportu-
nities in the upturn.
Chui, Spectra-Physics: In the macro-
and microprocessing segments, the overall
global laser market in 2010 and first half
of 2011 saw a strong uptick after the
downturn in 2009, as the macroeconomic
environment and end markets recovered.
In the biomedical and scientific segments,
most laser applications continued to see
steady growth in much of 2009 through
the first half of 2011.
Pelaprat, Vytran and OSA: The photon-
ics market in 2010 was recovering from
the recession that occurred in late 2008
and early 2009. In 2010, we saw the re-
covery occur in three waves: first, at the
beginning of the year, the recovery of
components; next, in the second quarter,
the recovery of lasers and laser systems;
and, finally, at the end of the year, the re-
covery of capital equipment used to make
lasers and components. Capex [capital ex-
There is still
opportunity and even
a pressing necessity for
small and medium-sized
enterprises to flourish.
Eugene Arthurs, SPIE
penditure] was the last to recover because
companies were under capacity in the
other areas.
Q: How would you describe the
market so far in 2011?
Fehn, Jenoptik: At the beginning of
2011, we still had a feeling of 2010. With
ongoing financial discussions, the opti-
mism faded somewhat, but the growth
is still there.
Pelaprat, Vytran and OSA: In the first
part of the year, we saw a continuation of
growth from late 2010 through the first
quarter, and then it either leveled off or
declined in the second quarter. Right now,
in the second half of the year, we are los-
ing some visibility of what will happen.
The market overall is essentially stagnant;
companies are seeing flat growth or small
growth. The big question were all asking
is, What is going to happen in the next
six to nine months? Because of the re-
duced visibility of what will happen, there
is concern in the market about whether
well see growth through the end of the
year.
Shiner, IPG Photonics: IPG experi-
enced tremendous growth during both
2010 and through the first two quarters of
2011. The material processing market is
86 percent ahead year over year, for exam-
ple. Part of our growth is due to increasing
our market share in competition with other
types of lasers and retrofitting old laser
machines with fiber lasers. Both the auto-
motive sector as well as the cutting market
have begun to embrace fiber technology.
Sadoulet, Edmund Optics: The 2011
market had a strong beginning, but there is
uncertainty in the air for the latter half.
The defense spending in the US has been
problematic, as has the slowdown in
[semiconductors] that started in Asia this
June. Psychologically, everyone is con-
cerned about the economic health of the
US, Europe and, more recently, large
economies like China. Still, optics serves
many expanding markets. The challenge is
divorcing the newspaper gloom and doom
with what should be the reality in our
forecasts.
Q: Where would you say the market
is going in 2012?
Guntupalli, Princeton Instruments:
There is a concern about declining or flat-
tening of research funding in the major
countries around the world in 2012. De-
spite that, we have a positive outlook for
the growth of the imaging business.
Shiner, IPG: We, like most companies,
are concerned with the current worldwide
economic situation, and if this is not re-
solved, it could adversely impact 2012
sales and investment in capital equipment.
The current growth sectors during 2010
and 2011 have been automotive and the
solar industry. We already are seeing signs
in Europe and the US of the solar industry
slowing down, while automotive remains
strong.
Delfino, Qioptiq: Overall, [the market
will be] stable with declines in defense/
ISR [intelligence, surveillance and recon-
naissance] markets and modest growth in
Market Trends
The photonics industry has some specific opportunities and some specific challenges in the
current market. Smart, adaptable companies should be able to stay ahead. Photo taken at IPG Photonics
facility in Oxford, Mass., by Laura S. Marshall.
Automated imaging technologies such as this pill
inspection system help the pharmaceutical industry
save time and money; making processes cheaper
and easier for other industries will help photonics
grow. Courtesy of Edmund Optics.
The use of fiber laser systems is growing in
automotive and cutting applications. Courtesy
of IPG Photonics.
The challenge is divorcing the
newspaper gloom and doom
with what should be the reality
in our forecasts.
Samuel Sadoulet, Edmund Optics
112_ISPOptics_Pg61_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:09 AM Page 61
the commercial markets. Increasingly so-
phisticated medical design/product growth
will contrast reduced expectations in life
sciences and semiconductors. All indus-
tries will increasingly focus on their core
competencies and turn to optical suppliers
for subsystem engineering and optimized
assembly solutions.
Pelaprat, Vytran and OSA: Predictions
range from seeing a small downturn to flat
growth. Companies arent anticipating sig-
nificant growth overall, but rather a mix of
growth, stagnation or decline, depending
on the market segment. For example, fiber
lasers and instrumentation are likely to
grow faster than traditional laser technol-
ogy. In general, most companies are
preparing for flat or slight declines in
2012. One indicator of this is the activity
were seeing in Asia. The market in China
has not been growing as much as it had
been in the past few years, so people are
anticipating the overall market will mirror
this in 2012.
Kessler, Edmund Optics: In the US do-
mestic market, you can expect months of
slow demand because we are going into an
election year. The uncertainty fuels indeci-
sion, which is not good for industry. Asia,
however, will continue to grow well par-
ticularly in imaging and life sciences.
Also, Japan is on a good recovery path
from the earthquake, the tsunami and the
consequent impact on its domestic produc-
tion. We are not expecting huge gains in
Europe at this point, but expect that mar-
ket to be stable. The greatest uncertainty
in Europe centers on the debt situation in
Greece.
Zilian, Trioptics: The market will grow
slowly, due to the growing economy. The
defense and security market is expected to
grow. Also, the Asian market is still grow-
ing and will continue to do so in 2012. In
Asia, China is one of the biggest growing
markets in optics.
Morris, Trumpf: We are still bullish re-
garding 2012. I dont expect the growth
we have experienced in 2011 to continue
at the same pace; however, backlogs are
still strong, and the project outlook is
still very encouraging across all indus-
trial sectors.
Q: Where do you think the market
will go in the next five years? How
about the next 10?
Naselaris, Sydor Optics: Based on the
financial problems of the world, I am
guarded of being overly positive yet at
such a rapid rate of technology advances,
I do see steady growth over the next five
years. As for 10 years out, I think the
market will continue to grow for optics.
All new technologies, in some way, shape
or form, have been touched by optics.
Whether on the systems level or the
component level, optics are becoming
an even larger part of tomorrows tech-
nologies.
Delfino, Qioptiq: Expectations are for a
broad migration of talent from optical de-
fense markets to commercial markets,
with an emphasis on medical and bio or-
ganizations and markets. Stabilization in
the wider economy, combined with contin-
ued improvements with LED and laser
source power/price, will lead to broader
commercialization of high-volume appli-
cations.
Eugene Arthurs
SPIE
Dr. Thomas Fehn
Jenoptik
Thomas Kessler
Edmund Optics
Jean-Michel Pelaprat,
Vytran Corporation
and OSA
Samuel Sadoulet
Edmund Optics
Bill Shiner
IPG Photonics
Simon Zilian
Trioptics GmbH
Companies in the optics market need to understand how to innovate
while adding value and create a sustaining, competitive plan during
an ever-changing global economic landscape.
Joe Delfino, Qioptiq
Roundtable Panelists
Herman Chui, Spectra-Physics
Joe Delfino, Qioptiq
Ravi Guntupalli, Princeton Instruments
Tim Morris, Trumpf Inc.
Mike Naselaris, Sydor Optics
Imaging will continue to grow as a cross-
functional area, with new techniques being
developed or old techniques being used in
a novel way. For example, adaptive optics
developed in astronomy is finding uses in
microscopy for real-time focus correc-
tions. Another example: Raman spectros-
copy is being used more and more by biol-
ogists for disease detection.
Kessler, Edmund Optics: While we ex-
pect the overall market to grow slowly,
there will be innovative areas with a more
significant even double-digit growth.
Among these are the biotech and health
sectors, photovoltaics and imaging in
automation. In 10 years, we will see
new markets created by new applications
that can hardly be predicted today.
Zilian, Trioptics: In the next five years,
the market will grow slightly; this depends
on the global economy. Optics are used in
so many fields; one sector will compen-
sate the growth of another sector.
Fehn, Jenoptik: The trends which gov-
ern laser applications today will become
stronger and more visible: health and
aesthetics, micromachining and improv-
ing efficiency in macromachining with
high-power laser sources. This favors all-
solid-state laser and diode-direct solutions
and encourages laser suppliers to offer
tools designed for applications both in
specifications and costs.
Chui, Spectra-Physics: The prospects
for lasers appear very promising in the
five- to 10-year time frame. With the ad-
vancement of laser technology and appli-
cations, we are seeing lasers drive three
trends: 1) dramatic but evolutionary im-
provement in existing laser processes in
terms of productivity and cost; 2) replace-
ment of nonlaser processes, where lasers
were not previously compelling in per-
formance or cost; and 3) enablement of
entirely new processes and applications
not previously possible without lasers.
These trends span across most all mar-
ket segments, including macro- and micro-
processing, and biomedical. For example,
in microprocessing, advances in lasers are
resulting in significant increases in laser
processing throughput in solar, [printed
circuit board] and display manufacturing,
while at the same time in other processes
for the same manufacturing lines, lasers
are replacing mechanical tools and being
investigated for entirely new processes
and structures.
Pelaprat, Vytran and OSA: I wish I
knew. If I knew where the market was
headed in five or 10 years, I could make a
Market Trends
All-solid-state-lasers are set to grow for health applications as well as micro- and macromachining. Courtesy of
Jenoptik.
The big question were all ask-
ing is, What is going to happen
in the next six to nine months?
Jean-Michel Pelaprat, Vytran Corp.
and OSA
lot of money! In all seriousness, it is too
difficult to predict, as there are so many
possible scenarios based on what weve
seen in the past few years. We could see
another recession, we could see stagna-
tion, or there could be new markets and
applications were not aware of yet.
The photonics market, with the excep-
tion of the telecom segment, is not known
for having big booms, so I dont think we
will see any major applications in the next
five or 10 years that cause huge growth
like what we saw with telecom in the early
2000s. If I had to predict, overall, I would
say to expect a modest growth over the
next five years.
Q: What are the current challenges
for the market?
Delfino, Qioptiq: There are many chal-
lenges, depending upon your area of ex-
pertise, markets and proper allocation of
resources. The uncertainty created by the
overall bearish economy adds a more
complex dimension. Companies in the op-
tics market need to understand how to in-
novate while adding value and create a
sustaining, competitive plan during an
ever-changing global economic landscape.
There is no one imaging technology that
can meet the demands of diverse applica-
tions. Detectors capable of single-photon
counting from x-ray to NIR wavelengths
will emerge based on silicon (CCD and
CMOS) and infrared materials.
Fehn, Jenoptik: New laser applications,
in most cases, are substitutions ... for other
laser applications. It is hard to find appli-
cations which have not been there before,
are suitable for lasers and offer a decent
market volume. But these applications will
broaden the market substantially.
Morris, Trumpf: The use of lasers in the
industrial materials processing segment
for example, high-volume cutting and
welding continues to see increased ac-
ceptance in North America. However,
North America continues to lag behind
Europe and Asia in this regard. One of the
challenges is educating the relative manu-
facturing segments as to the capabilities
and cost-effectiveness of todays laser pro-
ducts.
Naselaris, Sydor Optics: Steady supply
and competitive pricing of cerium oxide
polishing compounds. This past year has
had a considerable effect on pricing of op-
tics and our margins. Timely delivery of
glass has also played a role this year in
our growth. The busier the industry gets,
the longer lead times are for optical mate-
rials, which make it more difficult to quote
to our customers needs. Overseas compe-
tition, primarily with China, as their qual-
ity continues to increase.
Q: What are the current growth
sectors in the market?
Kessler, Edmund Optics: The current
growth sectors in the optics market lie in
the life sciences and imaging in automa-
tion. The biotech and health sectors are in-
creasingly interested in optical techniques
for biological research and medical diag-
nostics. The manufacturing sectors are
looking to increase production capacity
and yield by leveraging machine vision at
ever-higher speeds and resolution levels.
The needs in these sectors will both grow
the market and stimulate innovation in op-
tical technology as well as production effi-
ciency.
Naselaris, Sydor Optics: We have seen
the largest growth primarily in biomedical
applications involving filter substrates and
wafer-based technologies. Filters are man-
ufactured today that far outperform tradi-
tional colored glass filters and are much
more durable. As for wafer-based tech-
nologies, there are more and more applica-
tions using semiconductor technology for
micromechanical components, micro-
optics, microfluidics photolithography
and wafer-level packaging.
Life sciences, nanotechnology [and] quan-
tum computing are just a few fields which
will drive growth.
Fehn, Jenoptik: The aesthetics market
and the micromachining market showed
substantial growth, and we see this to be
continued, but we will also take part in the
high growth rates within the high-power
applications, driven by our competence in
high-power diode lasers and fiber lasers.
Shiner, IPG Photonics: We are very
optimistic regarding the next five years.
IPG currently has 15 percent of the mate-
rial processing market, and we will con-
tinue to increase our share over the next
five years.
Market Trends
Diode lasers, seen here in the electroplating stage of manufacturing, can be used in a variety
of high-power applications, from aesthetics to industrial. Courtesy of Jenoptik.
All new technologies, in some way, shape or form, have been
touched by optics. Whether on the systems level or the component
level, optics are becoming an even larger part of tomorrows
technologies.
Mike Naselaris, Sydor Optics
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Chui, Spectra-Physics: Cyclicality in
various end markets notwithstanding, we
are seeing growth sectors for lasers span-
ning a number of industries. In biomed-
ical, growth sectors include biological
imaging, molecular diagnostics and thera-
peutic applications. For microprocessing,
growth sectors include laser processing for
flat panel displays, LEDs and solar manu-
facturing. Macroprocessing growth seg-
ments include metal processing in elec-
tronics and industrial applications.
Pelaprat, Vytran and OSA: Lasers and
LEDs in displays have the potential for
growth, and I believe the next two years
will be critical. For example, laser dis-
plays are being deployed in movie theaters
worldwide. While that is a large market
segment, its confined to a set number of
projectors based on the number of the-
aters. However, it could expand into con-
sumer applications and grow from there.
A similar situation is occurring in the LED
segment. There is growth in digital sig-
nage and displays, which could grow even
further, once it takes off in the consumer
arena.
Q. A number of companies are buy-
ing or merging with one another
lately, it seems what does this
apparent trend of consolidation
mean for the industry?
Zilian, Trioptics: [This] is a global trend
which is not just limited to the optical
market. Companies will specialize on their
core competences. This will lead to ad-
vanced products and competition between
few companies.
There seem to be more mergers and acqui-
sitions of late than before (e.g., Bruker-
Caliper, Teledyne-Dalsa, BAE-Fairchild).
I think the trend will continue, especially
if there is continued slowdown in the
economy that makes buying companies
attractive. On the positive side, consolida-
tion [gives] smaller companies with prom-
ising technologies/products much wider
scope with needed capital and distribution.
This should benefit the customer. On the
other hand, the consumer choice will be
limited.
Naselaris, Sydor Optics: My views are
biased toward business growth, whether
ours or others; therefore, I am a believer
in mergers. There are good reasons from
both sides of the equation the buyer and
the seller for the merger, which include
an exit strategy from business owners/
founders, joining of forces to make the
group more competitive, acquiring needed
or wanted technical capabilities and/or ca-
pacities, buying out a competitor, et cetera.
After all, the job of business management
is to maximize profits and increase com-
petitive, sustainable advantages, and this is
a viable method of doing so.
I believe the momentum will remain
stable for a few years at least. I do not
foresee any real changes to the market at
this time, based on the level we are at with
mergers. We are far from having just a few
larger companies making all the optics
with few or no smaller companies left
behind.
Arthurs, SPIE: Consolidations, mergers
and acquisitions in the photonics industry
over the past year have primarily been
about adding strength to strength: enhanc-
ing R&D or manufacturing capabilities,
adding talent and expanding into new seg-
ments or geography. Companies have
sought synergies that result in more pro-
ducts to sell to current customers, fast
entry into emerging opportunities, or
diversification. In some cases, companies
have been able to reduce costs by increas-
ing purchasing volume or eliminating a
layer of markup in the supply chain. There
have been substantial customer benefits as
a result of economies of scale or vertical
integration lowering costs and accelerating
delivery. Some companies have been able
to bring capabilities in-house that were
formerly provided by vendors who also
served their competitors, and thereby cre-
ate a more reliable supply and force their
competitors to look elsewhere. These
types of realignments contribute to a
stronger industry overall, fostering a
creative environment in which disruptive
new technologies can be moved to market
more quickly and in more diversified
ways.
Even in the face of large companies
growing larger, there is still opportunity
and even a pressing necessity for small
and medium-sized enterprises to flourish.
The demand for new photonics applica-
tions is only increasing, and venture capi-
tal continues to be available for entrepre-
neurs with well-prepared plans for inno-
vation around major challenges such as
bandwidth expansion, cost-effective health
care, lasers in manufacturing and automo-
biles, sensors for evaluating aging infra-
structure, threat detection and security
using new devices, and more.
This wave of consolidations and merg-
ers raises the profile of the industry and is
having a positive influence on market evo-
lution.
Market Trends
Laura S. Marshall
laura.marshall@photonics.com
The crystal ball is a little cloudy for the next five to 10 years but optics and other photonics
technologies touch so many parts of so many different industries that experts predict at least mild growth.
Photo of Sydor Optics products by Laura S. Marshall.
112_Trumpf_Pg67_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:10 AM Page 67
Mass-Market
Imaging Systems
Cut Time,
Cost, Size
BY MARIE FREEBODY, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
IMAGING TRENDS
Smaller, cheaper and faster
seem to be the current buzzwords
in the imaging industry and
some of the imaging components
on the horizon may allow us
to enjoy industrial capabilities
in our everyday lives.
112_Imaging Trends_Layout 1 1/5/12 3:20 PM Page 68
L
iquid lenses, 3-D mapping and cutting
camera size are the three key trends
in imaging this year. All three areas
at their various stages of maturity are
intrinsically linked, each serving the
others in terms of performance, size and
cost. And, as with many fields in photon-
ics, as research progresses in one sector,
the others can benefit also.
Liquid lenses shrink imaging systems
A liquid lens usually is composed of
one or more liquids, which gives it re-
markable tunability and flexibility. Scien-
tists have long taken inspiration from na-
ture for new design ideas, but John Rogers
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign and researchers at Northwest-
ern University in Evanston, Ill., have gone
beyond the capabilities of nature with their
eyeball camera. The curvilinear camera
combines the advantages of the human
eye with those of an expensive single-lens
reflex camera and zoom lens.
Whereas earlier eyeball cameras had
rigid detectors, this ones simple lens and
photodetector are on flexible substrates
and use a hydraulic system to change the
shape of the substrate, enabling variable
zoom. Our work suggests that the flat-
land world of existing digital imagers
and CCD chips may no longer represent
a design constraint, Rogers said.
The camera, which is described in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences (doi:10.1073/pnas.1015440108),
uses a tunable liquid lens to provide zoom
magnification. The lens has an ultrasimple
planoconvex design with a radius of cur-
vature that is adjusted hydraulically. The
curved detector is critically important to
enabling high-performance imaging with
such a simple tunable lens.
The idea is that curvature in the pho-
todetector array opens up a new engineer-
ing design space for digital cameras,
Rogers said. The result can be a dramatic
reduction in the cost, size, weight and
complexity of imaging lenses which
often dominate the size, cost and weight
of a high-end camera.
The group has launched a startup com-
pany, mc10 in Cambridge, Mass., through
which it is pursuing commercialization of
stretchable optoelectronics, with hemi-
spherical cameras as one product area.
We see the most promising, immediate
applications in night vision, where the
lenses are particularly difficult, and endo-
scopes, where size is critically important,
Rogers said. The hope is to establish the
technology in these areas first, and then
to move it into broader sectors of commer-
cial use.
The goal is to provide studio quality
imaging in small, low-cost devices that
could, for example, be incorporated into a
cell phone or an inexpensive digital camera.
Due to their inherent flexibility, liquid
lenses offer capabilities that have yet to
be exploited. Exploring some of these ca-
pabilities with the ultimate hope of com-
mercializing them is the goal of a group
at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
in Troy, N.Y.
Earlier last year, the team developed
liquid pistons with oscillating droplets
of ferrofluid that precisely displace a sur-
rounding liquid (typically water) with
an embedded lens liquid (in this case,
1-methylnaphthalene). The work was cov-
ered on Photonics.com (http://www.pho
tonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=45462).
The lens is composed of a pair of drop-
lets surrounded by another liquid that is
driven by a set of nanoparticle-infused
Cameras are ubiqui-
tous, computing power
keeps growing, and
algorithms are being
made available. This trend
leads to robust solutions,
which means more uses
of the technology
in more domains.
Gerard Medioni, UCLA
ferrofluid droplets that can vibrate at high
frequency, moving the focal distance of
the lens under the application of an elec-
tromagnetic field.
Such lenses may provide a lighter-
weight alternative to camera lenses and
drivers, and perhaps could be used as
replacement eye lenses that can be fine-
tuned using magnets.
An important impact that liquid lenses
will have on industry is the elimination
of lens surface manufacturing, according
to Amir H. Hirsa, a professor in RPIs
Department of Mechanical, Aerospace
and Nuclear Engineering.
Ultimately, we hope that our approach
to liquid lenses and similar ones will pro-
vide adaptability in a cost-effective, light-
weight package, he said. For example,
we envision in situ assembly of lenses
(self-assembly) for integrated devices
that utilize lens arrays.
Some researchers are combining liquid
lenses with other relatively new technolo-
gies. Take, for instance, Jannick Rolland,
the Brian J. Thompson (endowed) Profes-
sor of Optical Engineering at the Univer-
sity of Rochester in NewYork, and invited
professor at the Institute of Optics in
Paris.
Rolland has produced some never-
before-seen images by incorporating a
liquid lens into optical coherence tomogra-
phy (OCT) technology. The resulting
handheld device can penetrate 1 mm into
the skin to provide 3-D images of suspi-
cious moles with the ultimate goal of
eliminating the need for magnetic reso-
nance imaging or biopsy.
Fifteen percent of visits to primary
care doctors are for the purpose of evalu-
ating skin problems, Rolland said. As-
sessment can be inaccurate, and micro-
scopic evaluation in real time has the
potential to significantly improve out-
comes.
The idea was to place a lens based on
immiscible fluids, produced by Varioptic
SA of Lyon, France, in an otherwise con-
ventional microscope. This was then man-
ufactured by General Optics Asia in Pon-
dicherry, India.
This was the key to finally identifying
and implementing a high-impact applica-
tion for liquid lenses: having the ability to
design a custom microscope that could
accommodate this new technology inter-
nally, not externally, Rolland said. This
revolutionary step took a technology with
very low intrinsic resolution and suddenly
placed it as a key component in solving
long-standing challenges in high-resolu-
tion imaging in both 2-D and 3-D within
the medical and material industries.
So far, the group has demonstrated in
vivo imaging in skin at micron-scale reso-
lution in a potential 8-mm
3
volume, and
it has recently adapted its technology to
imaging the cornea.
The primary challenge a common one
is bringing down the cost of the entire
OCT system: in this case, lowering the
cost of a broadband laser. Rolland is in
discussions with several companies, in-
cluding Exalos, Genia Photonics, Micron
Optics, NKT Photonics, Superlum, Toptica
Photonics and Thorlabs, which are now
working to meet the price-point target and
bring the dramatic increases Rolland has
seen in the laboratory to the clinic.
Apart from examining the skin, the de-
vice also can be applied to optical inspec-
tion of materials. Here, liquid lenses can
help to reduce inspection time, thanks to
their quick operation.
Rolland also has ventured into the use
of liquid lenses in future 3-D optical head
wear for virtual and augmented reality.
A progression of prototypes developed
over the past decade and a half is all con-
verging to what could become our head
wear of the future, she said. The liquid
lens may play a key role in our future
head wear. Here, due to weight con-
straints, it will need to operate stand-
alone, and so limiting diameter and speed
Imaging Trends
The eyeball camera, built by John Rogers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and researchers
at Northwestern University, goes beyond nature. Courtesy of John Rogers.
A 10-mm-aperture liquid lens with pinned contact lines focuses a laser beam. Liquid lenses can change their
shape very quickly, enabling focal-length scans in excess of 30 Hz. Here the 1-methylnaphthalene lens and the
surrounding water have fluorescent dyes for visualization. Courtesy of B.A. Malouin and A.H. Hirsa.
112_Synopsis_Pg71_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:10 AM Page 71
both are current impediments to adoption.
If the size becomes larger than 3 mm in
diameter and it remains high speed, it will
enable placing 3-D information anywhere
in space, as opposed to currently in one
location ahead of a user.
3-D mapping on the way
3-D mapping is already used by the mili-
tary for scouting terrain and in numerous
aerial mapping programs, with similar 3-D
imaging technology adopted by the auto-
motive industry for improving driver safety.
Industrial plants employ 3-D imagers on
inspection lines, and 3-D vision and map-
ping are used even in the surgical suite by
robots such as the da Vinci systems devel-
oped by Intuitive Surgical Inc. of Sunny-
vale, Calif. Such systems enable surgeons
to perform major procedures extremely
precisely and less invasively.
The trend is to build smaller, less costly
systems that will bring 3-D mapping into
our everyday lives via products such as
service robots that can interact with us in
play, facilitate routine tasks in hospitals,
or even aid the elderly in their homes.
One example is Care-O-bot 3, the ro-
botic home assistant developed by scien-
tists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manu-
facturing Engineering and Automation IPA
in Stuttgart, Germany.
We would like to see the robot assist-
ing older people in their households to in-
crease their independence while allowing
them to stay in their homes up to a higher
age, said Jan Fischer of Fraunhofer IPA.
Besides accomplishing daily tasks like
preparing and cleaning the table, the robot
should also be able to learn new tasks
from instruction of its user or some other
person.
Three-dimensional modeling of the en-
vironment is crucial for mobile robots if
they are to navigate and to interact safely
with objects and humans. Recently devel-
oped 2.5-D cameras such as the Microsoft
Kinect provide point-cloud data of the
vicinity of the robot. This information can
be used to build point maps of the envi-
ronment while the robot is moving.
Typical stereovision algorithms run-
ning in reasonable time are not able to cre-
ate 3-D information when facing objects
without texture, Fischer said. By inte-
grating 2.5-D camera devices, these 3-D
gaps are filled with meaningful 3-D data
and further enhance the robustness of ob-
ject detection.
A major challenge on the hardware side
is the limited accuracy of depth sensors,
along with their high price.
The introduction of Microsofts Kinect
sensor presents a significant step toward
low-cost 3-D perception, Fischer said.
However, in terms of precision, it is still
not able to compete with standard stereo
camera systems.
Imaging is and will remain a vital
component within the area of robotics.
Imaging Trends
A custom-made telemetry backpack collects flight data of a pigeon maneuvering through an obstacle course. The data, including videos from
the head-camera, is used to develop vision-based autopilot technologies. Courtesy of Huai-Ti Lin, Harvard University.
Left: This handheld device incorporates a liquid lens with OCT technology to penetrate 1 mm deep into the skin
and provides 3-D images of suspicious moles in real time. Right: A fingertip can be viewed 1 mm under the
surface of the skin at axial and lateral resolution of 2 m. Courtesy of Jannick Rolland, University of Rochester.
Take a Look Inside
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traditionally opaque materials, or to identify chemical substances by
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112_Toptica_Pg73_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:11 AM Page 73
The trend definitely moves toward low-
cost RGB-D sensors that provide both
2.5-D range data and color information
for each pixel.
With the development of feasible algo-
rithms, their application is quite manifold;
e.g., object detection, localization, 3-D
mapping, gesture recognition, human
motion recognition and many more.
3-D mapping enables
the blind to see
An electric wheelchair that uses a laser
scanner to create a 3-D map of its sur-
roundings and transfers the information to
a haptic robot could help blind wheelchair
users navigate the world more easily.
Developed at Lule University of Tech-
nology (LTU) in Sweden (http://www.
photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=47162),
the wheelchair enables a visually impaired
driver to maneuver around obstacles, and
its developers believe that it can be manu-
factured for consumers in about five years.
The wheelchair has a joystick for
steering and a haptic robot that acts as a
virtual white cane, said professor Kalevi
Hyypp of LTU. With the help of a laser
scanner, a simplified 3-D map is created
of the wheelchair surroundings.
The laser scanner uses a time-of-flight
technique to produce a 3-D map that is
then transferred to the haptic robot so that
the user can feel and effectively see
obstacles such as open doors or oncoming
people, and navigate past them.
The group hopes to miniaturize the sen-
sor to enable haptic interfaces to be worn.
But this is no easy task, Hyypp admitted.
The laser beam that sweeps in front
of the wheelchair hits only objects which
are a certain height. It does not have the
capacity to see things that are higher or
lower than that height, he said. Present
3-D cameras do not have enough perform-
ance concerning signal-to-noise ratio,
range and field of view.
In similar research, engineers at the
University of Southern California (USC),
Los Angeles, have developed software that
can help the visually impaired navigate
complex environments. The user wears a
head-mounted camera that is connected to
a PC, which uses simultaneous localiza-
tion and mapping software to build maps
of the environment and to pick out a safe
path through it.
As reported in the August 2011 issue
of Photonics Spectra (pp. 25-26), the route
is conveyed to the user through a
vibrating guide vest.
Research has since moved on. Now,
instead of a camera mounted on the head,
a pair of glasses can be used.
The system is composed of a set of
two cameras attached to a persons head,
either mounted on a helmet, or as a pair
of glasses, said USCs professor Gerard
Medioni. The computer system fuses
these two image streams to produce a 3-D
view of the world. As the person moves,
the systems register the partial 3-D views
into a unified 3-D map.
This step has been dubbed SLAM
(simultaneous localization and map-
ping). Based on this map, the system
classifies areas as safe for traversal, or as
obstacles.
The ultimate goal for Medionis group
is to provide the system at a low cost for
all blind users. So far, he has demonstrated
a first prototype and conducted initial tests
with blind patients at the Braille Institute
in Los Angeles.
As with Hyypps wheelchair, signifi-
cant work remains to be done before wide-
spread production and use can become a
reality. But Medioni believes that the im-
aging field is exploding, with the barrier
to entry becoming lower every day.
Cameras are ubiquitous, computing
power keeps growing, and algorithms are
being made available (e.g., OpenCV), he
said. This trend leads to robust solutions,
which means more uses of the technology
in more domains.
Cameras out of the salt shaker
Cameras are getting smaller down to
as small as a grain of salt. One such cam-
era was built for endoscopy applications
Imaging Trends
The two main potentials of wafer-level cameras are
size and cost, according to Martin Wilke of Fraun-
hofer IZM. This low-cost CMOS camera, measuring
only 1 mm
3
, makes disposable endoscopes feasible.
Courtesy of Awaiba GmbH.
The robotic home assistant Care-O-bot 3 from
Fraunhofer IPA can help in a domestic environment.
Images courtesy of photographer Bernd Mller.
PHOTOSENSITIVE
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by a German collaboration between Fraun-
hofer Institute for Reliability and Microin-
tegration IZM and Awaiba GmbH (http://
www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=
46485).
The prototypes were reportedly so inex-
pensive that they could be disposed of
after one use, avoiding otherwise neces-
sary cleaning.
The camera is fabricated using through-
silicon via technology to enable complete
wafer-scale integration of both the sensor
and the imaging optics. The result is a
low-cost CMOS camera only 1 cubic mil-
limeter in size.
The two main potentials of wafer-level
cameras [WLCs] are size and cost. At the
moment, size is the more important reason
why WLC is interesting, especially in the
medical sector, said Martin Wilke of
Fraunhofer IZM. When all hurdles for
WLC packaging are overcome, the pro-
duction can be much less expensive than
the conventional way of packaging. This
A sighted wheelchair incorporates 3-D mapping to allow a
visually impaired wheelchair driver to feel and effectively
see obstacles and navigate past them. Courtesy of Kalevi
Hyypp, Lule University of Technology.
can then bring micro cameras
into applications with higher
volume.
Striking visual reminders of
the trend toward smaller cam-
eras are pigeons fitted with tiny
head-cameras to help Harvard
University researchers figure
out the best way to navigate
through difficult environments.
This data could be used as a
model for autopilot technology
(http://www.photonics.com/
Article.aspx?AID=47591).
Our research should inform
the industry that there is a
growing market for compact
cameras in experimental biol-
ogy, said Dr. Huai-Ti Lin at
Harvard. Adding a device on
any flying animal could degrade
the flight performance due to the
added weight and drag. The size,
weight and robustness of a device
are all extremely important con-
siderations for animal studies,
especially out in the field.
Small wireless cameras give bi-
ologists the opportunity for un-
precedented observation of animal
behavior; in this case, Lin said,
the pigeon head-camera videos
give us the closest experience
next to embodying a bird, from
which we can learn so much.
Birds have exceptional ability
to stabilize vision in flight. This is
done primarily by stabilizing the
head using both the inertial sen-
sory input and visual input, he
said. In many modern photo-
graphic applications, vibration is
a big issue. I believe there is a lot
we can learn from birds about vi-
sual-inertial sensory integration
that can help with photographic
technologies.
marie.freebody@photonics.com
Imaging Trends
The visually impaired could benefit
from this image processing system
developed by engineers at the Uni-
versity of Southern California. A PC
connected to two cameras mounted
on a pair of glasses determines the
best route and transmits this informa-
tion to the user via a vibrating guide
vest. Courtesy of the University of
Southern California.
Putting More
Than Glass
in the Toolbox
BY HANK HOGAN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
OPTICS TRENDS
Plastics, glass, metamaterials,
anisotropic materials even
smartphones are teaming up
to create a future where optical
systems will be smaller, cheaper,
lighter and more capable.
112_Optics Trends_Layout 1 1/6/12 9:06 AM Page 78
O
ptical materials have gotten
a lot better over the years,
said David J. Hagan, a pro-
fessor of optics and physics at the Uni-
versity of Central Florida in Orlando.
Theyre better understood.
In particular, Hagan pointed to organics
and plastics as areas where broader knowl-
edge has brought improvement. One new
material in this class that could be impor-
tant in the future is a biologically inspired
and inexpensive-to-manufacture polymer.
The refractive index of optics built with
the polymer can vary smoothly in three
dimensions, and the resulting gradient
index optics have applications in the mili-
tary, in solar power and elsewhere.
One of the things were looking to do
is to add this extra ray bending this extra
optical power within the element to help
improve imaging, to help reduce part
counts, and reduce size and weight, said
Guy Beadie, head of the advanced optical
materials section at the Washington-based
US Naval Research Laboratory.
Studies have shown that putting gradi-
ent index polymers to work can reduce the
volume and mass of lens designs by up to
50 and 90 percent, respectively. In part,
the improvement is possible because the
new materials are lightweight, but it also
arises from their optical properties.
The Naval Research Lab and Case West-
ern Reserve University in Cleveland are
collaborating on work in this area.
Scientists have developed a technique that
extrudes thousands of layers of two poly-
mers atop one another in a 50-m-thick
film. The repeated polymer pairs have a
total thickness of 25 nm, well below the
wavelength of light. Consequently, the
resulting film is optically transparent with
a refractive index between that of the two
constituents. By altering the thickness of
the base polymers within the fixed-unit cell
during fabrication, researchers can create a
library of intermediate refractive index
films. These films can be stacked atop one
another arbitrarily, molded, then polished
into an optically clear lens with standard
curved surfaces as well as an axial and ra-
dial gradient refractive index profile.
This capability can lead to some dra-
matic improvements, including allowing
color correction to be done using one
aspheric element instead of the two re-
quired by a homogeneous index material.
A test comparing polymer to glass singlet
lenses showed that the former decreased
weight tenfold and offered better contrast.
The polymer composite also enables
new solutions. For example, Jeffrey M.
Gordon, a professor at the Sede Boqer
campus of Ben-Gurion University of the
Negev in Israel, in collaboration with re-
searchers at Columbia University in New
York, outlined some results in January and
August 2011 Optics Express papers. They
showed that spherical lenses constructed
out of gradient index plastics could con-
centrate incoming solar radiation more
than a thousandfold onto a photovoltaic
over the course of the day without having
to track the sun.
However, it still would be necessary to
move the photovoltaic about 2 cm to fol-
low the shifting focal point, although
everything else could remain still, Gor-
don said. This approach could be ex-
tended to wide-angle photography or
infrared imaging.
Eric Baer, a Case Western Reserve pro-
fessor, plans to extend the refractive index
range from the current 1.5 to 1.6 out to 1.4
to 1.7. Work is under way to improve opti-
cal designs and associated software and to
expand applications.
The Naval Research Labs Beadie pre-
Cell phones will likely
play a significant role in
medical diagnosis in
general. Microscopy and
spectroscopy are only
two possible ways
Sebastian Wachsmann-Hogiu,
Center for Biophotonics Science
and Technology
Lasers and heat allow refractive index patterns to be
written throughout the bulk of photo-thermorefractive
glass, leading to narrow-spectral-width filters and
other optical components. Courtesy of Leonid B.
Glebov, University of Central Florida and OptiGrate.
OptiGrate makes spectral filters using
the glass. The ability to produce interfer-
ence-derived filters throughout centime-
ters of glass offers an advantage because
spectral selectively goes up with thick-
ness. The companys filters offer rejec-
tion coefficients of up to 10,000 to 1, and
the spectral width of what is allowed
through is only 20 to 30 pm, Glebov said.
This is an order of magnitude narrower
than any other commercial filters, he
noted.
That translates into better spectroscopy.
Applying the same techniques to the out-
put coupler for a laser allows spectral
brightness to be increased hundreds of
times, achieved by narrowing the output
to a 30-pm spectral width without losing
power. The glass allows beams to be
locked to a wavelength, or several beams
to be combined into one, he said.
A future research direction is to make
narrower and narrower filters, he added.
Another area of investigation involves the
production of multiple holographic pat-
terns in a single piece of glass.
Less-metallic metamaterials
Metamaterials, the stuff of invisibility
cloaks and superlenses, represent a third
novel optical material. The electromag-
netic characteristics of the source materi-
als and their physical arrangement allow
optical properties to be engineered. As a
consequence, the resulting refractive index
can be below 1 or even negative, some-
thing unknown in nature.
There are signs that metamaterials are
moving out of strictly academic labs. For
instance, defense contractor Lockheed
Martin Corp. has turned to metamaterials
to boost the performance of spacecraft an-
tennas. Last year, a research lab at Wright-
Optics Trends
Fabricating biologically inspired gradient index optics involves co-extruding two
polymers, A and B, in subwavelength nanolayers that make up 50-m-thick films.
These films form the basis for lightweight, inexpensive gradient index optics.
Courtesy of Guy Beadie, US Naval Research Laboratory.
dicted that polymer gradient index optics
will have a substantial impact in the years to
come. However, the new material will com-
plement and not replace glass, he said. The
materials that were working with are plas-
tic, and were not going to change the fact.
Building better filters
As for glass, new knowledge has led to
the development of a photo-thermorefrac-
tive variety. Through a combination of
ultraviolet light and heat, it is possible to
write a pattern of varying refractive index
in such glass, said Leonid B. Glebov, a re-
search professor at the University of Cen-
tral Florida and vice president of research
and development at OptiGrate, a startup
formed to commercialize the new mate-
rial. Both are in Orlando.
The glass is transparent from 220 to
2700 nm, and features that measure tens
of nanometers in size can be written into
it. A key point is that, although lasers
initiate the process, the image actually is
formed by heat. Thus, the resulting pat-
tern cannot be bleached or altered by
light, making it possible to subject it to
high-power lasers without damage.
Polymer gradient index singlet lenses (above, left) weigh a tenth that of glass
(right) but offer better contrast. Courtesy of Guy Beadie.
Not all that glitters is
gold or silver, at least for
visible and near-infrared
metamaterials. The chart
shows the quality factor
of various metamaterial
candidates, with a higher
bar indicating better quality
resulting from lower losses
at the plasmonic crossover
frequency. The materials
are, from left to right,
gallium zinc oxide (GZO),
indium tin oxide (ITO),
silver (Ag) and aluminum
zinc oxide (AZO). Crossover
frequencies are, respec-
tively, 1.32, 1.69, 0.326
and 1.3 m. Courtesy
of Alexandra Boltasseva
and Paul West, Purdue
University.
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Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio sought a
contractor to help develop metamaterials
for optical filters, time-domain optical
components and other areas.
But all current metamaterials suffer
from a basic problem, said Alexandra
Boltasseva, an assistant professor of elec-
trical and computer engineering at Purdue
University in West Lafayette, Ind. Silver-
and gold-based metamaterials suffer high
losses at optical frequencies, so she is ad-
vocating and is now investigating a
basic material change.
We are trying to move to materials that
can still provide us with these metallic
properties but that will have lower losses,
she said.
In electronics, when you need some-
thing that is metallike but not a metal, you
turn to semiconductors. Similarly, Boltas-
seva is looking into wide-band semicon-
ductors, such as doped zinc oxide or in-
dium tin oxide.
Semiconductor fabrication techniques
can create structures well below the wave-
Invisibility through anisotropy: A rolled-up piece of paper sits under a cloak wedge made of calcite,
a material with direction-dependent optical properties. The portion of the object inside the wedge is not
visible, and the wedge surface appears to be flat, creating a cloaking effect. Courtesy of Baile Zhang
and George Barbastathis, SMART Centre, Singapore.
Using sensors, a laser diode (LD), holography and image processing, researchers built a compact, lens-free microscope suitable for field work. Concept is shown in (a),
artists rendering in (b) and actual device in (c) . Reprinted from Biomedical Optics Express. Courtesy of Aydogan Ozcan, University of California, Los Angeles.
length of interest, a metamaterial require-
ment. There also is a large semiconductor
manufacturing base, potentially allowing
inexpensive production of any optical
component.
Another approach is to use new materi-
als, one possibility being intermetallics
such as titanium hafnium nitride. Stacked
layers of alternating materials such as
these could lead to constructs with accept-
able losses and negative refraction in the
visible or at 1.5 m, a wavelength impor-
tant in telecommunications. Further down
the road would be metamaterial devices
with properties that could be adjusted by
applying voltage, a possibility enabled by
semiconductors.
As for applications, some would require
optimizing devices, but an immediate use
would be in microscope optics. A super-
lens offering better-than-diffraction-limit
imaging was demonstrated by a group
from the University of California, Berke-
ley, in 2005 using silver, a current meta-
material. But the metallic nature of the
construct keeps it from being used in an
objective because of high losses and fabri-
cation challenges. That wouldnt be the
case for a superlens constructed with a
transparent semiconductor. That alone
makes the successful debut of a semicon-
ductor metamaterial an important event to
watch for over the next few years.
As soon as we can demonstrate such a
structure based on semiconductors, there
would be immediate interest and immedi-
ate steps toward a real-life application,
Boltasseva said.
Invisibility by another path
There is, however, another avenue to
invisibility. It exploits optical anisotropy
and directional differences in optical
properties, and it represents another class
of novel optical materials. Researchers
at MIT in Cambridge and the Singapore-
MIT Alliance for Research and Technol-
ogy Centre in Singapore showed that cal-
cite, a common material, could render
2-mm-tall objects invisible under the
right conditions. They described the setup
in a January 2011
Physical Review Letters paper.
The focus now is not on invisibility but
rather on a related concept manipulating
the trajectory of light said team leader
George Barbastathis, Singapore research
professor of optics and MIT mechanical
engineering professor. This may be for
specific wavelengths, such as those in-
volved in telecommunications.
Were interested in other applications
where you have to shield certain devices
from light, Barbastathis said. For exam-
ple, in integrated optical circuits, very
often one wants to prevent certain parts
of the circuit from being illuminated.
Although anisotropic materials occur
naturally, they also can be engineered via
nanopatterning, Barbastathis said. And be-
cause the material is otherwise homoge-
neous, it should be easier to fabricate than
alternatives.
Finally, a class of novel optical materi-
als is not material at all. An example is a
lensless holography microscope demon-
strated by researchers at the University
of California, Los Angeles. The field-
portable device offers lateral resolution
of better than 2 m over a field of view of
about 24 sq mm. Aydogan Ozcan, an asso-
ciate professor of bio- and electrical engi-
neering, headed up the project, which was
described in an August 2011 paper.
In one mode of operation, the device re-
flects a laser off a specimen, and this light
interferes with a separate reference beam
Optics Trends
the right techniques. Pamplona demon-
strated that this setup can be used to find
cataracts, something done today with a
machine developed nearly 50 years ago
and that can take months to master. The
fact that a phone can match its perform-
ance isnt that surprising, given the tech-
nology available.
The sensors we have on the phone
right now are pretty good, Pamplona
said. Theyre reaching a scientific level, a
professional level, in the sense it is com-
parable with high-end specific tools. So
you can start building on top of them.
Because the phones are being used in
medical devices, there are regulatory is-
sues to consider that might keep them
from being deployed soon. Getting ap-
proval for a new medical device from the
FDA, for example, is expensive and takes
time. Thus, phone-enabled devices might
first show up in areas where the lack of
access to health care makes them more
compelling.
An even wider array of optical materials
and techniques in even more settings
looms on the horizon. Pamplona foresees
a day when 3-D printers make it possible
to whip up a phone attachment on de-
mand, allowing users to download needed
software and hardware to perform optics-
based tasks.
Another example of a smartphone-based
approach comes from Sebastian Wachs-
mann-Hogiu. An associate professor and
facility director of the National Science
Foundations Sacramento-based Center for
Biophotonics Science and Technology,
part of the University of California, Davis,
he has done microscopy and spectroscopy
using phones for point-of-care applica-
tions. The work was described in a March
2011 PLoS One paper.
Wachsmann-Hogiu has identified various
blood diseases using inexpensive optical
components and a phone. He is working
with industry partners to commercialize
these techniques. Many more applications
from researchers and companies could fol-
low, affecting many areas.
Ten years down the road, he said,
cell phones will likely play a significant
role in medical diagnosis in general. Mi-
croscopy and spectroscopy are only two
possible ways. There are other things that
can be done.
hank.hogan@photonics.com
Reference
1. N. Fang et al (2005). Sub-diffraction-limited
optical imaging with a silver superlens. Sci-
ence, Vol. 308, pp. 534-537.
A mobile phone add-on consisting of
low-cost optical materials enables quick
and inexpensive eyesight testing. Such
devices represent a new wave of optical
material applications. Courtesy of MIT
Media Lab, Camera Culture Group.
at a digital sensor array. This data is fil-
tered to remove unwanted information,
and a computer then digitally reconstructs
an image of the specimen. The device also
has a transmission mode.
The light weight and low cost of the de-
vice would be particularly beneficial during
field work in the developing world. Possi-
ble applications include screening of blood
for pathogens or testing of water quality.
For such uses, what is needed sometimes is
a microscope with adequate resolution but
a very wide field of view because what is
being searched for is not common.
If you look at malaria slide readings,
its a rare event problem. Around 1 per-
cent of the red blood cells show malaria
signatures, Ozcan said.
He added that extensions to the idea in-
volve lens-free fluorescence imaging and
resolution improvements at the submicron
level. Along with others, he has formed a
company, Holomic LLC, to commercialize
the concept.
Optical materials and the phone
Such efforts point the way toward an in-
creasingly important factor that affects opti-
cal materials and vice versa. The advent
of smartphones promises to change micros-
copy, spectroscopy and other areas because
smartphones have high-resolution displays,
megapixel cameras, storage and connectiv-
ity, and they offer powerful local comput-
ing. When combined with simple attach-
ments, they can make surprisingly capable
microscopes and other optical devices.
An example can be seen in the work of
Ramesh Raskar, an associate professor at
the MIT Media Lab. While developing a
new bar-code system, he realized that it
could be used to make a refraction map of
the eye, something traditionally done by a
doctor when figuring out an eyeglass pre-
scription.
This mapping now can be done using a
smartphone and an inexpensive attachment.
Software creates a carefully arranged pat-
tern of lines or dots on the display, and then
it puts the patient to work.
We ask the user to create changes in
the position of the dots, Raskar said.
The adjustments reveal refractive dis-
tortions in the eye. Because uncorrected
vision problems are a leading cause of
blindness for millions worldwide, such a
device could be very beneficial. Thats the
idea behind EyeNETRA, a company
formed to commercialize the concept.
Vitor Fernando Pamplona, a graduate stu-
dent who was at the MIT Media Lab and
is now at Brazils Federal University of
Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, devel-
oped the smartphone eye doctor technique
as part of his thesis and is involved with
EyeNETRA.
When it comes to getting the device
into the field, Pamplona said one idea
would be a microbusiness model, with
people in large cities in the developing
world paying for the ability to run a set of
tests. These buyers would then travel to
the countryside, where they would per-
form an eye exam in return for payment.
The test itself would likely be an aide,
helping people decide whether they need
to see a doctor.
Other vision problems also could be
discovered by a similar combination of a
smartphone, an attachment, software and
Optics Trends
112_IPGPhotonics_Pg85_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:12 AM Page 85
Medical Markets
and New Niches
Drive Laser
Advances
BY LYNN SAVAGE, FEATURES EDITOR
LASER TRENDS
Laser makers increasingly are
turning to the medical device
industry for innovation but
dont discount other
interesting applications
on the horizon.
112_Laser Feat Trends Feat_Layout 1 1/5/12 3:21 PM Page 86
T
he past year has been a tumultuous
one for makers and users of lasers. A
global economic situation that at best
could be considered in the doldrums tem-
pered expectations of breakout years for
companies such as Newport and Coherent.
Nonetheless, laser makers have had gener-
ally fine years because manufacturing, es-
pecially in the US, has begun to pick up
and lasers are the go-to systems for manu-
facturing everything from LEDs to auto-
mobiles to the latest, greatest personal
electronic devices everyone must have.
The main area, however, in which laser
technology continues to thrive and
promises to thrive for years to come is
in medical technology. Many medical
devices, of course, must be made with a
level of precision that only lasers can
achieve, but lasers that emit a variety of
wavelengths increasingly are being used to
treat patients directly, whether to eliminate
cancerous tumors, heal wounds or slim
peoples profiles.
In the clinic
Lasers have not been perfected for most
clinical operations, but they are steadily
gaining ground.
A recent study published in the Archives
of Dermatology, for example, showed that
laser treatment of varicose veins is not
nearly as effective as traditional surgery
(involving removal of the offending veins
entirely) but is less invasive and often
less expensive.
In a multitude of clinics, especially in
the US and throughout Europe, lasers are
being used to transform the human body.
Nothing is left untouched; the short list in-
cludes retinas, waists and hips, thighs and
calves, scalps and forearms. Via recent
progress in femtosecond-pulse lasers,
vision is improvable and body shapes are
imminently sculptable.
One area picking up marketing steam
is laser-based cataract surgery. Cataracts,
which are lenses so deteriorated that they
cloud over and become yellowed, are re-
sponsible for nearly half of all cases of
blindness. More than 18 million people
are blinded by age-related cataracts (and
children can suffer from congenital forms
of cataracts as well), and millions more
have had their eyesight reduced by severe
myopia or loss of color sensitivity because
of the condition.
Standard cataract care has involved sur-
gical removal of the affected lens, which
traditionally has been performed with a
finely sharpened scalpel. Lasers, of
course, can cut much finer lines than a
metal edge, no matter how keenly made,
and laser surgery has become sought after
because results are better and recovery
time for patients is quicker.
Several companies have been actively
pursuing laser technologies suitable for
use in cataract surgery, including Techno-
las Perfect Vision GmbH in Munich, Ger-
many; Alcon Laboratories Inc. in Fort
Worth, Texas; LensAR Inc. in Orlando,
Fla.; and OptiMedica Corp. in Santa
Clara, Calif. Each company has a system
on the market for performing the precise
retinal incisions necessary for removing
cataracts and inserting replacement lenses
as needed. Most are used in combination
with optical coherence tomography sys-
tems that help surgeons guide the beam
path. Such systems are mostly available
for use in Europe thus far, with FDA ap-
proval pending in the US.
The regulatory hurdles that any laser
system must clear in the US are generally
more stringent than in Europe and else-
where. Nowhere is this more evident than
in the realm of low-level laser therapy
(LLLT) modalities.
LLLT likely was born of the idea that
pointing a light at an unhealthy part of the
body might fix the problem. In the several
decades since the concept has been
We believe in lasers.
We just couldnt get the
results with LEDs.
Charlie Shanks, Erchonia Corp.
around, LLLT has been used to address
hair loss, arthritis, chronic back and neck
pain, wound healing and body contouring.
The typical amount of power used in these
applications is 0.3 to 19 J/cm
2
so low in
fact that near-IR LEDs are used as an al-
ternative by some practitioners. There has
been a great deal of controversy over the
effectiveness of LLLT, with proponents
convinced of the health benefits. Unfortu-
nately, there is very little research pub-
lished thus far showing repeatable positive
results.
Despite the lack of verifiable efficacy,
however, there is a growing market for
LLLT products and services, leading to
a potential niche to be filled. Erchonia
Corp. of McKinney, Texas, is an LLLT
specialist that has seen the benefit of
clinical trials.
Laser Trends
The Light in Your Eyes
BMW created a stir in Sep-
tember when it announced
it was working to incorpo-
rate lasers into its auto-
mobile headlight systems.
Shown briefly at the 2011
Frankfurt Motor Show in-
stalled in an i8 concept
car, the laser headlights
dazzled onlookers.
The system uses three
blue diode lasers in each of
the cars four headlights.
The triangulated beams
pass through lenses imbued
with yellow phosphors, which change the blue light to white while also diffusing it. The
combined white light then reflects off a central mirror and onto the road ahead.
BMW sees lasers as a natural replacement for the LED headlamps that are now
becoming increasingly popular. The lasers provide more intense light but require
half as much electrical power overall. The laser diodes also take up less space than the
comparable LED designs needed today, and should last as long as LEDs.
BMW admits that putting its laser headlights into all of its autos is still several years
away, but once that happens, expect a robust laser diode market to crop up as other
automakers make the switch.
BMW has developed automotive headlights that eschew halogen bulbs
and LEDs in favor of diode lasers. Courtesy of BMW.
OptiMedicas Catalys laser system facilitates a smooth incision into the lens capsule,
making cataract removal easy and safe for the patient. Courtesy of BusinessWire.
A single cell was removed from a fruit fly epithelium
using a novel laser technique in which a single holo-
graphically shaped pulse replaced multiple strikes
with the beam. The cell to be isolated is marked
with an asterisk in the first frame, and the following
frames are at 6 and 70 s after ablation. Courtesy
of Aroshan K. Jayasinghe, Vanderbilt University.
112_ILXLightwave_Pg89_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:12 AM Page 89
The market is massive, when you con-
sider the desire for noninvasive treatments
with no side effects, said Charlie Shanks,
the companys vice president of sales and
marketing. The 15-year-old company has
put its LLLT systems, including the EML
and Zerona instruments, through trials
specifically to gain FDA clearance and
give them a competitive edge.
The EML has FDA approval for use as
an adjunct to liposuction, and the Zerona
for general fat removal performed for
body contouring. Using several laser
diodes emitting at 635 nm, the devices
aid the removal of adipose cells from the
waist, hips, thighs and other areas by
emulsifying the fatty tissues prior to lipo-
suction. In late 2011, Erchonia reported
encouraging results from a clinical trial
using the Zerona device to reduce the cir-
cumference of patients arms, and is now
also pursuing the use of LLLT to tackle
cellulite, female alopecia (hair loss) and
foot fungus.
We believe in lasers, Shanks said.
We just couldnt get the results [we
wanted] with LEDs.
In the surgical suite
Moderately powered femtosecond lasers
are used to surgically remove cataracts,
tumors and necrotic tissues as well as for
cutting into hard tissues, such as teeth and
bone. Ho:YAG, CO
2
, N
2
, dye-based and
other heavy-duty systems typically are
used in surgical suites, but diode and fiber
lasers are becoming ubiquitous, helping to
shrink costs and footprints as well as mak-
ing it easier for a wider variety of techni-
cians to use the devices rather than just
medical professionals.
There remain important areas open to
improvement with both devices and tech-
niques. For example, soft tissues such as
gums, arteries and organ surfaces infused
with cancerous tumors typically are under
tension. When you carve a straight line or
curving path through the tissue with a
pulsing laser, there is a very quick me-
chanical response by the target: The small
amount of material directly in the beam
path is vaporized, and any remaining tis-
sue recoils from the beam spot. This me-
chanical relaxation response is uncontrol-
lable and can interfere with the goals of
the surgery; for example, healthy tissue
undergoing relaxation can inadvertently
wander into the beam path and be unnec-
essarily ablated by the laser.
There is a limit to what can be learned
from single-shot ablation, said M. Shane
Hutson, an associate professor of physics
at Vanderbilt University in Nashville,
Tenn. He added that masking techniques
can be used, for example, for excision of
individual cells from a tissue section, a
useful method for cell biologists in partic-
ular. However, using a mask requires a
Laser Trends
Left: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been ap-
proved by the FDA in some cases as an adjunct to
liposuction because it emulsifies fatty tissues. Right:
The LLLT platform Zerona. Courtesy of Erchonia.
Living Lasers Offer Healing Touch
The most surprising new source for lasing
power to arrive in 2011 has to be living
cells. Researchers at the Wellman Center
for Photomedicine in Cambridge, Mass.,
used green fluorescent protein (GFP) a
natural molecule that provides biolumi-
nescent light for sea-dwellers in the deep-
est parts of the ocean as the gain media
for their cell-based laser.
The centers Seok-Hyun Yun and Malte
C. Gather engineered human kidney cells
to express GFP, then placed a single such
cell into a 20-m-wide cavity formed by
parallel dielectric mirrors. When they
pumped the cell with an optical para-
metric oscillator (OPO), the light emitted by the GFP reflected from the cavity mirrors
and began to lase.
The cells provide more intense light than cells that simply fluoresce, which means
they could ultimately be useful for detecting and monitoring intracellular processes, or
even for photonics-based therapies. The resulting beam pulses with only 1 nJ of power,
so the cell remains alive after the OPO is shut down.
We are working on photodynamic therapy (PDT) using biolight as the light source,
Yun said. If successful, we may be able to activate PDT drugs deep into [diseased]
tissue without having to deliver conventional light from outside the body.
Yun and Gather also have built a prototype microfluidic platform that incorporates
the cell-based laser. In this system, individual cells flowing in a narrow channel gener-
ate laser light as they pass through a pump zone. If successful, they say, the device will
offer a new way to perform cytometry; for example, it could detect subtle changes
between normal and cancerous cells that pass through the microfluidic channels based
on their biophysical differences.
Lasing cells can be used to provide a light source in
photodynamic treatments, such as killing tumor cells.
Courtesy of the Wellman Center for Photomedicine.
112_Intertech_Pg91_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:13 AM Page 91
laser with higher fluence (and thus power)
than is prudent.
To avoid the problems inherent with
point-to-point laser cutting, Hutson and
his colleagues recently developed a tech-
nique that reduces the overall effect of
mechanical relaxation. By shaping the
beam profile with a holographic pattern,
they encircle a tissue excision target and
use a single UV laser pulse to complete
the cut. The technique vaporizes as many
as 30 points simultaneously, and doing so
causes less disturbance in the remaining
tissue than would burning one point
through at a time, even when moving
the beam spot rapidly.
Progress in cell biology, especially
regarding the external and internal forces
that act on individual cells, will depend
upon advances in laser technology and
developing novel applications for them.
Hutsons group at Vanderbilt will use its
holographic technique to explore cellular
dynamics in embryos in a multitude of
model organisms, from zebra fish to fruit
flies and more, but there remain many
more niches to fill for attentive laser techs.
If the global economic malaise contin-
ues, look for both academic and commer-
cial enterprises to continue the drive to
develop novel ways to use laser technolo-
gies and to fill new market niches as they
appear.
Laser Trends
Lynn Savage
lynn.savage@photonics.com
Lasers at War
In mid-2011, London-based BAE Systems con-
ducted a successful field test of its Mk 38 MOD
2 Tactical Laser System, one of several systems
in development to bring to life a practical laser
weapon. The high-energy system can identify
hostile targets, and track and engage enemy
vessels within an actionable range.
In the test, the laser system fired against var-
ious maritime targets and faced swarm tests
that simulate an attack by a large number of
fast, maneuverable small boats, intermingled with
neutral boat traffic.
Later in the year, Raytheon Co. of Waltham, Mass., carried out what it called an op-
erational demonstration of its Talon laser-guided rocket, a weapon designed to be launched
from Apache Longbow helicopters toward both stationary and mobile targets 1 to 6 km
away. The perfect performance of the Talon system in the tests ensured that it will be
put into production, both in the US and in the United Arab Emirates.
About the time BAE Systems tested its new system in August, it laid off 3000 workers.
However, despite continuing threats to the budgets of defense contractors across the globe,
look for existing laser-based exploratory programs to continue and for new ones to be
envisioned and put into at least the planning stage.
BAE Systems Tactical Laser System couples a
solid-state high-energy laser weapon module
with the existing Mk 38 naval machine gun
system. Courtesy of BAE Systems
112_Laser Feat Trends Feat_Layout 1 1/6/12 10:51 AM Page 92

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112_OSA_Pg93_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:13 AM Page 93
A Brave
New World
of Photonics
BY GARY BOAS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
FAR-FLUNG TRENDS
Weve talked about current
trends in the industry, about the
optics of tomorrow. But what
about tomorrows tomorrow?
What technologies will shape our lives
in the next 20 to 50 years?
112_Far-Flung Trends_Layout 1 1/5/12 3:23 PM Page 94
L
ets just get this out of the way now:
We arent going to see flying cars
in the next 20 to 50 years. I know,
I know, Back to the Future Part II (1989)
told us wed be rocketing around in
souped-up DeLoreans within Marty
McFlys lifetime. But that movie told us
all kinds of things such as faxes would
be the preferred form of communication
in the 21st century.
The good news is that we will see a
broad range of optics-based innovations
in the automotive industry that dont
involve flying. One example: the total
elimination of blind spots using cameras
and software specially developed to com-
bine imaging data, even allowing drivers
to see around objects.
Another: autonomous driving. Imagine
your car driving itself around town, know-
ing not only where its going, but also
when the traffic light is about to change,
which of the pedestrians on the sidewalk
is likely to step into the street, and why
that joker in front of you isnt driving
any faster.
Photonics, interleaved with other types
of technology, will play a key role in en-
abling autonomous driving, said Thomas
M. Baer, executive director of the Stanford
Photonics Research Center in California.
Ranging and imaging systems will provide
a continuous stream of information about
the current status of pedestrians and other
potential obstacles, updating 3-D databases
much like Google Maps that character-
ize the local environment down to a few
centimeters. At the same time, intercommu-
nication with other vehicles through optical
connects will provide information about
what those vehicles are doing information
about when and even why they are acceler-
ating or braking, for example.
This isnt just a fantasy, the subject
of some long-forgotten attraction in
Disneys Tomorrowland. Im glad you
asked about that particular time frame,
said Sven A. Beiker, executive director
of the Center for Automotive Research at
Stanford, when I inquired about automo-
tive applications of optics in the coming
decades, because 20 to 50 years from
now, we really will see fully autonomous
vehicles.
Beiker and Baer know what theyre
talking about. The centers are joining
forces to improve vision-based vehicle
systems even further. Stanford has been
at the forefront of autonomous driving
research for some time famously so
since the Stanford Racing Team and its
car, Stanley, won the 2005 DARPA Grand
Challenge, the goal of which is to fund
research to develop autonomous vehicle
technology that will help to keep soldiers
off the battlefield (see On the Road with
Junior: A tale of optics and driverless
cars, Photonics Spectra, October 2010,
p. 34). Many of the systems that will
facilitate autonomous driving in the
future can already be found in their
research vehicles.
Of course, what works in research
vehicles isnt necessarily appropriate
for production cars. For example, both
Stanley and Junior, Stanfords next-
generation autonomous vehicle, which
placed second in the 2007 DARPA Urban
Challenge held at the former George Air
Force Base in Victorville, Calif., relied
on arrays of sensors and positioning
systems, housed in a mechanical device,
that sit atop the cars.
Junior 2s sensor suite centers on a
Velodyne HDL-64E S2 lidar sensor that
provides 1.3 million returns per second
from 64 beams, with a range of ~100 m.
It also includes six Bosch production au-
Vehicle-to-vehicle and
vehicle-to-infrastructure
communication ... could
help reduce congestion,
facilitating a smooth flow
of traffic with an intricate
ballet of cars, trucks
and pedestrians.
General Motors EN-V
concept car is based
on the two-wheeled
Segway platform and
can be driven manually
or autonomously.
General Motors Co.
tomotive radar units for tracking vehicles,
especially at longer ranges, and two Sick
Inc. LD planar lidar scanners for near-
field detection on the sides and rear of
the car. Four Point Grey Research Inc.
cameras are used for passive vision: a
Ladybug3 spherical vision head mounted
just above the Velodyne with six 2-mega-
pixel cameras to provide a full view
around the car; a pair of 2-megapixel
forward-facing cameras for stereo vision;
and a 15-Hz 5-megapixel forward-look-
ing color camera.
But such a system could not be used
in production cars.
This is where we will need to see a
lot of development and improvement of
systems, Beiker said, adding that cars of
the future might rely on scanning lasers
with no moving parts, for example.
Although the very idea of autonomous
driving suggests applications such as self-
parking cars, which are being tested today,
and fighting crime with David Hasselhoff,
which, to my knowledge, is not, the im-
pact of the technology likely will be most
profound under normal driving conditions,
with considerable improvements in fuel
efficiency, safety and traffic congestion.
Future Photonics
OLEDs and
Lighting the
Flying Future
O
pinions vary as to whether and
when OLED lighting will replace
conventional incandescent and fluo-
rescent bulbs. One recent report pro-
jected a relatively anemic OLED light-
ing market in 2020, for example, with
annual sales of only $58 million; an-
other saw a considerably larger $4.6
billion market by 2016.
One thing we can say with a de-
gree of certainty: With their unique
features, including diffuse lighting,
flexibility and color tunability, OLEDs
will be more and more widely used in
designer lighting applications, where
cost may not be as important a factor
as it is with general lighting applica-
tions. Indeed, lighting designers are
already taking advantage of these
features to create a futuristic sort of look.
One example: Designer Ingo Maurer
produced the lighting project shown
here, dubbed Flying Future.
The DARPA Urban Challenge featured 11 driverless vehicle finalists competing in a race to complete a number
of maneuvers, including passing, parking and negotiating intersections, thus demonstrating the feasibility of
autonomous driving. Shown are Stanford Racing Teams and Team VictorTangos (Virginia Polytechnic Institute)
cars together at an intersection. Courtesy of DARPA.
Photo by Tom Vack, Munich.
Ingo Maurer GmbH, Munich.
2 0 1 2 W E B I N A R S E R I E S
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In-depth presentations and interactive
Q&A featuring top industry experts.
Coming in 2012!
FEBRUARY Communications
Speakers to include:
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Quantum Theory of Optical Communications
APRIL Defense & Security
JULY Medicine & Health
SEPTEMBER Solar
NOVEMBER Space
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Previous webinars
To access past Expert Briefing webinars, visit:
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112_WebinarAd_Pg97_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:16 AM Page 97
So-called smart cars simply will drive
more efficiently than humans do now,
using different and more sensible patterns
of accelerating and braking. At the same
time, vehicle-to-vehicle communication
through optical interconnects will enable
highway trains, with cars traveling very
close to one another at high speeds. This
could lead to fewer accidents with vehi-
cles slowing automatically if a car brakes
suddenly somewhere up ahead as well
as to increased fuel efficiency. Vehicle-
to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure
communication also could help reduce
congestion, facilitating a smooth flow of
traffic with an intricate ballet of cars,
trucks and pedestrians.
Even as optics-based and other tech-
nologies take over control, however,
driving in the future will involve a sort
of partnership between vehicle and
driver, with an ongoing dialogue between
the two about where theyre going and
how theyre getting there. Think of
the human as the backseat driver to the
car, Baer said.
For this reason, any technological
developments in autonomous driving
must be accompanied by research in
nontechnical areas such as driver-vehicle
interaction. How much information must
be exchanged between the people in the
car and the vehicle? If the car suddenly
starts to slow down, for instance, it will
have to explain itself to its passengers. At
Future Photonics
K
enneth McCauley, vice president of
sales, marketing and business devel-
opment at Konarka Technologies Inc. in
Lowell, Mass., rebuked me ever so slightly
when I asked him to describe what the
solar power landscape will look like 20
or 50 years from now.
The industry is difficult to predict year
to year, he said, so looking that far
ahead can be like a rocket scientist who
is a small fraction of a degree off in a
calculation: This small error replicated bil-
lions of miles downrange in the flight
path can leave you somewhere entirely
different from where you anticipated
ending up.
That said, he continued, I personally
believe that 20 to 50 years into the fu-
ture, and perhaps much earlier, distrib-
uted electrical (and other) power gener-
Stanfords Junior 2 uses an array of sophisticated
sensors to facilitate its fully autonomous driving.
Courtesy of Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab.
ation, much of it at point of use, will be-
come so ubiquitous that we will cease
to think of renewable energy as something
novel or unusual.
And just as well likely see flexible
OLED lighting integrated into architec-
tural and interior designs, he hopes
that well see flexible solar panels such
as Konarka Power Plastic technology,
based on a photoreactive polymer ma-
terial that can be printed or coated
onto flexible substrates using roll-to-roll
manufacturing integrated into auto-
mobile surfaces and building envelope
design elements, for instance. Such tech-
nology could serve in any application
where transparency, a color palette, light
weight, flexibility and off-angle energy
harvesting are useful design/perfor-
mance elements.
Bus Stops Powered by the Sun
Advances in organic photovoltaic technology allow for flexible solar panels, which suggest a range of novel
applications. Examples include a solar bus shelter (above) and the solar curtain that attaches to the outer
wall of a building. In the future, we could see much more of such solar panels incorporated into the design
of buildings and other structures. Image courtesy of Konarka Technologies. Photo by Ryan Hughes.
112_OptronicsCo_Pg99_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:14 AM Page 99
the same time, there must be an intuitive
means for the driver to communicate his
wishes to the car.
By 2030, 60 percent of the worlds
8 billion people will live in urban areas,
putting increasing strain on the cities pub-
lic infrastructures. With this in mind, Gen-
eral Motors has introduced in crowded
Shanghai, appropriately enough the EN-V
concept car, based on the two-wheeled
Segway platform. The EN-V, short for
electric networked-vehicle, can be driven
either manually or autonomously, the latter
by combining global positioning system
and vehicle-to-vehicle communication
and distance-sensing technologies. The
autonomous driving capability can help
reduce traffic congestion, and it even al-
lows for self-parking with the driver
hopping out wherever he or she needs to
be and the car zipping off to find the near-
est parking spot, returning when the driver
summons it using a smartphone applica-
tion.
Last year, the US Navy and Northrop Grumman
tested a laser system that could track and lase
moving targets, overcoming challenges including
atmospheric conditions and waves.
The future of maritime laser weapons
systems, as interpreted by an artist. The
actual emission wavelengths will be in the
infrared range, rather than the visible.
Courtesy of Northrop Grumman Corp.
Arm phaser banks
and photon torpedoes!
Admit it: When you think of weapons
of the future, you reflexively think of
lasers, dont you? Laser pistols. Laser
rifles. Huge, planet-killing laser cannons
housed in space stations the size of a small
moon. From Flash Gordon to Star Trek to
The Adventures of Pluto Nash, we have
been conditioned to identify the future of
weaponry almost exclusively with light
amplification by stimulated emission of
radiation.
But how plausible is this? Are we really
likely to see, 20 or even 50 years from
now, soldiers running around like Duke
and Roadblock from the G.I. Joe cartoon
of the 1980s, firing pulsed laser guns at all
the bad guys storming their secret base in
the New Mexico desert?
We almost surely will see laser weapons
in the future a number of systems are
being tested even as you read this but
they likely wont resemble those weve
seen in the movies and on TV. The notion
of lasers replacing bullets, for example, is
basically a fantasy, said David C. Brown,
founder, president and CTO of Halstead,
Pa.-based Snake Creek Lasers. Instead,
the applications envisioned for laser
weapons include mounting the weapons
on Humvees and other vehicles.
It may be some years even before some
of these systems are ready to be deployed.
Developers of the technology first will
need to address several major challenges,
including integrating the many components
of the weapons systems and managing the
thermal effects associated with doing so.
A variety of groups are looking at ways
to tackle these challenges. Some are grow-
ing thermoelectric coolers in the form of
thin films, others are probing the possibil-
ity of implementing massive microchannel
cooling, and still others Snake Creek
Lasers and MITs Lincoln Lab are pio-
neers here are exploring the potential
of cryogenic laser systems.
Brown and colleagues at Snake Creek
Lasers reported a high-sustained-average-
power continuous-wave and ultrafast
Yb:YAG near-diffraction-limited cryogenic
solid-state laser in the November 2010
issue of Optics Express. In demonstrations
of the laser, pulses exiting the system ex-
hibited a full-width half-maximum pulse
width of 12.4 ps, an energy per pulse of
15.2 J, peak power of 1.23 MW and aver-
age power >750 W.
The advantages of using such a system
are significant, Brown noted. One of
the benefits of the cryogenic technology,
especially with the Yb-based lasers, is that
they can be operated not only with high
average power and perfect beam quality,
but also with high average peak power.
Its kind of the ultimate laser weapon,
because now you have complete control
over not just the beam quality or the pro-
file, but also whether it is CW or pulsed.
Effects can be produced that cannot be by
CW-only operation.
Besides relatively portable laser wea-
pons systems facilitated by advances
such as these, the future will bring us
larger ship-based and airborne systems,
where thermal management is less of a
concern. Indeed, several are already
being tested.
Last year, for example, the US Navy and
Northrop Grumman Corp. demonstrated
a high-energy, solid-state laser defense
system at the Pacific Ocean Test Range
near San Nicolas Island off the coast of
central California. Installed on the Navys
self-defense test ship, the USS Paul Foster,
the system dubbed the Maritime Laser
Demonstrator (MLD) tracked and lased
land targets, then moved on to remotely
piloted, unmanned small boats cutting
across the water, successfully disabling
those as well.
The MLD system, operating at about
15 kW, was built leveraging the solid-state
laser technology that the company devel-
oped under the US Defense Departments
Joint High Power Solid State Laser pro-
gram, which demonstrated the ability to
lase at 100 kW of energy.
Dan Wildt, vice president of directed
energy systems at Northrop Grumman,
said: 100 kilowatts is a militarily signifi-
cant power level because it enables a
variety of force protection and strike mis-
sions, including self-defense from threats
as diverse as rockets, artillery, mortar
rounds, swarming boats, unmanned aerial
vehicles and aircraft. It can also enable
ultraprecision strikes from a variety of
ground-, sea- or air-based platforms, for
prosecution of enemy targets, while mini-
mizing the risk of collateral damage.
The open ocean tests also demonstrated
that the MLD can effectively operate in a
challenging maritime environment, over-
coming obstacles such as atmospheric con-
ditions, waves and the motions of both the
host and target vessels, while also meeting
precision tracking and beam delivery re-
quirements for self-defense.
If all this is conjuring up images of
Star Trek: Deep Space Nines Battle of
Wolf 359, where Commander Sisko loses
his beloved wife to the cybernetic Borg,
or of Freddie Prinze Jr. piloting the car-
rier Tiger Claw against the armada of
the catlike Kilrathi in the 1999 box-
office flop Wing Commander, well, that
wouldnt be too far off base.
Programs such as the MLD and the
Airborne Laser Test Bed suggest a future
where battles are fought with lasers
mounted on large, moving platforms,
targeting missiles and drones as well as
other craft with surgical precision.
It could happen. Indeed, it likely will
happen within our lifetimes.
gary.boas@photonics.com
Future Photonics
Researchers at Snake Creek Lasers are exploring the potential of cryogenic laser systems for military
applications. Shown is a cryogenic laser in ultrafast mode being converted using a noncritically
phase-matched LBO crystal, from 1029 nm in the infrared to 514.5 nm in the green. The company
demonstrated more than 200 W of average output power. Without any focusing, the beam drilled through
2 in. of firebrick in 3 s. Courtesy of Snake Creek Lasers.
Optics & Optics Fabrication
High-Resolution Board Lenses
Westech now offers eight-element board lenses for demanding high-MTF
applications. Focal lengths are from 2.1 mm with f/2 apertures. Most have
M12 0.5P threads and are available with or without IR cutoff. Other HR
lenses are available with four- or six-element designs. Apertures start at f/0.8.
Dont pay catalog prices for OEM optics. Call Westech.
(585) 377-2490
jcarlino@westechoptical.com
www.westechoptical.com
Optical Metrology
Metrology Concepts introduces several new surface and
wavefront measurement products. Applications include lathe
calibration, injection molding, and form measurement of
flats, spheres, conics and aspheres. Optical alignment and
wavefront validated from the UV to the LWIR.
Please visit our website for more details.
(585) 427-9155
info@metrologyconcepts.com
www.metrologyconcepts.com
Precision Optical Spanner Wrenches
New SPRO adjustable spanner wrenches are designed for strength, rigidity
and safe operation. The SPRO wrench guide feature prevents disengagement,
protecting valuable optical equipment from damage. Interchangeable flat or
round tip bits are hardened and tempered tool steel, available in a variety of
sizes. SPRO-100 spanner: 9 to 132 mm; SPRO-200 spanner in three models:
9 to 185 mm, 9 to 325 mm and 9 to 510 mm.
(520) 722-9145
info@fittoolsinc.com
www.fittoolsinc.com
InGaAs Detector Series
Andors iDus InGaAs detector series provides the most optimized platform for
spectroscopy applications up to 2.2 m. The TE-cooled, in-vacuum sensors
reach cooling temperatures of 90 C, where best signal-to-noise ratio can be
achieved. Indeed, dark current will improve moderately below 90 C, where
scene blackbody radiation will dominate, while quantum efficiency of the iDus
InGaAs sensor will be greatly impacted at these lower temperatures and will
lead to a lower signal-to-noise ratio.
+44 28 9023 7126
marketing@andor.com
www.andor.com/ingaas
Precision Optics and Filters
DSI is a premier global supplier of precision optics and the most durable
thin-film coatings available. We provide turnkey optical solutions for
the photonics industry. Our new IR narrow-bandpass (IR NBP) filters
and long-wave pass (LWP) filters made with our patented MicroDyn
sputtering process increase abrasion resistance relative to evaporated films.

Applications include advanced gas sensing, FLIR imaging, medical imaging,
biological sciences and spectroscopy.
(707) 573-6785
solutions@depsci.com
http://depsci.com
112_Spotlight_Layout 1 1/6/12 9:03 AM Page 102
Unparalleled HP Sodium Light Controllers
Mercrons unique line of sodium light controllers (ballasts) precisely regulates
this most powerful, most rugged, most efficient light source used in machine
vision inspection systems. High-pressure sodium lamps vie in longevity with
LEDs and simply cant be beat in B&W applications. Available in five models,
ranging from 150 to 575 W and 120 or 230 VAC, all with an onboard power
factor corrector.
(972) 690-6565
technical.director@
mercron.com
http://mercron.com/
hpSodium.php
Complete Turnkey Solutions
PG&O supplies complete in-house turnkey optics solutions, including
precision and commercial components, thin-film coatings, fabrication
and a large, readily available inventory of glass. Products include windows,
mirrors, prisms and assembled optics from square, rectangular and circular
parts to complex shapes and precision optical prisms. Ideal for military/
defense, avionics displays, medical, life sciences, imaging, digital cinema,
solar, industrial and astronomy applications.
(714) 540-0126
info@pgo.com
www.pgo.com
Manufacture of Low-Loss Optical Filters in the UV
The Leybold Optics HELIOS has demonstrated its ability to manufacture
low-loss UV coatings for 193- and 248-nm wavelengths. HELIOS uses
the PARMS (plasma-assisted reactive magnetron sputtering) deposition
technique in conjunction with direct optical monitoring to produce smooth,
highly stable, shift-free optical filters. Coatings for UV applications include
a 51-layer laser mirror for 193 nm and a 90-layer multiple cavity bandpass
filter for 212 nm. Both filters use aluminum and silicon oxides. In separate
experiments, a co-sputtering technique was used to optimize the stress and
losses in hafnium oxide films for 248-nm applications. The stress in the mixed
films was reduced by a factor of 8 compared with single layers.
(919) 657-7119
phil.hatchett@leyboldoptics.com
www.leyboldoptics.com
FluoroSRCH Mobile Fluorochrome Reference Guide
Use your smartphone QR reader to learn more about FluoroSRCH, the free
mobile fluorochrome reference guide from Chroma Technology. Available
now for iPhone
, Android
and Blackberrry
. Search and browse hundreds of

fluorochromes by wavelength, by A-Z list or by keyword. View spectral graphs
for fluorochromes and their recommended Chroma
filter sets. Share your

search results instantly by email.
(800) 824-7662
sales@chroma.com
chroma.com
Hybrid LaserTable-Base
Vibration Cancellation
The latest addition to TMCs STACIS
iX product line is the LaserTable-Base
hybrid piezoelectric/air active vibration cancellation system for optical tables.

It combines TMCs patented STACIS technology and air into one integrated
system to cancel vibration at both very low and high frequencies. The result
is unprecedented levels of vibration isolation for the most sensitive research
on the most severe floors.
(800) 542-9725
sales@techmfg.com
www.techmfg.com
Automatic Centering Machine with Robot
Model SPCM-M1-AT50 from Mildex centers and bevels lenses or plano
workpieces in a fully automatic cycle, including loading and unloading of
the workpieces by robot. The machine has two integrated lens holding pallets.
Depending upon lens size, up to 600 lenses can be loaded for automatic
processing. Once processing parameters are set by the operator, the machine
can run uninterrupted for four to eight hours. The small footprint saves
factory floor space.
(585) 473-6540
info@mildex.com
www.mildex.com
NEW: High-Definition Spectrum Analyzer
The new high-definition spectrum analyzer is designed to measure the entire
spectral range, from 400 to 900 nm, at once, while analyzing emission spectra
of any complexity. Our solid-state technology, with no moving parts, enables
the HDSA to measure CW and pulsed light sources with absolute accuracy at
3 GHz! Once again, demonstrating leading technology!
(585) 657-6663
sales@toptica-usa.com
www.toptica.com
112_Find the Right Vendor_Pg105_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:17 AM Page 105
106
Data Analysis Software
Menlo Systems GmbH is taking orders for the
Tera-Lyzer terahertz (THz) data evaluation
software developed by LyTera. It enables ad-
vanced data analysis and brings terahertz
time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) experiments
to the next level. It is for the extraction of
sample thickness, enabling investigation of
sub-100-m samples without the need for a
differential measuring setup. Simultaneously,
complex terahertz material parameters of the sample are determined, allowing for a variety
of substances. Another feature enables analysis of multilayer systems in a standard THz-TDS
setup, opening the door for new experiments. TeraLyzer incorporates multistep procedures
where, in a first step, the experimental THz-TDS data is imported into a time-domain pre-
processor, minimizing jitter and amplitude drift-induced errors, removing signal offsets and
offering windowing functionality.
Menlo Systems GmbH
sales@menlosystems.com
LED Evaluation Services
Cree Inc. has unveiled its Tempo (thermal,
electrical, mechanical, photometric and
optical) services, a comprehensive set of
quantitative and qualitative tests and analyses
for LED-based lighting fixtures and lamps. The
services combine the companys experience with
customer LED systems and calibrated test equip-
ment to provide LED lighting manufacturers and
end users with confidence in product designs.
They help lighting OEMs speed time to market
and overcome common design challenges. The
flagship service is the Tempo 21, a LED lumi-
naire test that measures and analyzes a final product design before submitting it for LM-79
certification. Tempo 21 examines all aspects of quality that the company has identified as
critical. Test results and performance data are provided through the Tempo report.
Cree Inc.
info@cree.com
Intracavity Mirror Coating
Ophir Optronics Ltd. has announced that the CO
2
Laser Optics Div. of its Optics Group has de-
veloped an MMR-P intracavity mirror coating
for use in high-power CO
2
laser systems
based on multimirror-cavity optics. The
company says that the coating maximizes
reflection (>99.90% for S-Pol), improves
performance, protects highly sensitive
mirror surfaces and prolongs product life.
The OEM-approved coating provides
good P reflection (>99.80%) and total
random reflection (>99.85%) and is suit-
able for Cu and Si mirrors. It is ultraviolet-
resistant and allows for a phase-shift toler-
ance of 2 at 45 and >70% reflection for
630 to 670 nm, for good cutting and cleaning
capabilities. It can be used as a total reflector or
as a zero-phase-shift total reflector and can be applied to a level-changing
mirror in two-tiered resonator systems.
Ophir Optronics Ltd.
info@ophiropt.com
Readout Circuit
The NSC1101 from New Imaging Technologies is a high-dynamic-range readout circuit that
interfaces with photodiode arrays through flip chip bonding. In VGA format, it has 640 512
pixels with a 15-m pitch. It can accept a photodiode array with p-on-n or n-on-p. Because of
its proprietary Native Wide Dynamic Range of more than 120 dB, the sensor does not require
any setting or exposure time control. It can be used with all infrared sensing materials,
including InSb, InGaAs and HgCdTe, and it can operate at a cryogenic temperature of 80 K.
Another photosensing material that can be used is AsGa for terahertz and x-ray detection.
The sampling stage can be ordered in an 8-in.-wafer form.
New Imaging Technologies
info@new-imaging-technologies.com
Fiber Lasers
NKT Photonics A/S has launched high-power Koheras BoostiK single-
mode and single-frequency fiber lasers that offer up to 15-W output with
low phase noise and an ultranarrow linewidth for applications in atomic
physics, sensing, metrology, and light detection and ranging. Fiber
monolithic and maintenance-free, they are supplied in an industrially
rugged air-cooled package that can handle 24/7 operation in laboratory
and industrial environments. They provide up to 10 W at 1.55 m and
15 W at 1.06 m, produce low phase and intensity noise, and are burst
noise- and mode-hop-free. Many wavelengths are available, and fast
tuning enables external stabilization. Applications include quantum op-
tics/computing and phenomena, nonlinear optics pumping, laser-based
metrology, and optical heterodyning and coherent communication.
NKT Photonics A/S
fiber_sales@nktphotonics.com
Acquisition Drivers for Camera
Andor Technology plc has introduced acquisition drivers
for its Neo scalable CMOS (sCMOS) camera within the
Meta Imaging series of software for live-cell microscopy
from Molecular Devices Inc. The drivers support Andors
new camera technology within the Metamorph and
Metamorph NX microscopy software platforms. The
ultrasensitive, high-speed Neo sCMOS is a new tech-
nology suited to live-cell imaging and offering a combi-
nation of 1 e
read noise at 30 fps, a 5.5-megapixel

sensor with a 6.5-m pixel size and dual amplifier tech-
nology for extended dynamic range performance. The
MetaMorph software suite from Molecular Devices is
used in the bioresearch imaging community. Neo is sup-
ported in Metamorph version 7.7.5 and in Metamorph
NX, and drivers for each are available for purchase
from Andor.
Andor Technology plc
marketing@andor.com
IDEAS
BRIGHT
112_Bright Idea Leads_Layout 1 1/6/12 9:04 AM Page 106

Multidetector Accessory
International Light Technologies (ILT) has
launched the A803 multiplexer/data logger
input accessory designed for its ILT1700 re-
search radiometer. The device enables the ra-
diometer to collect and record light measure-
ment data from up to eight ILT detectors. Many
combinations of detectors can be used and can
be remotely mounted with custom cable lengths
of up to 100 ft. The included software displays
data in real time on a PC and can be exported
to text or spreadsheet formats for further analy-
sis in external software. A typical system in-
cludes the A803, the ILT1700 with a USB con-
nector, up to eight ILT detectors and a com-
puter. Multiple-detector light measurement ap-
plications include photostability (photodegrada-
tion), germicidal (UV disinfection), solar radia-
tion, phototherapy light source monitoring and
plant growth (photobiology).
International Light Technologies (ILT)
ilsales@intl-lighttech.com
1-Megapixel CCD Cameras
Point Grey Research Inc. has unveiled the
Grasshopper Express GX-FW series IEEE 1394b
(FireWire-b) digital cameras. The series has the
same compact housing as the original Grass-
hopper and offers new features and a new
hardware architecture designed to accommo-
date a variety of high-speed quad-tap image
sensors. The first available model, the GX-FW-
10K3M-C, uses a monochrome version of the
Kodak KAI-01050 1-megapixel -in. CCD
image sensor. The sensor features a broad
dynamic range, low smear and a four-output
readout architecture that allows the camera to
generate 1024 1024-pixel images at up to
70 fps. Every Grasshopper Express camera is
equipped with a 32-MB frame buffer, a 14-bit
analog-to-digital converter, and onboard tem-
perature and power sensors to monitor camera
status.
Point Grey Research Inc.
info@ptgrey.com
Raman Spectrometers
Hamamatsu Corp. has introduced two miniature
Raman spectrometers. The C11713CA and
C11714CA offer spectral resolution of 0.3 nm
and high throughput for Raman spectroscopy
and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
They comprise a back-thinned CCD image sen-
sor, a driver circuit and optical elements includ-
ing a quartz transmission grating. There are no
moving parts, so stable measurements are ob-
tained at all times. The back-thinned CCD has
low etaloning, decreasing the chance of fluctua-
tions in sensitivity. The C11713CAs CCD image
sensor has 2048 pixels and sensitivity from 500
to 600 nm, while the C11714CAs has 1024
pixels and 790- to 920-nm sensitivity. The spec-
trometers measure 120 60 70 mm, making
them easy to integrate into equipment. They
feature a slit size of 10 1000 m.
Hamamatsu Corp.
usa@hamamatsu.com
Imaging System
UVP LLC has announced that the BioSpectrum
imaging system is now configured with the new
MegaCam 810 scientific-grade CCD camera.
Designed for a wide range of proteomics and
genomics research applications, the camera
enables enhanced imaging with dynamic 8.1-
megapixel resolution and high sensitivity. It
captures fluorescence gel images and chemi-
luminescent Western blots, and its efficient
ultracooled technology enables imaging of low-
light blot emissions. The BioSpectrums Vision-
Works LS software allows easy navigation with
simple one-touch controls for dynamic capture.
The automated configuration enables selection
of multiple UV, white and blue light sources as
well as control of the motorized platform and
choice of emission filters, including EtBr, SYBR
Green and SYBR Gold as standard, set in a
motorized five-position filter tray.
UVP LLC
info@uvp.com
Machine Vision Lasers
The FlexPoint MVmicro and FlexPoint MVpico
series machine vision lasers manufactured by
Laser Components GmbH are line lasers for
image processing. The MVmicro models, devel-
oped for stand-alone applications, measure
19 mm in diameter and are 65 mm long. The
MVpico devices, suited for integration into smart
cameras, measure 10 mm in diameter and are
50 mm long. Both are available at different
wavelengths and deliver output power from a
few milliwatts up to 100 mW. Due to a special
measurement process, the MVmicro and MVpico
lasers are classified in a lower class, meaning
that they are available with more power and
still meet laser Class 2 or 2M specifications.
Laser Components GmbH
info@lasercomponents.com
3-D Video Tracker
Specialised Imaging Ltd. has revealed a new
107
b BRIGHT IDEAS
112_Bright Ideas_Layout 1 1/6/12 9:53 AM Page 107
version of its Trajectory Tracker video tracking
system to precisely correlate high-speed video
data with 3-D visualization and measurement
information. Designed to enable engineers and
ballisticians to fully understand the flight behav-
ior of high-speed objects, the SI Tracker 2 builds
upon the performance of its predecessor with
new facility for fully motorized three-axis remote
control, pseudo-real-time scan correction and
greater accuracy, all in a compact, lightweight
frame. Designed to house modern high-speed
video cameras, the SI Tracker 2 offers durability
and ease of use. It provides consistent and ac-
curate tracking of objects in flight using a com-
puter-controlled triggered rotating mirror posi-
tioned in front of a high-speed video camera.
Specialised Imaging Ltd.
info@specialised-imaging.com
Laser Beam Profiler
Cinogy Technologies GmbHs CinCam CMOS is
a laser beam profiling system that features an
ultracompact 1.3-megapixel CMOS sensor and
Ray-Ci beam profiling software. It provides ac-
curate and fast laser beam analysis of continu-
ous-wave and pulsed laser systems, with sensi-
tivity from 350 to 1100 nm. The Ray-Ci software
offers ISO standards and complex analysis, such
as M
2
measurements. The CMOS-1201 model
has a -in. sensor with an active area of 6.7
5.3 mm and a pixel size of 5.2 5.2 m. The
filter-mount camera outputs 8- or 10-bit pixel
depth and has a dynamic range of >61 dB. Ex-
posure time is from 100 s to 1 s. The CMOS-
1202 version has a 1/1.8-in. sensor and an ac-
tive area of 6.8 5.4 mm. Pixel size is 5.3
5.3 m, dynamic range is >62 dB, and expo-
sure time is from 50 s to 1 s.
Cinogy Technologies GmbH
info@axiomoptics.com
Laser Diffusers
Holo/Or Ltd. has announced the HM series
high-homogeneity laser diffusers. They are de-
signed to generate a well-defined beam shape
square, round or any other user choice with
a statistically uniform intensity profile. They
work with either single- or multimode beams,
and incoherent mode overlap further increases
output homogeneity. For single-mode lasers,
the TH (top-hat) product line is an optimal solu-
tion for absolute pixel-to-pixel beam uniformity.
The series can be designed for a variety of dif-
fusion angles and for any wavelength in the
ultraviolet to 10.6-m spectrum. Other features
include a high damage threshold and high tol-
erance to misalignment and input beam quality.
Holo/Or Ltd.
holoor@holoor.co.il
Confocal Software
Vortran Laser Technology Inc. has completed
verification of its Stradus laser functionality with
Manager open source software that controls
confocal microscope systems. The software al-
lows the user to perform common microscope
image acquisition protocols such as time lapses,
multichannel imaging, Z-stacks and other com-
binations of techniques. It works with micro-
scopes from Leica, Nikon, Olympus and Zeiss.
The flexibility and functionality of the Stradus
laser module allow it to function seamlessly with
this software. The Vortran Stradus-GUI software
gives complete control of the laser to the user,
who can adjust power, monitor key parameters
and perform custom program scripts.
Vortran Laser Technology Inc.
sales@vortranlaser.com
CMOS Cameras
For fast and efficient automated optical inspec-
tion of solar wafers, Baumer Ltd. USA has intro-
duced its HXC20NIR and HXC40NIR CMOS
cameras, which measure electroluminescence
and deliver high sensitivity in the near-infrared
spectrum. The company says that the cameras
are twice as sensitive as monochrome technol-
ogy at 900 nm, using electroluminescence to ef-
fectively detect fractures and failures in the crys-
tal structure of the solar wafer. The images
produced yield information on the effectiveness
and structural integrity of each wafer prior to
the next processing step. The HXC40NIR model
offers 2048 2048-pixel resolution with a 1:1
aspect ratio. The HXC20NIR produces 2048
1018-pixel resolution.
Baumer Ltd. USA
sales.us@baumer.com
Infrared Cameras
Jenoptik AGs enhanced VarioCam camera se-
ries is available with image resolutions ranging
from 320 240 to 1280 960 infrared pixels
108
b BRIGHT IDEAS
and can be delivered in the equipment pack-
ages head, basic, inspect and research.
The uncooled cameras feature thermal resolu-
tion of better than 0.03 K and deliver high
measurement accuracy. Multiple upgrade op-
tions are available. The acquisition and thermal
image synchronous storing of global positioning
system coordinates at the cameras location in-
crease the efficiency for planning and process-
ing extensive inspections. Another feature, de-
signed for comprehensive building inspection,
is the determination of dew points.
Jenoptik AG
infraredtechnology.dcs@jenoptik.com
Stepper Motor Drive
The Idea stepper motor drive platform from
Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions Inc. now commu-
nicates using an RS-485 data protocol that
overcomes the limitations of other methods,
rendering the drive module suitable for indus-
trial applications. The advantages of RS-485,
especially for industrial equipment such as step-
per drives, motor drives and servo systems, are
its long data transmissions and immunity to
electrical noise. It uses differential signal lines
for limiting common mode noise coupling and
twisted pair cabling for cancelling out induced
noise current, enabling the stepper motor drive
to communicate over a network of 1000 ft with-
out termination resistors. The system architec-
ture allows up to 256 addressable device nodes.
The platform is small and RoHS-compliant.
Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions Inc.
info.haydonkerk@ametek.com
Microscopy Illumination
Prior Scientific Inc. has released LumenLED, an
illumination system for fluorescence microscopy.
It offers two modes of operation. In constant
light mode, a photodiode provides a closed-
loop feedback mechanism to ensure short- and
long-term stability of illumination intensity, es-
sential for quantitative experiments. For more
general imaging applications, constant current
mode assures maximum illumination intensity.
The modular system is based on a two- or four-
position LED combiner directly coupled to the
fluorescence port of the microscope to maximize
light efficiency and to avoid the light loss associ-
ated with fiber guides. The system can be
mounted onto most major manufacturers in-
verted or upright microscopes using the appro-
priate adapters. Up to 10 LED modules are
available, mounted in the combiner and provid-
ing up to four LED wavelengths.
Prior Scientific Inc.
ddoherty@prior.com
AFM Automation Software
Asylum Researchs MFP-3D and Cypher atomic
force microscopes (AFMs) require no program-
ming to perform advanced imaging and meas-
urements. For more advanced, automated and
out-of-the-box experiments, the company pro-
vides Igor, a user-driven programming lan-
guage. The new MacroBuilder interface allows
users to easily implement Igor customization
without writing any code, by simply dragging
MacroBuilder modules together to form macros
that automate many measurements and analy-
ses, and that can be saved and used repeatedly.
Each module performs a specific operation,
such as moving the tip to a position, collecting
thermal data or displaying the next saved force
plot. Automation can range from simple tasks
such as making a sequence of measurements
to more sophisticated procedures in which the
MacroBuilder software makes intelligent deci-
sions.
Asylum Research
terry@asylumresearch.com
3-D Sensor
Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH has launched
the Comet 5 Eco sensor for high-precision 3-D
digitization. The modular construction makes it
adaptable to various measuring field sizes and
enables individual configuration for specific
measuring tasks. The sensor is designed to
meet the increasing demands of industrial pro-
duct development and quality assurance. Com-
bining efficiency with user comfort, it features
higher measuring speed than its predecessor,
b BRIGHT IDEAS
Comet 5. Data acquisition times for digitization
tasks are six times shorter with the CometPlus
software, and the measuring speed is four times
faster. The speed is an advantage in measuring
in a vibration-prone industrial environment. The
use of the latest computer hardware and soft-
ware enables fast postprocessing of the mea-
sured data. The sensor operates over a wide
temperature range and features high stability.
Steinbichler Optotechnik GmbH
c.papsdorf@steinbichler.de
Single-Board Cameras
Matrix Vision GmbHs single-board camera
family, mvBlueFOX-MLC, is now available with
a housing. Named the mvBlueFOX-IGC (indus-
trial-grade compact), the series includes two
models with two different back planes. The first
model features one mini USB interface, and the
second, a further circular connector for the digi-
tal inputs and outputs. For both connectors, the
company provides a choice of cables of various
lengths, including bent and lockable versions,
and versions suitable for drag chains. The hard-
ware features are the same in the MLC and the
IGC. There are CMOS sensors from wide VGA
up to 5 megapixels, with global or rolling shut-
ter, and C- and CS-mount lens holders are
available. For industrial integration, 1/1 opto-
isolated digital inputs are offered. The cameras
feature automatic gain and exposure control.
Matrix Vision GmbH
info@matrix-vision.de
Handheld Raman Spectrometer
B&W Tek Inc. has launched the NanoRam, a
handheld instrument for materials identification
and verification within facilities that are compli-
ant with current good manufacturing practices.
It is a compact Raman spectrometer and inte-
grated computing system based on an open-
systems architecture design that can support a
variety of applications in multiple industries.
Designed for nonspecialists, it operates single-
handedly. The device enables pharmaceutical
customers to deploy instruments in volume
among different sites and to efficiently analyze
active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients
and drug products as part of a manufacturing
and quality process. It allows rapid development
of standardized and validated methods to facili-
tate 100% inspection for purity and quality, as
mandated by government regulators within op-
erational guidelines provided by US and inter-
national pharmacopeia.
B&W Tek Inc.
sales@bwtek.com
Spectrometer Software
Ocean Optics Inc. has expanded its software of-
ferings with the launch of Overture, a free spec-
trometer operating platform for simple data and
spectral collection. It is geared to users new to
spectroscopy or to those who do not require the
more advanced features of the companys Spec-
traSuite software. For use with most of the com-
panys spectrometers, Overtures standard func-
tions include absorbance, transmission, emis-
sion and intensity modes. Integration time and
other spectrometer operating parameters are
controlled via an intuitive user interface with
icons and setup wizards. The 32-/64-bit Win-
dows-compatible system allows users to manip-
ulate how data is displayed using tools such as
smoothing, snapshot and zoom, and it permits
simultaneous viewing of two graphs for compar-
ison.
Ocean Optics Inc.
info@oceanoptics.com
Bandwidth Enhancer
Enterprise, campus and dispersed data center
network expansions increasingly extend fiber
links directly to the end user. Cube Optics AG
has recognized the need to upgrade bandwidths
and to implement 40- and 100-Gb/s links,
110
b
Breakthrough, practical,
energy-saving solutions for
OEM customers worldwide!
(/(&752237,&$/352'8&76&253
TEL: (718) 456-6000 FAX: (718) 456-6050 www.EOPC.com
Sub-Miniature Scanners:
The SmaIIest
Non-MEMs Scanners
Tuning Fork
Choppers
OpticaI, X-ray
Low Cost Laser
Safety Shutters
Motorized FiIter
SeIectors
Products are suitable for long life dedicated applications, OEM,
built into an instrument or portable systems.
Scanners & Deectors
Resonant Scanners
Beam Deectors
Scanning Systems
X,Y Raster Scanners
Choppers & ModuIators
Tuning Fork Choppers
Low Frequency Choppers
Rotating Choppers
AO & EO ModuIators
AOTF
Chopping Systems
ModuIating Systems
Products You Trust ... Performance You Deserve ... Prices You Expect
BRIGHT IDEAS
See us at Photonics West, January 24-26, 2012, Booth #2533
while participating in setting the IEEE 802.3ba
standard for pluggable 40- and 100-G trans-
ceivers. The Network Cube optical layer multi-
plexing solutions are a means of adding needed
bandwidth while preserving continuous and un-
encumbered operation of legacy services. In-
stalling the new 40- and 100-G Base-LR4 trans-
ceivers over existing multiple 10-Gb/s dense
wavelength division multiplexing metro links
defeats the intended bandwidth augmentation,
leading to a bandwidth decrease.
Cube Optics AG
krueger@cubeoptics.com
Terahertz Spectrometer
Emcore Corp. has released its PB7200 portable
frequency domain terahertz spectrometer for re-
searchers and application developers who need
to study the properties of materials at terahertz
frequencies with high resolution. Key applica-
tions are explosives characterization and detec-
tion, and nondestructive materials inspection.
The spectrometer can sweep from 100 GHz to
>2 THz in a single rapid scan with high-fre-
quency resolution. It uses precisely tuned fiber-
coupled semiconductor lasers with photomixers
for signal generation and detection, and it fea-
tures sophisticated digital control hardware and
software to provide a fully turnkey portable in-
strument. The spectrometer can support single-
or broadband-frequency-range operation in
specific spectral regions of interest with varying
degrees of resolution.
Emcore Corp.
specialty-sales@emcore.com
LED Prototypes for Headlights
Osram Opto Semiconductors has developed two
LED prototypes for headlight manufacturers that
combine new chip and package technologies to
provide high light output, even at high currents;
a uniform light pattern; thermal stability; and a
good contrast ratio. The Oslon Black Flat is
equipped with a ceramic converter and a quad
flat no-lead package. Typical thermal resistance
is 5 K/W. The black package represents high
stability because the coefficient of thermal ex-
pansion of the LED matches that of the metal
core board. The flattop, lens-free design is suit-
able for the close coupling required for light-
guide designs. The Ostar Headlamp Pro meets
a variety of requirements in terms of output and
adaptability to ambient conditions.
Osram Opto Semiconductors
support@osram-os.com
Frame Grabber
Epix Inc.s PIXCI E8 frame grabber supports fast
Camera Link cameras and more than 900 ex-
tended, full, medium, base, dual-base and
power over Camera Link configurations. The in-
strument offers 64-bit addressing, enabling cap-
ture of images to terabytes of computer memory
or disk drives. Multiple PIXCI E8 frame grabbers
can be used in a computer to capture from mul-
111
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tiple cameras or to capture from cameras with
more than two Camera Link connectors. The
frame grabber is supplied with the XCAP-Lite
imaging program.
Epix Inc.
sales@epixinc.com
Wedge Prism Pairs
REO is offering a family of matched Risley
(wedge) prism pairs to enable high-accuracy
laser beam steering in military, industrial and
instrumentation applications. Beam steering ac-
curacy with the coated optics is dependent upon
close matching of the prisms in a pair. The com-
pany matches prism pair wedge angles to <0.5
arcsec and bulk material indices of refraction,
and controls internal coating layer stresses to
guarantee that the deposition process does not
degrade the transmitted wavefront perform-
ance, which is specified at </10 at 632.8 nm.
The Risley prism pairs also feature low scatter,
low-loss surfaces with 10-5 scratch-dig surface
quality to maximize throughput and laser dam-
age threshold.
REO
markd@reoinc.com
Plasma System
Plasma Etch has introduced a plasma system
that incorporates two individual plasma etch-
ing/cleaning-type-mode technologies into one
complete stand-alone plasma etching/cleaning
system. The PE-100 Convertible allows the user
to switch between reactive ion etch anisotropic-
type etching mode applications and isotropic-
type etching/cleaning mode applications. The
system is suitable for use in research and devel-
opment, medical devices, solar cells, optics,
printed circuit boards, microelectromechanical
systems, nanotechnology, life sciences, wafer
level packaging and laboratory applications
as well as many other related semiconductor
processes.
Plasma Etch
sales@plasmaetch.com
UV Centrifuge Cell Windows
Sapphire and single-crystal quartz cell windows
for Beckman and other centrifuges are available
from Meller Optics Inc. The windows are made
from sapphire to resist chemicals and scratching
and to withstand high pressure. The single-crys-
tal quartz types are for less demanding applica-
tions. Measuring 19.03 0.03 mm in diameter
and 0.5 mm 0.10 mm thick, the ultraviolet
cell windows are scribed on their edges with the
projection of the optic axis to simplify align-
ment. Suitable for OEM and replacement appli-
cations, they are available wedged 1 or 2 and
plano, with chamfers 0.20/0 mm/0.50 mm
45 in two places. Surface finishes are 30-5
scratch-dig for sapphire windows and 10-5 for
single-crystal quartz, within a central clear aper-
ture of 16 mm.
Meller Optics Inc.
sales@melleroptics.com
Thermal Imaging Camera
The SC660 thermal imaging camera manufac-
tured by Flir Advanced Thermal Solutions offers
good thermal and visual image quality, spot
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size resolution and temperature measurement
accuracy. Suitable for laboratory, engineering
and field applications, it includes a high-defini-
tion 640 480-pixel infrared detector that de-
livers high sensitivity and high resolution. Pro-
prietary dynamic detail enhancement tech-
nology improves the sharpness of thermal im-
ages. An integrated 3.2-megapixel digital video
camera aids in data presentation. Infrared and
visual images can be stored in standard jpeg
formats. A 5.6-in. wide-screen LCD enables
easy on-camera viewing of images. Using a
FireWire interface, the SC660 can transfer 14-
bit radiometric data directly onto high-capacity
SD cards or to a PC for real-time analysis of
captured images.
Flir Advanced Thermal Solutions
sales@flir.com
Shape Analysis Library
The SAL3D enhanced 3D Shape Analysis Library
from Aqsense SL is a standard software library
for range maps and cloud-of-points acquisition
and processing, fully oriented to 3-D machine
vision applications such as quality assurance,
surface inspection, object detection, reverse en-
gineering and volume measuring. The angular
tool enables easy calibration for rotating cam-
era-laser systems, providing a way to integrate
vision systems on robotic arms or angular
movement arrangements. It can be further im-
proved with the new lens distortion add-on for
metric and angular metric calibration, which
corrects the distortion introduced by the cam-
eras lens. The area tool module computes the
volume of a scanned object, and the geometric
tool provides functions such as angle measure-
ment and plane fitting.
Aqsense SL
info@aqsense.com
Scientific CMOS Camera
For high-speed live-cell fluorescence imaging,
QImaging has announced the Rolera Bolt scien-
tific CMOS camera. Designed for low-light ap-
plications, it is suited for biomedical imaging as
more research moves toward live-cell and
whole-organism studies at video frame rates.
This includes motility studies where dynamic
events (e.g., zebra fish heart contractions,
C. elegans tracking) must be captured with high
spatial and temporal resolution. The camera
also is suitable for life sciences applications that
use fluorescent labeling, such as immunofluo-
rescence, ratiometric imaging, high-speed cal-
cium imaging, time-lapse fluorescence and fluo-
rescence in situ hybridization. It also performs
machine vision and industrial imaging. Features
include a high-quantum-efficiency 1.3-
megapixel sensor with 3.63 3.63-m pixel
size, read noise of about 3 e
and 30-fps full-

resolution simultaneous readout.
QImaging
rlear@chempetitive.com
Thickness Measurement
Lumetrics Inc. has begun shipment of its
LumetriScan fully automated noncontact thick-
ness measurement system for the medical in-
dustry. The LumetriScan 360 can be used on
medical tubing up to 36 in. long, and on bal-
loons of almost any size. The system is intended
to reduce inspection and scrap costs, improve
yields and satisfy FDA requirements. Data ob-
tained from the system ensures higher quality
and more consistent products and improves
safety, according to the company. The system
allows a product to be rotated 360 and scans
the length of an item, mapping the thickness of
the entire body. The technique can be used to
take a series of measurements along the length
of a medical balloon at multiple pressures.
Lumetrics Inc.
sheveron-smith@lumetrics.com
Right-Angle Prisms
Edmund Optics TechSpec broadband antireflec-
tion (BBAR)-coated right-angle prisms are suit-
able for use with low-power lasers for a variety
of applications. Exhibiting a ray deviation of
90, they feature tight tolerances and a preci-
sion N-BK7 substrate. When compared with un-
coated or metallized right-angle prisms, those
b BRIGHT IDEAS
with BBAR coating greatly improve transmission
efficiency. They are used most often to bend
image paths or to redirect light at a 90 angle.
They also can be used in combination for
image/beam displacement applications. Broad-
band coatings enable the prisms to be used in
applications that employ multiple low-power
lasers. They are available in numerous sizes
and multiple BBAR coatings to meet customer
needs.
Edmund Optics
sales@edmundoptics.com
Laser Turnkey System
Integrated with the AL1500W or AL600W laser
directly on the gantry, the X-Y-Z laser turnkey
system manufactured by Alkras LLC includes a
Dell desktop computer preconfigured with CAD
and driver software as well as a secure steel
cabinet with access to computer, monitor and
keyboard. Integrated with the AL1500W CO
2
laser, the system offers low maintenance and
high reliability. Its cost is comparable to that of
water jet or plasma cutting systems. It can han-
dle heavy-duty operation with precision cutting
of sheets and pipes for processing materials
such as metals, woods, plastics, ceramics and
glass. The AL1500W produces high-quality edge
cuttings for construction steel up to 10 mm
thick, stainless steel up to 5 mm thick and
aluminum up to 4 mm thick.
Alkras LLC
akrasnov@alkras.com
Inspection Camera
Teledyne Dalsas BOA Pro smart camera has
advanced Sherlock inspection software for in-
dustrial inspection applications. The compact
vision camera provides an interface that offers
maximum design flexibility, a field-proven tool
set, a JavaScript-based scripting tool, flexible in-
dustrial communications and support for custom
operator interfaces. It also offers a full-featured
off-line emulator, a small form factor suitable
for tight-fit applications and an IP67 enclosure
that withstands harsh environments.
Teledyne Dalsa
sales.americas@teledynedalsa.com
Systems Processor
LaserLinc has introduced Linc, a processor de-
signed for integration with laser and ultrasonic
measurement systems. Its connectors, for all
system input/outputs, are conveniently located
on the back of the unit for scanning laser mi-
crometers, encoder input and the UltraGauge+
wall thickness system. Adding Linc to one of the
companys measurement and control packages
results in a turnkey system that can be installed
cleanly and quickly. The processor includes de-
tachable screw terminals for digital inputs, relay
outputs, and analog input and output. It uses
standard computer components and runs on
proprietary Total Vu software. Other options in-
clude dual-video output, dual-LAN ports (with
UltraGauge+ installations), internal 24-VDC
114
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www.lacroixoptical.com
870-698-1881 Batesville, AR

ISO 9001:2008
ITAR Registered and Compliant

870-698-1881 Batesville, AR
ACHROMATS
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BRIGHT IDEAS
power and fault-tolerant storage. Mounting kits
include rack, DIN-rail, handles and rubber feet.
LaserLinc
info@laserlinc.com
Ultrafast Laser
Vitara from Coherent Inc. is a widely tunable
one-box ultrafast laser that delivers pulse widths
shorter than 12 fs. It offers hands-free and fully
automated operation, including wavelength tun-
ing from 755 to 860 nm and push-button band-
width adjustment from 30 to 125 nm. The out-
put power peaks at >450 mW because of the
fully integrated and compact Verdi G 5-W pump
laser, which is based on proprietary optically
pumped semiconductor laser technology. The
125-nm maximum bandwidth delivers a speci-
fied pulse width of <20 fs, with a typical pulse
width of 15 fs directly from the laser output.
Coherent Inc.
tech.sales@coherent.com
Telecentric Lenses
Lensation GmbHs TC5M series telecentric
lenses are for tasks that require high precision.
Designed for use in
2
3-in. CCD sensors with 5-
megapixel resolution, they are available in vari-
ous models for working distances of 110, 130
and 150 mm. They are suited for inspection and
measurement tasks with varying distances to the
camera, where conventional lenses could pro-
vide different results, depending upon the dis-
tance. The lenses provide low distortion and
high resolution, rendering them suitable for use
in metrology applications. Telecentric lenses en-
able users to improve measuring accuracy. On
the object side and/or on the image side, they
create an optical path parallel to the optical
axis. Object-space telecentric lenses can detect
objects without any perspective distortion.
Lensation GmbH
info@lensation.de
Interface Standard Cameras
Imperx has announced a series of cameras that
use the CoaXPress interface standard. The pub-
lic royalty-free standard, administered by the
Japan Industrial Imaging Association, supports
image data rates up to 6.25 Gb/s using a single
coaxial cable. The companys new ICX cameras
are based on the interface. Providing resolutions
ranging from VGA to 29 megapixels, they cap-
ture images at up to 260 fps. The CoaXPress
interface offers high-speed, point-to-point serial
communications for transmitting still images or
video from a camera to a host system, typically
115
b BRIGHT IDEAS
a frame grabber. It provides a 20-Mb/s uplink
for communications and control from host to
camera. The interface offers precise triggering
capability and fixed low latency, and it can pro-
vide up to 13 W of 24-V power to the camera.
Imperx
sales@imperx.com
Extra Large Slide Scanning
Leica Microsystems GmbHs SCN400 and
SCN400 F line scanners capture the largest
area in digital pathology. This release in the
companys total digital pathology portfolio pro-
vides a new level of flexibility, enabling the
scanning of a wide range of samples on a sin-
gle system. The scanners can capture traditional
26 76-mm, double 52 76-mm and now
jumbo 113 76-mm slides in either bright field
or fluorescence. Users of the SCN400 digital
slide scanner range can implement large slide
scanning without hardware changes or physical
updates to their scanners. This advancement is
suitable for research in neuroscience, toxicologi-
cal pathology and for anyone dealing with large
tissue sections.
Leica Microsystems GmbH
valerie.nicolas@leica-microsystems.com
LED Design
RSoft Design Group Inc. has released its LED
Utility for LED designers. Because LEDs are used
in many applications, there is a demand for op-
timized structures with higher extraction effi-
ciency and improved color uniformity. The tool
can shorten processing time and save develop-
ment cost by providing accurate computer-
based simulation and design optimization. It
simulates novel LED structures and all materials
involved. With its flagship simulation tool Full-
Wave, it uses the companys CAD environment
to describe the geometry and material proper-
ties. The CAD interface is a parametric design
environment with 3-D editing capabilities to
simplify the description of complex LED geome-
tries. The FullWave simulation is based on the
finite-difference time-domain algorithm, which
makes it suitable for modeling the intricacies of
an LED structure.
RSoft Design Group Inc.
info@rsoftdesign.com
FLCPA System
Calmar Lasers Cazadero femtosecond fiber
laser chirped pulse amplifier (FLCPA) system
provides users with full control of pulse repeti-
tion rates and pulse energies to meet their ap-
plication requirements. To run the gamut from
precision surgical procedures to micromachining
processes, pulses also can be delivered in cus-
tomizable burst mode sequences or in single-
shot mode. The system was introduced for pre-
cision materials processing applications in med-
icine and microelectronics manufacturing. It
provides up to 20-J pulse energies and offers
megahertz repetition rates with a typical pulse
width of <500 fs. It delivers good pulse-to-
pulse stability, a low-pedestal pulse shape, and
an output beam with roundness better than
80% and M
2
<1.2. The laser is air-cooled and
116
b
PHONE: 415. 883. 0128 | FAX: 415. 883. 0572
EMAI L: I NFO@SUTTER. COM | WWW. SUTTER. COM
LAMBDA VF-5
Tunable lter changer
Introducing the worlds rst lter changer to
use tunable thin-lm optical lters. The Sutter
LAMBDA VF-5 allows you to quickly access
any center bandpass from 330 to 800nm
in nanometer increments. Building on the
VersaChrome
lters from Semrock
, the
LAMBDA VF-5 maintains transmission
over the tuning range of each lter.
Easy Wavelength Selection
Wavelength range as wide as 330-800nm
Keypad or computer interface (USB or serial)
Flexible
Suitable for excitation or emission
Easily switch between uorophore
combinations
Optional liquid light guide offers absolute
vibration isolation
Images pass through lters
Thin lter advantage
High transmission
Steep spectral edges
High out-of-band blocking
Polarization independence
(s and p nearly identical)
N
E
W
!
BRIGHT IDEAS
designed for stable operation in demanding
OEM applications.
Calmar Laser
sales@calmarlaser.com
DVI/HDMI Output for Cameras
For its Linux-based intelligent cameras, VRmagic
offers a back end with Picoblade connectors for
Ethernet, USB 2.0 Host, RS-232 and general-
purpose input/output and analog video output.
A printed circuit board (PCB) with digital video
interaction (DVI) or high-definition multimedia
interface (HDMI) output can be connected to the
cameras. The external board is connected with
the PCB stack via a flexible cable. Synchronized
image recording and display is possible via DVI
or HDMI up to 60 Hz. All of the companys in-
telligent cameras are equipped with the DaVinci
processor from Texas Instruments, featuring a
300-MHz ARM9 processor running the Linux op-
erating system, and a 600-MHz digital signal
processor with 4.8 billion instructions per sec-
ond that is entirely available for image process-
ing tasks.
VRmagic
info@vrmagic.com
Raman Microscope
BaySpec Inc. has announced enhancements to
its fully automated Nomadic Raman microscope,
extending its wavelength range to the 1700-nm
near-infrared. At the touch of the keyboard,
customers can select 532-, 785- or 1064-nm or
custom wavelengths with automated laser
switching. The system features proprietary high-
throughput Volume Phase Gratings and is con-
figured with optimal cooling of the detector
arrays to enable improved low-light spectral
117
b BRIGHT IDEAS
measurements. The microscope offers a disper-
sive design with no moving parts, an integrated
research-grade confocal microscope, and com-
plete software for data and image analysis.
BaySpec Inc.
sales@bayspec.com
Evaluation Module
Texas Instruments has released the DLP Light-
Crafter evaluation module for integrating pro-
jected light into industrial, medical, scientific in-
strumentation and security applications. It was
created to provide developers with components
for using reliable digital light processing (DLP)
technology in new ways. It combines compo-
nents with enhanced processing speed and
power in a compact form. Developers can cre-
ate, store and display high-speed pattern se-
quences through the systems USB-based appli-
cation programming interface and graphical
user interface. At the systems core is the refer-
ence design for the companys 0.3-in. WVGA-
resolution DLP chip set, which enables high-
speed spatial light modulation. It has two main
components: the DLP3000 microelectromechan-
ical systems device comprising 415,872 micro-
scopic mirrors, and the DLPC300 controller,
which provides a convenient user interface and
ensures high-speed operation of the micro-
mirror array.
Texas Instruments
kateri@ti.com
Reference Flats
Working with high-stability materials such as
glass, Zerodur and silica, Optical Surfaces Ltd.
supplies high-precision reference flats that are
used to measure the surface accuracy or the
transmitted wavefront of flat surfaces or optics.
Benefiting from a thermally stable manufactur-
ing environment, the company achieves a sur-
face accuracy of /20 peak-to-valley and sur-
face roughness of <1 nm on reference flats up
to 600 mm in diameter. The reference flats are
used in high-precision applications in astron-
omy, laser beam steering, inspecting gauge
blocks, and interferometric flatness testing of
prisms, filters and optical windows. Optics up to
450 mm in diameter are provided with a Fizeau
interferometric test report, and larger flats and
spheres are quality assured using the Ritchey-
Common test.
Optical Surfaces Ltd.
sales@optisurf.com
Mini Viewing Cabinet
The compact, lightweight CM-10MP mini view-
ing cabinet manufactured by Spectronics Corp.
is suitable for life sciences applications that re-
quire high-contrast fluorescence analysis, for
viewing thin-layer chromatography plates, and
for quality control inspection of printed circuit
boards. Weighing 1.8 kg, it can be conveniently
carried from place to place. With its compact
dimensions of 22.2 25.4 11.4 cm, the
unit can fit easily into cramped areas. Made of
molded high-impact plastic for rugged durabil-
ity, it features a contoured eyepiece with a
built-in ultraviolet-absorbing window for safe
viewing. Openings on top of the cabinet accom-
modate one or two MiniMax series UV lamps.
The user places the cabinet over the lab sam-
ples being examined, turns on the UV lamps
and observes the bright fluorescence response.
Spectronics Corp.
customerservice@spectroline.com
118
b
Schneider Compact C-Mount lenses lock
in calibrated settings, so focus and boresight
stay true no matter now harsh the conditions.
Offering virtually indestructible construction
and visible through near IR performance.
As small and robust as
|._| c-.-.i.-
can be.
Schneider Kreuznach
Compact C-Mount Lenses
In the USA: +1 631 761-5000
Outside the USA: +49.671.601.205
www.schneiderindustrialoptics.com
BRIGHT IDEAS
Fiber-Coupled QCW Modules
Dilas has added 500-W water-cooled stacks
with a numerical aperture of 0.22 to its line of
fiber-coupled laser modules. Providing a quasi-
continuous-wave (QCW) operating mode with a
duty cycle of up to 30%, the stacks deliver scala-
ble output power up to 500 W at 808, 940 and
976 nm from an 800-m-core-diameter fiber,
resulting in high coupling efficiency. Custom
wavelengths are available upon request. The
stacks are suitable for medical applications such
as hair removal. After a stack is installed in a
laser system, the fiber delivers light to the hand-
piece, rendering it less sensitive to shock and
easy to handle. Devices are available with op-
tional features, including an integrated pilot
beam, a fiber interlock and a user-exchange-
able protection window.
Dilas
sales@dilas.com
IQ Laser Module
Power Technology Inc. has announced an IQ
(instrument quality) violet laser diode module
with 250 mW of output power at 405 nm. The
module delivers the accuracy and power
needed to solve complex scientific problems and
is designed to better serve the increasing need
for power, temperature and wavelength stabil-
ity. Applications include laser-induced fluores-
cence, microscopy, spectroscopy, lithography,
data storage, flow cytometry, cancer detection,
remote optical sensing, holography and illumi-
nation.
Power Technology Inc.
sales@powertechnology.com
Digital Cameras
For bright-field and fluorescence microscopy im-
aging applications, Olympus Europa Holding
GmbH has released the ultraresolution DP73
and DP73WDR digital cameras. The multipur-
pose microscope cameras leverage the com-
panys expertise in pixel-shift sensors and high-
end consumer digital single-lens reflex camera
designs to generate detailed and true-color-
reproduction images, achieved using 3-CCD
119
b BRIGHT IDEAS
mode and fine-detail process technologies. The
DP73WDR uses proprietary WiDER (wide dy-
namic range) technology to ensure that each
image area is always optimally exposed, re-
gardless of any differences in intensity. Both
cameras include a high-definition live mode
that renders sample browsing comfortable and
fluid using the monitor. Active Peltier cooling
provides high resolution, accurate and vibrant
color reproduction, and effective fluorescence
performance. An improved sensor chip and a
pixel-shifting mechanism produce maximum
resolution of 17.28 megapixels.
Olympus Europa Holding GmbH
microscopy@olympus-europa.com
Specialty Cameras and Software
PPT Vision Inc. has announced the addition of
two Gigabit Ethernet-compatible specialty cam-
eras as well as the release of Version 10.3 of
the Impact software suite to support all cameras
in its M-Series embedded machine vision sys-
tem. The industrial-grade 8-megapixel,
4
3-in.
progressive-scan camera, with 3296 2472-
pixel resolution and operation at 10 fps, is suit-
able for inspections that require a high-resolu-
tion, high-quality image and a wide field of
view. For color inspection, the three-CCD color
camera has a prism-block assembly that sup-
ports three 1/1.8-in. CCDs to provide 1620
1236-pixel resolution, operation at 15 fps and
good light gathering. The cameras were devel-
oped by JAI, the companys strategic partner.
PPTs Impact 10.3 software offers a mode to
automatically trigger a camera based on a
user-defined time period.
PPT Vision Inc.
nancyk@pptvision.com
Laser Distance Sensors
The LDS30 laser distance sensors from Jenoptik
are designed for applications that require in-
stantly triggered and very fast data acquisition.
The compact sensors provide measurement
rates as fast as 30 kHz at up to 250 m and ab-
solute accuracy in the centimeter range. The
maximum range is achieved for measurement
on special targets such as common retroreflec-
tors. For natural surfaces with 10% reflectivity,
the measurement range still covers 30 m. The
sensor operation is eye-safe, emitting invisible
laser light at 905 nm. Applications include ob-
ject detection, proximity sensing and altimeter
operation. The distance sensors can be used for
2- and 3-D object scanning systems in industrial
automation. Constructed for system integration,
they are available in a ready-to-install housed
or module version.
Jenoptik
sales-laser.lm@jenoptik.com
Active Coherence Stabilization
Toptica Photonics Inc. has expanded its Blue-
Mode diode laser family product portfolio to in-
clude GreenMode and RedMode. The new mod-
els deliver high power and high coherence from
a single diode across the visible spectrum. All
models are available with proprietary CHARM
(coherence-advanced regulation mode) technol-
ogy for active coherence control. The BlueMode
devices, used in inspection and metrology tasks,
combine high power (up to 50 mW at 405 nm)
and single-frequency operation. The BlueMode
wavelengths of 405, 445 and 488 nm are now
complemented by the GreenMode (515 nm, 25
mW) and RedMode (638 nm, 30 mW; 685 nm,
b BRIGHT IDEAS
25 mW) models. Blue/green wavelengths are
suitable for Raman spectroscopy and quantum
cryptography, and red wavelengths are a com-
mon choice for interferometry.
Toptica Photonics Inc.
info@toptica.com
Optical Measurement Microscope
Vision Engineerings Kestrel Elite two-axis opti-
cal measurement microscope, designed for use
by engineers, is rugged enough to withstand
conditions on the shop floor. The high-accuracy
system combines high-resolution, high-contrast
images with intuitive microprocessors to deliver
accuracy and simplicity for a variety of measur-
ing applications. It offers simple single-feature
operation, carries out complex component
measurement and performs noncontact sub-
10-m measurements. Small, intricate parts and
difficult-to-view samples, such as black or white
parts or transparent plastics, can be viewed in
microscope-resolution detail through the optical
viewing head. With a variety of new software
options, the microscope can be used with a
microprocessor or a PC tablet, incorporating
touch-screen technology and part view mea-
surement for simple feature-to-feature mea-
surement.
Vision Engineering
info@visioneng.com
Laser Diode Driver
Analog Modules Inc. has released its Model 784
continuous-wave and pulsed laser diode driver,
suitable for use in compact industrial and med-
ical laser applications. The 50-A, 2.5-V driver
requires only 5-VDC input power. Pulse widths
are variable from 600 ns to continuous wave,
with power capabilities up to 125 W with ade-
121
b BRIGHT IDEAS
quate cooling. The pump laser diode driver is
manufactured as a RoHS-compliant assembly,
and military versions also are available.
Analog Modules Inc.
sales@analogmodules.com
Surface Imaging Software
Digital Surf sarls MountainsMap 6.2 surface
imaging and metrology software integrates
Chinese GB/T standard references for surface
texture parameter families, extending the right
parameters wherever you are feature to in-
clude eight national references and ISO refer-
ences. It also supports the new ISO 25178-72
(OpenGPS) X3P data format and six others for
optical and scanning probe microscopes. New
features speed up the creation of surface
metrology reports and provide enhanced sur-
face imaging and analysis. A new application
allows users to install optional modules for ad-
vanced surface analysis and to try them free of
charge for up to 30 days. A variety of modules
are available, including ones for advanced sur-
face texture analysis in accordance with the lat-
est ISO 25178 and ISO 16610 standards.
Digital Surf sarl
contact@digitalsurf.fr
Modulated Dual Combiner
Laser Lines Ltd. is offering a modulated dual-line
light engine manufactured by Cobolt AB and op-
timized for high-end optogenetics research. This
version of the Cobolt dual combiner offers two
emission wavelengths for light-activated proteins
473 nm (up to 50 mW) and 594 nm (up to
100 mW) from one small box. Via an inte-
grated silent shutter, the output beam can be
modulated at up to 100 Hz with a rise time of
<350 s, with maintained 3% power stability
and an rms noise of <0.3%. Each line can be
individually addressed through a software appli-
cation provided with the lasers, or through
RS-232/USB communication interfaces. The
combiner is suited for optogenetics applications
where a high level of power stability and control
of the delivered energies are required.
Laser Lines Ltd.
jeryla@laserlines.co.uk
LED Flat Panel Downlights
Global Lighting Technologies Inc. has intro-
duced a 2 2-ft sq LED flat panel downlight
assembly that it says provides a brighter,
lighter-weight and more efficient replacement
for the 2 2-ft fluorescent lay-in troffers used
in recessed ceiling lights. The OL2 series ceiling
lights are UL-certified for the US and Canada.
The downlights employ proprietary edge-light-
ing technology, with 100 LEDs spaced along
two sides of the lightguide for optimal light dis-
persion. Four models are available, with color
temperatures ranging from warm white to cool
white (3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 K). Bright-
ness (luminous flux) ranges from 2050 to 2840
122
b BRIGHT IDEAS
lm, with efficiencies from 45.5 lm/W at 3000 K
to 62.8 lm/W at 6000 K. Color rendering
index is 75%.
Global Lighting Technologies Inc.
info@glthome.com
Digital Cameras
Vision Research has unveiled its line of Phan-
tom Miro M-Series digital high-speed cameras,
including the M110, M310 and M120. The
1-megapixel Miro M110 and M310 include a
custom-designed 1280 800-pixel CMOS sen-
sor with a wide-screen format that allows users
to keep objects in the frame longer and to see
more of the event they are recording. The M110
offers throughput of 1.6 gigapixels per second,
enabling image capture at up to 1600 fps at full
resolution. The M310 offers throughput of 3.2
gigapixels per second and can capture up to
3200 fps at full resolution. Reduced-resolution
images are available at up to 400,000 fps for
the M110 and up to 650,000 fps for the M310.
The 2-megapixel M120 includes a CMOS sensor
with a throughput of 1.6 gigapixels.
Vision Research
phantom@visionresearch.com
Optical Fiber Identifier
AFL Telecommunications has introduced the
Noyes OFI-400HP, an optical fiber identifier
designed to simplify installation, maintenance,
rerouting or restoration tasks in high-power op-
tical networks. It detects traffic, tones and haz-
ardous core power levels with low insertion loss,
enabling technicians to positively identify fibers
without disrupting services. It also incorporates
an optical power meter designed for use where
power levels up to 33 dBm are present. When-
ever power levels above 23 dBm are detected,
the device warns users of the potential eye haz-
ard and fiber damage associated with discon-
necting, cutting or breaking the optical circuit. It
is suitable for long-haul, metro core and metro
access networks carrying coarse wavelength di-
vision multiplexing and dense wavelength divi-
sion multiplexing, analog video or other high-
power signals.
AFL Telecommunications
bill.thompson@aflglobal.com
Fiber Optic Switches
Agilent Technologies Inc.s new optical switches
enable more cost-effective optical transceiver
manufacturing tests and higher efficiency in op-
tical component and cable verification. The
N7731A dual 1 4 and the N7734A 1 13
123
b

OSA Optics and Photonics Conferences and Meetings
Lasers, Sources, and Related Photonic Devices
OSA OPTICS & PHOTONICS CONGRESS
29 January - 3 February 2012
San Diego, California, USA
Q
Advanced Solid-State Photonics (ASSP)
www.osa.org/assp
Q
Advances in Optical Materials (AIOM)
www.osa.org/aiom
Q
Fiber Lasers and Applications (FILAS)
www.osa.org/las
Q
Laser Applications to Chemical, Security and
Environmental Analysis (LACSEA)
www.osa.org/lacsea
Research in Optical Sciences
19-21 March 2012
Berlin, Germany
Q
High Intensity Lasers and High Field
Phenomena (HILAS)
www.osa.org/hilas
Q
Quantum Information and Measurement (QIM)
www.osa.org/qim
Q
International Conference on Ultrafast
Structural Dynamics (ICUSD)
www.osa.org/icusd
Biomedical Optics and 3D Imaging
29 April-2 May 2012
Miami, Florida, USA
Q
Biomedical Optics (BIOMED)
www.osa.org/biomed
Q
Digital Holography & 3-D Imaging (DH)
www.osa.org/dh
Advanced Photonics
17-21 June 2012
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
Q
Access Networks & In-house Communications
(ANIC)
www.osa.org/anic
Q
Bragg Gratings, Photosensitivity and Poling in
Glass Waveguides (BGPP)
www.osa.org/bgpp
Q
Integrated Photonics Research, Silicon, and
Nano-Photonics (IPR)
www.osa.org/ipr
Q
Nonlinear Photonics (NP)
www.osa.org/np
Q
Photonic Metamaterials and Plasmonics (META)
www.osa.org/meta
Q
Signal Processing in Photonics Communications
(SPPCom)
www.osa.org/sppcom
Q
Specialty Optical Fibers and Applications (SOF)
www.osa.org/sof
Imaging and Applied Optics
24-28 June 2012
Monterey, California, USA
Q
Applied Industrial Optics: Spectroscopy,
Imaging, & Metrology (AIO)
www.osa.org/aio
Q
Computational Optical Sensing and Imaging
(COSI) www.osa.org/cosi
Q
Imaging Systems Applications (IS)
www.osa.org/is
Q
Optical Fabrication and Testing (OF&T)
www.osa.org/oft
Q
Optical Remote Sensing of the Environment
(ORS)
www.osa.org/ors
Q
Optical Sensors (SENSORS)
www.osa.org/sensors
Renewable Energy and the Environment
11-15 November 2012
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Q
Optical Instrumentation for Energy &
Environmental Applications (E2)
www.osa.org/e2
Q
Optical Nanostructures and Advanced Materials
for Photovoltaics (PV)
www.osa.org/pv
Q
Optics for Solar Energy (SOLAR)
www.osa.org/solar
Q
Solid-State and Organic Lighting (SOLED)
www.osa.org/soled
Visit www.osa.org/meetings for more
information on OSA meetings.
For information about exhibiting at or sponsoring any of these targeted OSA events,
please contact the OSA Sales Team at exhibitsales@osa.org or +1.202.416.1474.
BRIGHT IDEAS
optical switches are available for single- or mul-
timode fiber optic connections. They make accu-
rate measurements and render automation eas-
ier with fast switching time and flexible control
with LAN, USB 2.0 and GPIB (general-purpose
interface bus) connections. Features and specifi-
cations include repeatability of 0.01 dB, with
0.004 dB typical; switching time of <20 ms;
lifetime of >1 billion cycles; 816 VXI plug-
and-play driver support; and an N77xx GUI
(graphical user interface). The N77 series instru-
ments are built on a common platform and pro-
vide a common PC-based user interface.
Agilent Technologies Inc.
optics-info@agilent.com
Quantum Random Number Generator
The PQRNG 150 from PicoQuant GmbH gener-
ates provable randomness at high bit rates. The
fast photonic quantum random number genera-
tor delivers a bit rate of up to 150 Mb/s, deliv-
ered over USB, and long-term statistical data
quality. It is based on measuring the arrival
times of single photons, governed by the inher-
ent indeterminism of quantum physics. Random-
ness is an important resource in many areas of
science and technology, including Monte Carlo
simulations and secure data encryption meth-
ods. Although randomness generated by a com-
puter algorithm is predictable, quantum physics
provides true randomness and unpredictability
rooted in the laws of nature. The new number
generator provides access to this source of ran-
domness at high speed by exploiting advanced
photon timing instrumentation and data pro-
cessing in hardware.
PicoQuant GmbH
info@picoquant.com
CMOS Image Sensor
Panavision Imaging LLCs newly launched 3.2-
megapixel CMOS image sensor, the Dynamax-
11, offers global shutter technology that im-
proves image quality for indoor and outdoor
applied industrial imaging applications. The
technology will be the basis for a full CMOS
image sensor product portfolio, targeting mar-
kets such as machine vision, intelligent traffic
systems, security, surveillance, life sciences, sci-
entific imaging, biometrics and high-definition
TV (HDTV) camcorders. The sensor offers ultra-
high frame rates, a wide dynamic range, ultra-
low noise, and global or rolling shutter opera-
tion modes. Proprietary and patented Active
Column Sensor technology has advantages over
CCD and CMOS active pixel sensor technology,
the company says. The imager features a
5-m-pixel,
2
3-in. optical format with regions of
interest in a 16:9 HDTV format.
Panavision Imaging LLC
sales.pvi@panavision.com
Digital Color Sensors
TAOS has announced the TCS3x71 and the
TCS3x72 digital color RGB sensors with an in-
frared blocking filter and a proximity sensor.
The sensors provide color measurement and,
when coupled with an IR LED, offer proximity
detection over a wide range of lighting condi-
124
b BRIGHT IDEAS
tions and through a variety of attenuating mate-
rials. The IR blocking filter is integrated directly
on-chip and localized only to the color sensor
photodiodes. High-accuracy color sensing re-
quires eliminating errors caused by the IR spec-
tral component in light sources. The on-chip IR
blocking filter minimizes these effects, elimi-
nates requirements for external IR filtering, and
enables the devices to perform ambient light
sensing (ALS). ALS instruments are used in dis-
play-based devices to enable automatic back-
light brightness control based on lighting condi-
tions for optimum viewing and energy
conservation.
TAOS
dbenke@taosinc.com
Spectroradiometers
ASD Inc.s FieldSpec 4 line of portable spectro-
radiometers is designed for fast, precise spectral
data collection. The instruments operate from
350 to 2500 nm and allow researchers to cover
more ground faster and obtain high-quality
data. The company says that improvements in
the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) region en-
able users to cover twice the area in half the
time. For applications requiring high precision,
the new configuration provides good signal-to-
noise performance, resulting in precise spectral
data with no increase in measurement time. Re-
searchers looking at materials with features at
the longer wavelengths will benefit from the
improved performance in the SWIR region. The
line consists of the FieldSpec4 Standard-Res,
Hi-Res and Wide-Res models.
ASD Inc.
info@asdi.com
CCD Camera
The redesigned Infinity2-1 USB 2.0 microscopy
camera has been unveiled by Lumenera Corp.
Engineered for documentation and image
analysis in life sciences, clinical and materials
sciences applications that require high resolu-
tion and sensitivity, the 1.4-megapixel CCD
camera offers low dark current noise. The com-
pany says that the camera offers a significant
performance increase for quantitative and low-
light applications over its predecessor. Reduced
operating temperatures combined with a higher
dynamic range and 14-bit data output result in
a versatile entry-level research camera that
manages seconds of exposure time with a dark
current rating of <1 e
/s. For lower light appli-

cations, the Sony HAD ICX205 CCD sensor has
a dynamic range of 64 dB, allowing users to
image unevenly lit samples.
Lumenera Corp.
info@lumenera.com
TERS-Ready AFM System
Bruker Corp.s Nano Surfaces Div. has released
the Innova-IRIS, an integrated system for corre-
lated atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman
spectroscopic imaging. Its ultralow closed-loop
noise, no-drift mechanical stability and wide-
open optical access make it a suitable platform
for tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) re-
search. With hardware integration designed to
accelerate a TERS setup, and an IRIS software
module that offers automated mapping, the sys-
tem transforms AFM and Raman instruments
into TERS-enabled research platforms. It pro-
vides a solution for routinely correlating AFM
nanoscale property maps with Raman chemical
images to address nanoscale materials analysis
applications. It leverages the performance and
AFM head design of the Innova platform to pro-
vide TERS-ready AFM-Raman integration suitable
for sensitive interrogation of opaque samples.
Bruker Corp.
steve.hopkins@bruker-nano.com
b BRIGHT IDEAS
b ANOTHER BRIGHT IDEA
Advertise your new product in
Photonics Showcase or in the
Spotlight section of Photonics Spectra.
Reach all of our readers in these
low-cost, lead-generating features.
Call Kristina Laurin at (413) 499-0514,
or e-mail advertising@Photonics.com.
Bringing light to life science.
BioPhotonics magazine presents the latest
global developments and techniques to
improve metho dology and solve problems
for researchers, physicians, product developers
and others in the fields of medicine, biology
and biotechnology.
Subscribe at www.Photonics.com/Subscribe
The perfect companion
to Photonics Spectra magazine.
MICROSCOPY
SPECTROSCOPY
IMAGING
OPTICS
LASERS
112_BIO promo ad_Pg126_Layout 1 1/6/12 11:17 AM Page 126
FEBRUARY
SPIE Medical Imaging (Feb. 4-9) San Diego.
Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-3290; customer
service@spie.org; spie.org.
10th Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference
(APMC-10), the International Conference on
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICONN
2012), and the 22nd Australian Conference
on Microscopy and Microanalysis (ACMM-
22) (Feb. 5-9) Perth, Western Australia.
Contact EECW Pty Ltd., +618 9389 1488;
registration@eecw.com.au; www.iconn-2012.org
and www.apmc-10.org.
OPTRO 2012: Fifth International Sympo-
sium on Optronics in Defence and Security
(Feb. 8-10) Paris. Contact Anne Venables, 3AF
Executive Secretary, +33 1 5664 1230;
secr.exec@aaaf.asso.fr; www.optro2012.com.
SPIE Advanced Lithography (Feb. 12-16)
San Jose, Calif. Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-
3290; customerservice@spie.org; spie.org.
Biophysical Society 56th Annual Meeting
(Feb. 25-29) San Diego. Contact Biophysical
Society, +1 (240) 290-5600; society@
biophysics.org; www.biophysics.org.
Laser Safety Officer Training Course (Feb.
27-29) Phoenix. Contact Laser Institute of
America, +1 (407) 380-1553; www.lia.org.
DO 2012: Eighth EOS Topical Meeting on
Diffractive Optics (Feb. 27-March 1) Delft,
Netherlands. A European Optical Society event.
Contact Renate Rebmann, EOS Events &
Services GmbH, +49 511 277 2676; do2012@
myeos.org; www.myeos.org/events/do2012.
MARCH
OFC/NFOEC (March 4-8) Los Angeles. The
Optical Fiber Communication Conference and
Exhibition and the National Fiber Optic Engi-
neers Conference. Contact +1 (202) 416-1907;
info@ofcconference.org; www.ofcnfoec.org.
SIAF Guangzhou, SPS Industrial
Automation Fair Guangzhou (March 7-9)
Guangzhou, China. Contact Guangzhou
Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co. Ltd., +86 20
3825 1558; sps@china.messefrankfurt.com;
www.siaf-china.com/english.
Pittcon 2012 Laboratory Science
Equipment Conference and Exposition
(March 11-15) Orlando, Fla. Contact The
Pittsburgh Conference, +1 (412) 825-3220
(local) or +1 (800) 825-3221; info@pittcon.org;
www.pittcon.org.
SPIE Smart Structures/NDE (March 11-15)
San Diego. Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-3290;
customerservice@spie.org; spie.org.
CREOL @ 25 Symposium and Industrial
Affiliates Program (March 15-16) Orlando,
Fla. Contact Denise Whiteside, CREOL, the
College of Optics & Photonics, University of
Central Florida, +1 (407) 823-6800;
denise@creol.ucf.edu; www.creol.ucf.edu.
Research in Optical Sciences: OSA Optics
and Photonics Congress (March 19-21)
Berlin. Includes High Intensity Lasers and High
Field Phenomena (HILAS), International Confer-
ence on Ultrafast Structural Dynamics (ICUSD),
and Quantum Information and Measurement
(QIM). Collocated with Laser Optics Berlin.
Contact Optical Society of America, +1 (202)
223-8130; info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
Laser Optics Berlin: International Trade
Fair and Congress for Optical & Laser Tech-
nologies (March 19-21) Berlin. Contact Messe
HAPPENINGS
PAPERS
Advanced Photonics Congress (June 17-21) Colorado Springs, Colorado
Deadline: paper submission, February 14, noon EST (17:00 GMT)
The Optical Society of America invites papers for its Advanced Photonics Congress, which will include:
Access Networks and In-house Communications (ANIC); Bragg Gratings, Photosensitivity and Poling
in Glass Waveguides (BGPP); Integrated Photonics Research, Silicon, and Nano-Photonics (IPR);
Photonic Metamaterials and Plasmonics (META); Nonlinear Photonics (NP); Specialty Optical Fibers
& Applications (SOF); and Signal Processing in Photonic Communications (SPPCom). Contact OSA,
+1 (202) 223-8130; info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
2012 Ultrafast Phenomena (July 8-13) Lausanne, Switzerland
Deadline: paper submission, February 15
Organizers of the 18th International Conference on Ultrafast Phenomena are accepting papers
on pulse generation and measurement, novel ultrafast spectroscopic techniques, electro-optical
sampling and detectors, and applications of ultrafast technology, including ultrafast near-field,
nonlinear and confocal microscopy, and high-speed communication. Contact European Physical
Society, +33 3 89 32 94 48; conferences@eps.org; www.up2012.org.
Imaging and Applied Optics (June 24-28) Monterey, California
Deadline: paper submission, February 22, noon EDT (16:00 GMT)
Papers are encouraged for the Imaging and Applied Optics: OSA Optics and Photonics Congress,
which will include: Applied Industrial Optics: Spectroscopy, Imaging and Metrology (AIO);
Computational Optical Imaging and Sensing (COSI); Imaging Systems Applications (IS); Optical
Fabrication and Testing (OF&T); Optical Remote Sensing of the Environment (ORS); and Optical
Sensors (SENSORS). Contact OSA, +1 (202) 223-8130; info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
112_Happenings_Layout 1 1/5/12 3:50 PM Page 127
Berlin GmbH, +49 30 3038 2159; laser-optics@
messe-berlin.de; www.laser-optics-berlin.de.
Phosphor Global Summit 2012
(March 20-22) Scottsdale, Ariz. Contact
Rebecca Kotsimpulos, +1 (207) 781-9616;
rebecca.kotsimpulos@pira-international.com;
www.intertechpira.com/phosphor-global-
summit-2012.aspx.
Laser World of Photonics China 2012
(March 20-22) Shanghai. Contact MMI
(Shanghai) Co. Ltd., +86 21 2020 5500;
laser@mmi-shanghai.com; www.photonics
china.cn.
ETOP 2012: Education and Training in
Optics and Photonics (March 29-31)
Tunis, Tunisia. Contact +216 7185 6240;
mourad.zghal@supcom.rnu.tn; www.esprit-
prepa.com/etop.
PSDM 2012: First EOS Topical Meeting
on Photonics for Sustainable Development
Focus on the Mediterranean (March 31-
April 3) Tunis, Tunisia. Contact Julia Dalichow,
EOS Events & Services GmbH, +49 511 277
2673; psdm2011@myeos.org; myeos.org.
APRIL
Focus on Microscopy 2012 (April 1-4) Singa-
pore. Contact Fred Brakenhoff, University of
Amsterdam, +31 20 5255 189; brakenhoff@
focusonmicroscopy.org; www.focusonmicro
scopy.org.
Photonix 2012 Expo & Conference
(April 11-13) Tokyo. Contact Mitsuru
Takazawa, Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd.,
+81 3 3349 8549; photonix@reedexpo.co.jp;
www.photonix-expo.jp/en.
SPIE Photonics Europe (April 16-20) Brussels.
Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-3290; customer
service@spie.org; spie.org.
SPIE Defense, Security + Sensing (April
23-27) Baltimore. Contact SPIE, +1 (360)
676-3290; customerservice@spie.org; spie.org.
Optics and Photonics International 2012
Congress & Exhibition (April 25-27)
Yokohama, Japan. Includes Laser Expo 2012.
Contact The Optronics Co. Ltd., +81 3 3269
3550; www.optronicsjp.com.
Biomedical Optics and 3-D Imaging: OSA
Optics and Photonics Congress (April 29-
May 2) Miami. Contact Optical Society of
America, +1 (202) 223-8130; info@osa.org;
www.osa.org.
MAY
CLEO: 2012 Laser Science to Photonic
Applications (May 6-11) San Jose, Calif.
Conference on Lasers and Electro-optics. Con-
tact Optical Society of America Customer Serv-
ice CLEO Management, +1 (202) 416-1907;
custserv@osa.org; www.cleoconference.org.
The Vision Show (May 8-10) Boston. Contact
Automated Imaging Association, +1 (734) 994-
6088; www.machinevisiononline.org.
Mfg4 (Manufacturing 4 the Future)
Conference & Exposition (May 8-10)
Hartford, Conn. Contact Society of Manufactur-
ing Engineers, +1 (800) 733-4763; service@
sme.org; www.mfg4event.com.
Quantum Interfaces: Integrating Light,
Atoms and Solid-State Devices (May 14-15)
Milton Keynes, England. Contact Jon Mackew,
Institute of Physics, +44 20 7470 4800;
jon.mackew@iop.org; www.iop.org.
Sensor + Test 2012 (May 22-24) Nuremberg,
Germany. Contact AMA Service GmbH,
+49 50 33 96 39 0; info@sensorfairs.de;
www.sensor-test.com.
OPTATEC 2012 (May 22-25) Frankfurt, Ger-
many. Contact P.E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG,
+49 7025 9206 0; info@schall-messen.de;
www.optatec-messe.com.; www.convention.
bio.org.
128
h HAPPENINGS
For complete listings, visit
www.photonics.com/calendar
Lasers, optics, imaging, lighting and
solar covered in every issue in addition
to our special content focus targeted to
our 95,000 qualified subscribers.
April Content Focus: Defense & Security
Spotlight: Optics & Optics Fabrication
Sneak Preview: SPIE Defense, Security
& Sensing
Webinar: Defense & Security
Ad close: Feb. 24, 2012
May Content Focus:
Consumer Electronics
Spotlight: Lasers, Laser Accessories
& Light Sources
Sneak Preview: CLEO
Ad close:
Feb. 24, 2012
Advertise in Photonics Spectra
Contact your sales representative at
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112_Happenings_Layout 1 1/5/12 3:50 PM Page 128
a
ADVERTISER INDEX
Photonics Media Advertising Contacts
Please visit our website
Photonics.com for all
your marketing needs.
Ken Tyburski
Director of Sales
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 101
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
ken.tyburski@photonics.com
New England, Southeastern US, FL,
Midwest, Rocky Mountains, AZ & NM
Rebecca L. Pontier
Associate Director
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 112
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
becky.pontier@photonics.com
NY, NJ, PA & Eastern Canada
Timothy A. Dupree
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 111
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
tim.dupree@photonics.com
Northern CA, AK, NV, Pacific Northwest,
Yukon & British Columbia
Joanne C. Gagnon
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 226
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
joanne.gagnon@photonics.com
Central CA, Southern CA & HI
Tracy L. Reynolds
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 104
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
tracy.reynolds@photonics.com
Europe, Israel & South Central US
Owen Broch
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 108
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
owen.broch@photonics.com
Austria, Germany & Liechtenstein
Olaf Kortenhoff
Voice: +49 2241 1684777
Fax: +49 2241 1684776
olaf.kortenhoff@photonics.com
Asia (except Japan)
Hans Zhong
Voice: +86 755 2872 6973
Fax: +86 755 8474 4362
hans.zhong@yahoo.com.cn
Japan
Scott Shibasaki
Voice: +81 3 5225 6614
Fax: +81 3 5229 7253
s_shiba@optronics.co.jp
Reprint Services
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
editorial@photonics.com
Mailing addresses:
Send all contracts, insertion orders
and advertising copy to:
Laurin Publishing
PO Box 4949
Street address:
Laurin Publishing
Berkshire Common, 2 South St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
Email: advertising@photonics.com
4D Technology Corporation .....................92
www.4dtechnology.com
Aero Research Associates Inc. ................127
www.aeroese.com
Andor Technology.................................102
www.andor.com
APOMA ...............................................122
www.apoma.org
Applied Scientific
Instrumentation........................................44
www.asiimaging.com
Argyle International .................................30
www.argyleoptics.com
Arroyo Instruments LLC ............................12
www.arroyoinstruments.com
Asahi Kasei E-Materials Corp...................48
www.asahi-kasei.co.jp
B&W Tek ..................................................7
www.bwtek.com
Bristol Instruments Inc.............................113
www.bristol-inst.com
Cambridge Technology Inc.......................15
www.cambridgetechnology.com
Castech Inc. ..........................................121
www.castech.com
China Daheng Group Inc. ......................117
www.cdhcorp.com
China International
Optoelectronic Exposition.......................125
www.cioe.cn/cioe/eindex.html
Chroma Technology Corp. .....................103
www.chroma.com
Coherent Inc. ..........................................13
www.coherent.com
Cooke Corporation Ltd. .........................CV3
www.cookecorp.com
CVI Melles Griot................................18, 38
Dataray Inc. ............................................63
www.dataray.com
Delta Light & Optics...............................109
www.delta.dk
Deposition Sciences Inc....................25, 102
www.depsci.com
Directed Energy Inc. ................................22
www.ixyscolorado.com
DRS Technologies Inc...............................53
www.drs.com
Edmund Optics........................................23
www.edmundoptics.com
Electro-Optical Products Corp.................110
www.eopc.com
EMD Chemicals Inc..................................47
www.emdchemicals.com
Energetiq Technology Inc. ........................28
www.energetiq.com
Esco Products Inc. ....................................24
www.escoproducts.com
Fit Tools Inc...........................................102
www.fittoolsinc.com
Fresnel Technologies Inc.............................6
www.fresneltech.com
G-S Plastic Optics Inc. .............................46
www.gsoptics.com
Gooch & Housego.................................108
www.goochandhousego.com
GT Crystal Systems LLC..........................116
www.gtsolar.com
Hamamatsu ............................................27
www.sales.hamamatsu.com
Hellma USA......................................8, 122
www.hellmausa.com
Horiba Scientific......................................45
www.picocomponents.com
ILX Lightwave Corp. .................................89
www.ilxlightwave.com
Imaging Solutions Group .......................112
www.isgchips.com
Infratec Infrared LLC ................................20
www.infratec-infrared.com
Intertech-Pira...........................................91
www.intertechpira.com/phosphor-global-
summit-2012.aspx
IPG Photonics Corp..................................85
www.ipgphotonics.com
ISP Optics ...............................................61
www.ispoptics.com
Jenoptik Optical Systems..........................37
www.jenoptik.com/photonics-west
KDF Electronic & Vacuum Services Inc. .....40
www.kdf.com
Kurt J. Lesker Co. ..................................115
www.lesker.com
L-3 Communications SSG-Tinsley..............19
www.asphere.com
La Croix Optical Co. .............................114
Leybold Optics USA Inc. ........................103
www.leyboldoptics.com
Lightworks Optics Inc. ..............................33
www.lwoptics.com
Mad City Labs.......................................121
www.madcitylabs.com
Martek Power Laser Drive LLC ..................81
www.laserdrive.com
Master Bond Inc. .....................................50
www.masterbond.com
Meadowlark Optics .................................14
www.meadowlark.com
Mercron Inc. .........................................103
www.mercron.com
Messe Berlin GmbH...............................104
www.laser-optics-berlin.com
Messe Stuttgart........................................56
www.lasys-fair.com
Metrigraphics LLC..................................119
www.drc.com
Metrology Concepts...............................102
www.metrologyconcepts.com
Mightex Systems......................................44
www.mightexsystems.com
Mildex Inc.............................................104
www.mildex.com
Newport Corp. .........................21, 57, CV4
www.newport.com
nm Laser Products Inc. ...........................118
www.nmlaser.com
Nova Sensors, a Teledyne
Majority Owned Company.....................111
www.novasensors.com
Novotech Inc...........................................50
www.novotech.net
Nufern....................................................75
www.nufern.com
Nusil Technology.....................................31
www.nusil.com
Ocean Optics..........................................11
www.oceanoptics.com
OFS Specialty Photonics...........................26
www.ofsoptics.com
OPCO Laboratory Inc. .............................41
www.opcolab.com
The Optical Society of America ................93
www.ofcnfoec.org/home.aspx
The Optical Society of America ..............123
www.cleoconference.org/
Optimax Systems Inc. ..............................83
www.optimaxsi.com
The Optronics Co. Ltd. ............................99
www.optronicsjp.com/laser
Photonics Media .............97, 105, 126, 128
www.photonics.com
Photonis USA Inc. ....................................76
www.photonis.com
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.......................107
www.pi.ws
Pico Electronics Inc. .................................36
www.picoelectronics.com
Polymicro Technologies, a Subsidiary
of Molex.................................................77
www.polymicro.com
Power Technology Inc. .............................54
www.powertechnology.com
Precision Glass & Optics..................49, 103
www.pgo.com
Prior Scientific Inc. ...................................30
www.prior.com
Qioptiq Inc. ............................................43
www.qioptiq.com
Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd.....................120
www.photonix-expo.jp/en/
Research Electro-Optics............................65
www.reoinc.com
Rolyn Optics Co. .....................................52
www.rolyn.com
RSoft Design Group...................................9
www.rsoftdesign.com
Scanlab AG............................................29
www.scanlab.de
Schneider Optics Inc..............................118
www.schneiderindustrialoptics.com
Schott North America Inc.
Advanced Optics.....................................39
www.us.schott.com/advanced_optics
Schott North America Inc.
Lighting and Imaging Division .................51
www.us.schott.com/lightingimaging
Sensors Unlimited Inc.
Goodrich ISR Systems ..............................35
www.sensorsinc.com
Society of Vacuum Coaters ....................124
www.svc.org
Stanford Research Systems Inc....................3
www.thinksrs.com
Sutter Instrument ....................................116
www.sutter.com
Swift Glass Co. Inc. ...............................128
www.swiftglass.com
Sydor Optics Inc....................................117
www.sydor.com
Synopsys Inc. ..........................................71
www.synopsys.com
Technical Manufacturing Corp................103
www.techmfg.com
Tohkai Sangyo Co. Ltd...........................121
www.peak.co.jp
Toptica Photonics Inc. ......................73, 104
www.toptica.com
Trioptics GmbH.......................................32
www.trioptics.com
Trumpf Inc...............................................67
www.us.trumpf.com
Westech Optical Corp. ..........................102
www.westechoptical.com
Yokogawa Corp. of America....................42
www.us.yokogawa.com
Zygo Corp............................................CV2
www.zygo.com
112_Ad Index_Layout 1 1/6/12 4:55 PM Page 129
p PEREGRINATIONS
To seek out the soft glow
of new life and new civilizations
T
he search for life on alien planets focuses largely on radio
signals on keeping an ear out for transmissions from far-
off civilizations. But what if we kept an eye out instead, in
the hope that the aliens literally have left a light on?
If intelligent beings have indeed evolved around distant stars,
they likely have developed artificial lighting systems for the dark
hours, and those systems could help us spot them, say Abraham
Loeb of Harvard University and Edwin Turner of Princeton Uni-
versity.
Humans have moved from exclusive use of radio and televi-
sion signals to broadcasting through cable and fiber optics as
well. If aliens have done the same, their signals might not be as
easy to pick up as before. So, as long as they havent evolved to
see in the dark, artificial lighting might be a better way to spot
them.
Loeb and Turner have proposed a mathematical method that
could use ground- and space-based telescopes to detect light pat-
terns from other planets. All we would have to do is measure the
changes in light from a planet as it moves around its star.
Artificial light sources such as incandescent lightbulbs, LEDs
and fluorescent lamps have different spectral properties than sun-
light, they said, and such emissions could show up right away if
we only look for them, lighting the way to alien life.
When the planet is in its dark phase, more artificial light from
the night side would be visible from Earth than reflected light
from the day side. The total flux from a planet with city lighting
would vary in a way that is measurably different from a planet
with no artificial lighting.
Todays state-of-the-art telescopes should be able to pick up
the light from a Tokyo-size city as far away as the Kuiper Belt, so
if the aliens are that close, we already have the technology to find
them. Its very unlikely that there are alien cities on the edge of
our solar system, Turner said, but the principle of science is to
find a method to check.
The key to extending the search beyond our solar system will
be next-generation telescopes that can detect phase modulation.
But the artificial brightness of a planets night side would have to
equal the natural brightness of the day side, which means that
aliens outside our solar system would have to use brighter, more
extensive artificial lighting than we do on Earth if we ever hope
to find them.
If unusual light patterns should appear, the findings can be fol-
lowed up with a complementary sweep for artificial radio signals,
Loeb and Turner point out in their article titled Detection Tech-
nique for Artificially-Illuminated Objects in the Outer Solar
System and Beyond, which has been submitted to the journal
Astrobiology.
Caren B. Les
caren.les@photonics.com
Looking for artificial lighting instead of radio signals could help scientists spot
extraterrestrial civilizations such as those depicted in this artistic representation.
Courtesy of David A. Aguilar, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Tokyo glows a cool blue-green color at night, thanks to widespread use of
mercury vapor lighting. Todays telescopes could spot a Tokyo-size city in the
Kuiper Belt. Courtesy of NASA; photo taken by International Space Station
astronaut Daniel Tani in 2008.
112_Peregrinations_Layout 1 1/6/12 9:05 AM Page 130
Feetures
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