Professional Documents
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Photonicsspectra 201205
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3-D Displays
Eliminate Need for Glasses
Also in this issue:
Time Delay Integration
Speeds Up Imaging
Wafer-Etching Process
Brightens Future for LEDs
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May 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:
Supercapacitors created from laser-scribed graphene
Hidden 3-D objects imaged
Star comb aids search for exoplanets
30 | FASTTRACK
Business and Markets
Impact of PV panel penalties pondered
39 | GREENLIGHT
Full spectrum boosts solar cell power
10 | EDITORIAL
41 | LASERS IN USE
by Antonio Triventi, CHP, CLSO, National Institute for Laser Safety Officers
and Health Physicists
How to Develop a Laser Safety Culture
82 | PEREGRINATIONS
Alexander Graham Bell, we can hear you now
NEWS & ANALYSIS
COLUMNS
70 | BRIGHT IDEAS
79 | HAPPENINGS
81 | ADVERTISER INDEX
DEPARTMENTS
THE COVER
Developments in autostereoscopic displays
are discussed by Gregg Favalora of Optics
for Hire, beginning on page 44. Design by
Senior Art Director Lisa N. Comstock.
39
30
Photonics Spectra May 2012 4
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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 5
www. phot oni cs. com
44 | HITTING EVERY ANGLE WITH AUTOSTEREOSCOPIC 3-D DISPLAYS
by Gregg Favalora, Optics for Hire
Autostereoscopic display creating imagery that looks 3-D without special
glasses is moving forward, thanks to advances in lens arrays, electro-optics,
diffusers and software.
50 | TIME DELAY INTEGRATION SPEEDS UP IMAGING
by Xing-Fei He and Nixon O, Teledyne Dalsa Inc.
The flat panel display industry depends on this line-scan technology
for high-speed inline automatic optical inspection under light-starved conditions.
56 | WAFER-ETCHING PROCESS BRIGHTENS FUTURE FOR LEDS
by Derek Mendes, Imtec Acculine LLC
Faster and less costly than dry etching, high-temperature wet etching
holds promise for scalable manufacturing of energy-efficient LEDs.
60 | 193-nm LITHOGRAPHY OPENS DOORS FOR DIFFRACTIVE MICRO-OPTICS
by Marc D. Himel and Jim Morris, DigitalOptics Corporation
Upgrades in tools for manufacturing diffractive optics have enabled new applications
in the visible and near-IR regimes requiring large angular distributions.
65 | VISION SOFTWARE ENABLES NASA ROBONAUT TO SEE
by Dr. Lutz Kreutzer, MVTec Software GmbH
The first robotic humanoid to visit the International Space Station uses sophisticated
software and a multiple-sensor stereovision system to recognize complex patterns.
PHOTONICS SPECTRA ISSN-0731-1230, (USPS 448870) IS
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FEATURES
Photonics Spectra May 2012 5
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e
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Transfer Technology and Grow
C
LEO:2012 is right around the corner, and Photonics Spectra will be there. This
year, we are proud to be the media sponsor for the annual Technology Transfer
Program, which will take place on Thursday, May 10. We have attended this event
each year since its inception and are pleased to play a more active role this time around.
Working with OSA, we produced a webinar on May 2 about the CLEO 2012 Technology
Transfer Program, to bring some additional attention to this important session, which
will be held in the exhibit hall during show hours on May 10. While we understand that
exhibitors and visitors are busy during the show, we believe that this is an important,
informative event, and we hope they will make time to attend it. If you missed our web-
inar, please check it out online much of the information shared there will not be covered
during the CLEO program. Experience the webinar, CLEO: 2012 Technology Transfer
Program Preview, at your leisure at Photonics.com/webinars.
Mike Torrance, VP of business development at Electro-Optics Technology and a member
of the CLEO: 2012 Technology Transfer Committee, was in the webinar lineup to talk
about the May 10 program, which will include tutorials and a technology transfer show-
case. Marcos Dantus, president of BioPhotonic Solutions, talked about his experience
receiving a license-ready technology and lessons learned along the way in building a
successful startup company. Offering insights on the University of Rochester technology
transfer programs and license-ready technologies were Corine Farewell, U of R tech trans-
fer office director, and her colleague Patrick Emmerling, technology licensing associate.
Technology transfer affects our industry deeply, and we want to cover it in a meaningful
way in the pages of Photonics Spectra. So, we want to know what you think about
the subject. I will be at CLEO this year with Melinda Rose, our senior editor and
LightMatters Weekly Newscast host, and we look forward to speaking with you there.
Investing in the future
Laurin Publishing was founded in 1964 by Teddi and Fran Laurin, who invested time and
money to give a voice to the young and growing photonics industry. The company has
operated out of a number of buildings in Pittsfield, Mass., since then, growing beyond
publishing Photonics Spectra to add BioPhotonics, Europhotonics, Photonics.com and
LightMatters Weekly Newscast, as well as the industry standard Photonics Buyers Guide,
published since 1954.
Today, our staff is growing to meet our readers changing needs, and Tom Laurin, Teddi
and Frans son and the current company president, recently purchased a building near
our current location to give our organization a home base from which to expand and keep
pace with the changing technology demands of our audience. This building allows us to
physically expand as needed, Tom said, and is a serious commitment to the future of
our company. Its a sign of our confidence in the continued evolution and growth of the
photonics industry.
We are pleased to be able to expand our operation while staying in downtown Pittsfield,
which has been our home for so long, as well as to expand opportunities beyond the tradi-
tional print publications.
Our mailing address will remain the same: PO Box 4949, Pittsfield, MA 01202-4949,
and you can always find us at Photonics.com, where you can read industry news, watch
Light Matters and other videos, and subscribe to our magazines and newsletters.
Editorial Advisory Board
Dr. Robert R. Alfano
City College of New York
Walter Burgess
Power Technology Inc.
Dr. Michael J. Cumbo
IDEX Optics & Photonics
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
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 May 2012
karen.newman@photonics.com
512Editorial_Layout 1 4/23/12 10:14 AM Page 10
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Welcome to
Photonics Spectra May 2012 12
Photonics Medias industry-leading site features the latest industry news and events
from around the world.
Twice each month, 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 new ideas,
questioning old theories or remembering what made science so appealing in the
first place. To explore Garys blog, visit www.photonics.com/DifferentWavelengths.
Interactive Laser Wavelength Chart
Photonics.com presents a look at
the major commercial laser lines,
the wavelengths they produce,
and their many applications.
Visit www.LaserLookUp.com.
In case you missed it
2012 Webinar Expert Briefings
Novel Infrared Sensors for Medical, Industrial and Homeland Security Applications
Speaker: Dr. Hooman Mohseni, associate
professor, Electrical Engineering and
Computer Science, Northwestern University.
Learn how Northwestern's Bio-Inspired
Sensors and Optoelectronics Lab (BISOL)
developed novel IR imagers based on carrier
compression and nano-injection technology.
512Online_Layout 1 4/20/12 2:13 PM Page 12
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Lighting for Crop Production
LEDs are gaining traction in crop production, especially in remote areas without
dependable year-round sunlight or where specialty crops are in demand.
Photonics Spectra May 2012
Check out a sample of the new digital
version of Photonics Spectra magazine
at www.photonics.com/DigitalSample.
Its a whole new world of information for
people in the global photonics industry.
FELs Plus Ultrafast Lasers for Scientific Research
Advances in FELs and titanium:sapphire ultrafast lasers support
various applications in experimental research.
Numerical Modeling
Improves Fiber Amplifiers
and Lasers
Designing fiber amplifiers and
lasers requires more than a few
back-of-the-envelope calculations.
Interferometric Stability
Through Heavy Vibration
A new streetcar line in Arizona
sounded good for the community,
but staff at an optics shop along the
line would have to deal with the extra
vibration it would cause.
In the June issue of
Photonics Spectra
Spectral Imaging Monitors Food Safety
Spectral imaging sensors are meeting the food-industry requirements for improved
margins, greater food safety and improved product quality.
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Supercapacitors created from laser-scribed graphene
LOS ANGELES A novel graphene-
based electrode, produced with a standard
LightScribe DVD optical drive, ends the
search for an optimal electrochemical
capacitor. The discovery could pave the
way for a new class of flexible energy-
storage devices.
Electrochemical capacitors, also called
ultracapacitors or supercapacitors, store
higher amounts of charge than regular
capacitors and have garnered attention
as energy-storage devices because they
charge and discharge faster than batteries.
However, unlike batteries, they are limited
by low energy densities.
Researchers have sought an electro-
chemical capacitor that combines a bat-
terys high energy density and a capaci-
tors power performance.
Now, scientists from the University of
California, Los Angeles, have developed
high-performance electrochemical capaci-
tors with graphene electrodes.
At the early stages of this research,
we invented the method of converting
graphite oxide to graphene using the
LightScribe DVD drives found in our
computers, said Maher El-Kady, a UCLA
graduate student and lead author of the
study. Microscopic analysis showed that
the produced graphene is well exfoliated
without any sticking together.
The LightScribe laser simultaneously
produces electrodes with an open network
structure reducing the electrolyte ions
diffusion path and allowing a fast, high-
power charge.
We also measured an interesting
specific surface area of over 1500
m
2
/g, potentially useful for high charge
capacity, El-Kady said.
Additionally, the electrical conductiv-
ity of this graphene, which is another key
factor for high-power supercapacitors, was
very decent. We thought this could be the
perfect material for making high-perfor-
mance supercapacitors.
To demonstrate the idea to his group
leader, professor Richard B. Kaner, El-
Kady developed a device and used it to
light an LED.
I needed some electrolyte to make the
device, and since our lab is not primarily
set for making batteries and supercapaci-
tors, I placed a purchase order for a new
electrolyte, he said. However, I was so
excited that I wanted to make it right
away, so I looked around the lab for some
useful electrolyte. I found an old bottle of
an electrolyte that dates back to maybe 10
years ago, which I thought might work. I
made the device and charged it for a few
seconds and, interestingly enough, it was
able to light the LED.
Evaluations of the device demonstrated
ultrahigh energy-density values in various
electrolytes, while the high power density
and cycle stability of supercapacitors are
retained.
We have tested the device for over
10,000 charge/discharge cycles, and the de-
vice maintains about 97 percent of its per-
formance, El-Kady said. This contrasts
with a lifetime of less than 1000 cycles for
conventional rechargeable batteries.
The team also tested the devices
shelf life over four months and dis-
covered that there was no sign of
decrease in performance, he said.
We believe that our device will pave
the way to a completely new class of flex-
ible energy-storage devices, El-Kady
said. This may find applications as a
flexible power supply for roll-up computer
displays, keyboards, wearable electronics
that harvest and store energy produced by
body movements, and as energy-storage
systems to be combined with flexible
solar cells.
Commercial batteries and supercapaci-
tors are considered hazardous because of
their toxic, corrosive materials. The liquid
electrolytes within batteries are known to
catch fire under certain conditions, which
makes them difficult to discard.
To address this, we further replaced
liquid electrolytes used in commercial
electrochemical capacitors with a polymer
gelled electrolyte, which also acts as a
separator, further reducing the device
thickness and weight, and simplifying the
fabrication process, El-Kady said. This
means that electrochemical capacitors are
immune from leaking problems.
To test the solid-state device for flexible
storage under real conditions, they placed
it under constant mechanical stress and an-
alyzed its performance.
The supercapacitor continues to func-
tion with no degradation, even after bend-
ing and straightening multiple times, he
said. We also tried applying a load on the
device and, interestingly enough, the de-
vice stored more charge.
Next, the scientists hope to demonstrate
that the materials and devices can be
scaled up in a cost-effective manner.
Our initial calculations show that the
price of the precursor, graphite oxide, and
the whole process is viable for commercial
applications, El-Kady said. We are also
trying to use this technique to build a
number of different devices such as sen-
sors. The combined properties of the laser-
scribed graphene make it potentially use-
ful as flexible, all-plastic and inexpensive
sensors.
The work appeared in Science (doi:
10.1126/science.1216744).
NEWS
TECH
Photonics Spectra May 2012 16
A closer look at the most significant photonics research and technology headlines of the month
Schematic showing the structure of laser-scribed graphene supercapacitors. Courtesy of UCLA.
512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:52 AM Page 16
Hidden 3-D objects imaged
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. A new ultrafast
time-of-flight imaging technique uses
reflections from a nonmirrored surface to
recover 3-D shapes hidden from sight,
essentially allowing the camera to capture
images around corners.
Scientists at MITs Media Lab recov-
ered 60 images from an ultrafast camera
using 60 femtosecond laser positions to
produce recognizable 3-D images of a
wooden figurine and foam cutouts outside
the devices line of sight.
The findings could lead to imaging
systems that allow emergency responders
to evaluate dangerous environments or
to vehicle navigation systems that can
negotiate blind turns. The instrument also
could be used with endoscopic medical
devices to produce images of previously
obscure regions of the body. The study
appeared in Nature Communications (doi:
10.1038/ncomms1747).
Femtosecond lasers formerly were used
to produce extremely high speed images
of biochemical processes in laboratory set-
tings, where the pulses trajectories were
carefully controlled.
Four years ago, when I talked to peo-
ple in ultrafast optics about using fem-
tosecond lasers for room-size scenes,
they said it was totally ridiculous, said
Ramesh Raskar, an associate professor at
MIT and leader of the new research.
It has been, and still is, difficult to get
imaging information at these speeds,
Andreas Velten, a former postdoctoral as-
sociate in Raskars group, told Photonics
Spectra. We expect emerging technolo-
gies to make this easier in the near future.
To recover the images of the obscured
wooden figurine, the scientists fired short
bursts of light from a Ti:sapphire laser to-
ward an opaque screen. The light reflected
off the opaque panel, then bounced around
the staged room and re-emerged, striking
the camera detector, which took measure-
ments every few picoseconds. Because the
light bursts are so short, the system can
gauge how far the light has traveled by
measuring the time it takes to reach the
detector. Light bursts were fired several
more times at several angles on the screen.
The data collected from the ultrafast
sensor was processed by algorithms devel-
oped by the scientists. The teams image-
reconstruction algorithm uses a technique
called filter backprojection, which is the
basis of CAT scans. Although blurry, the
3-D images were easily recognizable.
The reconstruction quality may change,
however, if there are multiple objects in
the room. In the experiments, Raskars
group found that problems associated with
peering around a corner are similar to
using multiple antennas to determine the
direction of incoming radio signals. The
team hopes to use this insight to improve
the image quality that the system produces
and to enable it to handle more cluttered
visual scenes.
Reconstruction quality does depend on
scene complexity to some degree, Velten
said. Whether or not multiple objects can
be distinguished depends on the resolution
of the system at that given point. The arms
and torso of the mannequin in our publica-
tion [are] an example of close surfaces
that are still separated.
At this time, it is not possible to recover
moving objects, but after the system is op-
timized for speed, reconstructions should
be possible in a few seconds time. Be-
yond that, resolution would have to be
sacrificed, Velten said.
Collision avoidance would require
extremely low resolution, since we only
need to know if there is something around
the corner and not what, he added.
The present setup cannot be moved out-
side of the lab; however, it would be easy
to build a more compact, power-efficient
setup that could be moved and operated in
such conditions without chilled water or
high-voltage outlets, Velten said.
17 Photonics Spectra May 2012
Top photo, the experimental setup with the hidden object. Courtesy of Christopher Barsi and Andreas Velten,
MIT Media Lab. Bottom left, the image captured around the corner shows a projection of a 3-D confidence
map of the reconstructed volume. The scientists used ultrafast illumination and imaging to analyze scattered
background light. They computationally reconstructed this image from the data. Courtesy of Velten et al, MIT.
Bottom right, a sketch describing the MIT concept. Courtesy of Tiago Allen.
512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:52 AM Page 17
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Just how far away can the setup be from
the object to be imaged?
This is an interesting topic for further
research, he said. The possible dimen-
sions depend on the desired reconstruction
resolution, the size of the available wall,
the distance between the wall and the ob-
ject, the distance between the wall and the
camera and laser, the scene complexity,
the laser power and the signal-to-noise
ratio of the detector.
Next, the team plans to improve the
setup and algorithm and to develop new
hardware solutions to test the method over
a variety of application scenarios.
In a related side project, which ap-
peared on p. 22 of the March 2012 issue
of Photonics Spectra, the scientists cap-
tured movies of light in motion at a 2-ps
time resolution.
Modifying our detection setup allows
us to record virtual trillion-frames-per-sec-
ond movies of light interacting with table-
top scenes, Velten said.
t TECHNEWS
Star comb aids search for exoplanets
BOULDER, Colo. A new laser fre-
quency comb soon may be able to answer
one of the most intriguing scientific ques-
tions: Are there other earthlike planets in
our galaxy capable of supporting life as
we know it?
A collaboration of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST), the
University of Colorado at Boulder and
Penn State University brings together the
best of laser science, frequency combs
and precision astronomical instrumenta-
tion. The researchers goal is to determine
whether life might exist on other planets,
said Scott Diddams, a NIST physicist and
co-creator of the frequency comb.
The device has for the first time cali-
brated measurements of infrared starlight
from stars other than the sun by precisely
measuring the frequencies of their emitted
light. The results suggest that combs even-
tually will fulfill their potential to boost
the search for Earth-like planets to the
next level.
The laser frequency comb we used is
unique because its mode spacing of 25
GHz is significantly larger than typical
combs, which might have a mode spacing
of 100 MHz to 1 GHz, Diddams told
Photonics Spectra. Another unique fea-
ture is that it was designed to be com-
pletely transportable, which enabled us to
take it out of our lab in Boulder, move it
to the McDonald Observatory and operate
it there with the 9.2-m Hobby-Eberly Tele-
scope and the Penn State University
Pathfinder spectrograph.
Another distinctive feature is that it op-
erates in the near-infrared. All other combs
currently used for astronomical observa-
tions operate in the visible spectrum.
Despite its challenges, the near-in-
frared has the particular advantage that a
certain class of stars (called M stars) emit
most of their light in this spectral region,
512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:52 AM Page 18
said Steve Osterman, an astronomer at the
University of Colorado. Moreover, there
are many M stars in our galaxy nearby the
Earth (60 percent of the stars within about
30 light-years of the Earth are M stars),
making them excellent candidates in a
search for exoplanets.
To search for planets orbiting distant
stars, astronomers look for periodic varia-
tions in the apparent colors of starlight
over time. A stars nuclear furnace emits
white light, which is modified by elements
in the atmosphere that absorb certain nar-
row bands of color. Periodic changes
within the characteristic fingerprint can
be caused by the stars wobbling from the
gravitational pull of an orbiting planet.
It is such periodic changes in the emit-
ted wavelengths that are used to infer the
presence of a planet orbiting the star, said
Suvrath Mahadevan, an assistant professor
of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn
State. In our experiments, we typically
took a series of approximately 10 expo-
sures of five minutes in duration while the
telescope was pointed at a particular stel-
lar object. Repeating this over a few
nights, we were able to determine that
our system could measure changes in the
near-infrared emitted wavelengths with
a resolution of about 50 femtometers.
The scientists note that many factors
play into how precisely they can make
such measurements. Although observation
time played a significant role, they discov-
ered that the biggest limitation was modal
noise present in the beam that illuminates
the spectrometer.
Such noise arises in the type of optical
fibers we used to transport the light be-
tween the comb, the telescope and the
spectrograph, Diddams said.
Astronomers have discovered more than
600 planets using star wobble analysis,
but a planet analogous to Earth, with low
mass and orbiting at just the right distance
from a star in the so-called Goldilocks
zone is hard to detect with conventional
technology.
The challenge is that a planet like our
Earth orbiting not too close or not too far
from a star like our sun would make the
star wobble with a velocity of only 10
centimeters per second, said Gabe Ycas,
a University of Colorado graduate student
who helped build the comb. That is about
the speed of a fast spider crawling across
19
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TECHNEWS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
NIST researchers and collaborators measured the
frequencies of infrared starlight (three solid bands
with faint tick marks indicating where light is ab-
sorbed by the atmosphere) by comparing the miss-
ing light to a laser frequency comb reference ruler
(sets of bright vertical bars indicating precise wave-
lengths, which increase from left to right). The three
sets of starlight and comb light are shown in false
color, from deeper orange (the most light) to or-
ange-white (slightly less light) to black (very little
light). Courtesy of CU Boulder/NIST/Penn State.
512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:52 AM Page 19
the floor. This small velocity change would result in a Doppler
shift of the wavelength of the starlight of only 0.5 femtometers,
which is very small indeed and difficult to detect particularly
if you consider that such measurements are made across enor-
mous distances and with faint stellar sources.
Combing the galaxy for exoplanets
The NIST comb, which spans wavelengths from 1450 to 1700
nm, provides strong signals at narrowly defined target frequencies
and is traceable to international measurement standards. When
combined with Penn States Pathfinder spectrograph, the fre-
quency comb acts as a precise ruler to calibrate and track the
exact colors in the stars fingerprint and to detect any periodic
variations.
The comb calibrated the spectrograph at the Hobby-Eberly
Telescope in the Texas mountains, where it measured star wobble
with a precision of about 10 m/s. This accuracy is comparable to
the best achieved in the infrared region of the electromagnetic
spectrum.
Observation time was limited in our first field test because
ours was a very new and high-risk experiment that had to fit into
the schedule of a significant research telescope, Diddams said.
The biggest technical difficulties arose in part from the fact that
such an experiment had never been done before.
However, the scientists say that the device has the inherent
capability of measuring star wobble of just a few centimeters per
second 100 times better although limitations in the spectro-
graph and in the stability of the star itself may constrain the ulti-
mate precision.
Next, the NIST and University of Colorado team plans to
create a comb with 30-GHz mode spacing that covers the 1000-
to 1200-nm spectral range.
Our partners at Penn State have been funded by the NSF
[National Science Foundation] to turn their Pathfinder spectro-
graph into a facility instrument which will be called the Habitable
Zone Planet Finder (HPF), Diddams said.
Demonstrating that the laser comb enabled precision radial
velocity measurements on the prototype Pathfinder is an impor-
tant component of the successful HPF proposal, added Mahade-
van, who is the HPFs principal investigator. We are continuing
to work together in the development and building stages, and
we hope to return to the Hobby-Eberly telescope in two to three
years to join the comb with the HPF, which would then begin a
dedicated campaign of exoplanet searches.
The study was published in the open-access journal Optics
Express (http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.20.006631).
t TECHNEWS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
Tsunami mapped with laser scanners
SENDAI, Japan Using eyewitness video and terrestrial lasers to
map the epic March 2011 Tohoku tsunami could produce flood-
ing forecasts that influence future evacuation plans and building
designs and could help prevent disasters of similar magnitude
from taking such a huge toll.
Researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology used the
equipment from atop the tallest buildings that survived the disas-
ter to map the tsunamis height and flood zone and to better un-
derstand the flow of its currents.
512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:52 AM Page 20
The ultimate goal is to save lives,
said associate professor Hermann Fritz.
In order to do so, we have to have a bet-
ter understanding of what worked and
didnt work.
The tsunami was Japans deadliest in
more than 100 years. Although the country
took extraordinary measures to prepare for
it, the disaster caused more than 90 per-
cent of the almost 20,000 fatalities that
occurred last March.
The researchers surveyed the impact
of the tsunami on a fishing town in Kesen-
numa Bay, where 1500 people died. The
bay had been hit by historic tsunamis in
1896, 1933, 1960 and 2010, making it the
most vulnerable spot in Japan. Its coastal
structures and other mitigation measures
were designed based on conservative,
historic high-water marks rather than on
probable maximum tsunamis.
Fritzs reconnaissance team used lasers
to scan the port and bay entrance, creating
a 3-D topographic model of the flood
zone. The group determined that the
tsunami reached a maximum height of
9 m, followed by outflow currents of
11 m/s less than 10 minutes later, a speed
impossible to survive or navigate by ves-
sels, Fritz said.
What we can learn from the hydro-
graph is confirmation that the water goes
out first, drawing down to more than neg-
ative three meters on the landward side
of the trench, which can make vessels hit
ground inside harbors, Fritz said. During
the subsequent arrival of the main tsunami
wave, the water rushing back in changed
the water level by 40 feet, engulfing the
entire city in 12 minutes.
Understanding the impact of tsunamis
will help prepare for future disasters
whether it is designing seawalls and
breakwaters strong enough to control
the flow of water or erecting buildings
high enough to serve as vertical evacua-
tion points.
Besides these mitigation measures, Fritz
emphasizes tsunami education.
People need to be tsunami-aware,
he said.
Fritz worked with teams of researchers
from the University of Southern California
and the University of Tokyo, the Tokyo
University of Marine Science and Tech-
nology, and the Port and Airport Research
Institute, in coordination with the UN-
ESCO-organized International Tsunami
Survey Team and Tohoku University in
Sendai.
21
t TECHNEWS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
Professor Hermann Fritz used terrestrial laser scanners to map the height of the March 2011 Tohoku tsunami
and learn more about the flow of its destructive currents. His team determined that the tsunami reached a
maximum height of 9 m, followed by outflow currents of 11 m/s less than 10 minutes later, a speed that
Fritz said is impossible to survive or navigate by vessel. Courtesy of Georgia Tech.
For more information on the effect of the tsunami and earthquake on the photonics
industry, see Optics industry on steady ground after quake, on p. 38 of the March
2012 issue of Photonics Spectra.
512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:52 AM Page 21
COLUMBUS, Ohio The first real-time
image of two atoms vibrating in a mole-
cule was recorded with a new ultrafast
camera.
A team from Kansas and The Ohio state
universities used ultrafast laser pulses to
knock one electron out of its natural orbit
in a molecule, and the electron then fell
back toward the molecule scattered off it.
The use of the energy of a molecules own
electron acted as a flashbulb to illumi-
nate the molecular motion.
The feat marks the first step toward
observing chemical reactions and control-
ling them on an atomic scale, said princi-
pal investigator Louis DiMauro, a physics
professor at Ohio State.
Through these experiments, we real-
ized that we can control the quantum tra-
jectory of the electron when it comes back
to the molecule by adjusting the laser that
launches it, he said. The next step will
be to see if we can steer the electron in
just the right way to actually control a
chemical reaction.
Standard imaging methods for a still
object involve shooting it with an electron
beam, which bombards the object with
millions of electrons per second. The new
single-electron quantum approach, how-
ever, enabled the researchers to take im-
ages of rapid molecular motion based on
theoretical developments by scientists at
Kansas State.
The scientists used laser-induced elec-
tron diffraction (LIED) a technique com-
monly used in surface science to study
solid materials to study the movement
of atoms in a single molecule of nitrogen
and oxygen, two common gases.
In each case, they hit the molecule with
50-fs laser light pulses, knocking a single
electron out of the shell of the molecule
and detecting the scattered signal of the
electron as it recollided with the molecule.
22
t TECHNEWS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
Camera captures atoms moving in a molecule
Laser-induced electron diffraction (LIED) provides a
new method for imaging gas-phase molecular imag-
ing with picometer spatial resolution and femtosec-
ond timing. In panel 1, the LIED approach is en-
abled by strong-field molecular tunnel ionization
that occurs in a low-frequency laser field (green
line). In panel 2, the ionized electron is driven back
by the laser field and diffracts from the molecular
structure. In panel 3, measurement of the electrons
momentum distribution conveys the structural infor-
mation at the diffraction time. Courtesy of Cosmin
Blaga, The Ohio State University.
512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:52 AM Page 22
DiMauro and Ohio State postdoctoral
researcher Cosmin Blaga likened the scat-
tered electron signal to the diffraction
pattern that light forms when it passes
through slits. Given only the diffraction
pattern, scientists can reconstruct the size
and shape of the slits. In this case, given
the diffraction pattern of the electron, the
physicists reconstructed the size and shape
of the molecule i.e., the locations of the
constituent atoms nuclei.
The key element of the experiment was
that, during the brief time between when
the electron was knocked out of the mole-
cule and when it recollided, the atoms in
the molecules had moved, Blaga said. The
LIED method can capture this movement
similar to making a movie of the quan-
tum world, he added.
The method also provides a new tool to
study a matters structure and dynamics.
Ultimately, the scientists want to under-
stand how chemical reactions occur.
You could use this to study individual
atoms, DiMauro noted, but the greater
impact to science will come when we can
study reactions between more complex
molecules. Looking at two atoms thats
a long way from studying a more interest-
ing molecule like a protein.
The experiment was published in the
March issue of Nature (doi:10.1038/
nature10820).
23
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TECHNEWS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
Microlens arrays from a test tube
POTSDAM, Germany Simple
calcium carbonate precipitation
at ambient conditions can pro-
duce microlens arrays of uni-
form size and focal length. The
process offers a cheaper alterna-
tive to lithographic techniques
used to create inorganic-based
materials.
Scientists at Max Planck
Institute of Colloids and Inter-
faces collaborated with re-
searchers from the University
of Konstanz, the Korea Institute
of Geoscience and Mineral Re-
sources, and KAIST (formerly
the Korea Advanced Institute
of Science and Technology),
both in South Korea, to develop
the optically functional micro-
meter-size hemispherical
CaCO
3
structures. To create
the microarrays by simple min-
eral precipitation, they used a
saturated calcium solution and
CO
2
in air, along with an or-
ganic surfactant that regulates
mineral formation.
Biominerals, such as sea-
shells and bones, grow in aque-
ous media at ambient condi-
tions in a genetically program-
med way. The researchers dis-
covered that, under atmospheric
conditions, micrometer-size
CaCO
3
structures form in
a few minutes at the surface
of a calcium-saturated solution.
In less than two hours, the
precipitate forms a thin film.
The addition of organic surfac-
tants allowed hemispherically
shaped uniform structures to
be synthesized.
This is such a simple and
cheap process for the fabrica-
tion of high-quality microlens
arrays, and you just need [a]
512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:53 AM Page 23
calcium-saturated solution with
a small amount of the organic
surfactant, while alternative
lithographic techniques require
multiple steps and a clean-
room, said Kyubock Lee, a
researcher who worked on the
project at Max Planck and at
KAIST.
Multiple images of a micron-
size A were observed through
the array of microlenses. The
collimated light can be focused
into a 1-m spot by passing
through 6-m CaCO
3
micro-
lenses with a focal length rang-
ing from 7 to 8 m.
It was very surprising when
we observed that hemispherical
CaCO
3
structures work as mi-
cron-size convex lenses with
such a high quality, said Wolf-
gang Wagermaier, a researcher
at Max Planck. These optical
properties have not been dem-
onstrated before with synthetic
CaCO
3
structures.
The biocompatible CaCO
3
is
a base material for the skeletons
of a large number of biological
organisms. The biocompatibil-
ity of the CaCO
3
microlens
arrays was demonstrated by
seeding fibroblasts, the com-
mon connective cell tissue in
animals, proving the viability
of the cell array.
They also observed that a
single cell can cover multiple
microlenses, signifying that
CaCO
3
microlens arrays com-
bined with optics have potential
for cell biology research.
Usually, it is very challeng-
ing to fully understand and
mimic the biologically con-
trolled formation of such ad-
vanced mineral structures,
although it is an eventual goal
of biomimetic materials re-
search, said Peter Fratzl, head
of the biomaterials department
at Max Planck Institute. The
fabrication of CaCO
3
microlens
arrays demonstrates that the
principles of self-assembly and
organic controlled formation
of mineral could be realized
to produce advanced optical
devices.
24
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TECHNEWS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
Lab lightning strikes same place more than twice
PALAISEAU, France With the help of
a laser-based lightning rod, laboratory-
generated lightning was coaxed to strike
the same place not just twice but numer-
ous times, and contrary to the path of least
resistance. This advance demonstrates
the potential of such rods for research
and protection.
In earlier experiments, femtosecond
lasers were used to produce a virtual light-
ning rod from ultrashort filaments of ion-
ized gas that act as electrical guide wires.
Now, for the first time, researchers in
France have used laser-induced atmos-
pheric filaments to reroute an electrical
discharge from striking the highest tree,
instead striking a lower object over
and over again.
A team from Laboratoire dOptique
Applique, EADS France, CILAS and
Astrium conducted experiments to test
how well lasers can harness and control
lightning. They sent a laser beam past a
spherical electrode toward an oppositely
512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:53 AM Page 24
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charged planar electrode. The laser
stripped away the outer electrons from
the atoms along its path, creating a plasma
filament that channeled an electrical dis-
charge from the planar electrode to the
spherical one.
A longer, pointed electrode was added
to determine whether the filament could
redirect an electrical discharge from its
normal path.
They found that they could divert the
electrical discharge even after it was al-
ready on its way, meaning that they could
change the path of the lightning.
The laser lightning rod would be a
valuable alternative to lightning rockets,
devices that control lightning strikes, said
Dr. Aurlien Houard of the Laboratoire
dOptique Applique.
The research was published online in
the American Institute of Physics journal
AIP Advances.
t TECHNEWS
Integrated picture of the discharge and measure-
ments of the voltage and current in the case of an
unguided discharge (a, b) and a laser-guided dis-
charge (c, d). Courtesy of AIP Advances, American
Institute of Physics.
L
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b
d
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512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:53 AM Page 26
512_Coherent_Meterless_Pg27_Layout 1 4/19/12 2:57 PM Page 27
28
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TECHNEWS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
Ashley N. Paddock
ashley.paddock@photonics.com
Attosecond laser takes aim at holy grail of chemistry research
LONDON Ultrafast pulses of laser light
fired at oxygen, nitrogen and carbon
monoxide molecules could pave the way
toward imaging the movement of atoms
and their electrons as they undergo chemi-
cal reactions one of the holy grails of
chemistry research.
A team from Max Born Institute in
Berlin, FOM-Institute AMOLF in Amster-
dam and Texas A&M University in Col-
lege Station fired pulses that span only a
few hundred attoseconds at a sample of
molecules to map the quick movements
of atoms within the molecules as well as
the charges that surround them.
Previous research probed at the struc-
ture of molecules using a variety of tech-
niques; however, the inherent challenge is
to perform these experiments in systems
where changes are rapidly occurring on
very small timescales.
In the new work, short laser pulses were
fired at the target molecule in an attempt
to dislodge an electron. This photoioniza-
tion process images atoms and molecules
in unprecedented detail.
The researchers wanted to monitor in
real time the electrical and molecular
changes that occurred as an atom under-
went a chemical reaction. They intended
to do this by triggering a reaction with
the laser, breaking the chemical bond that
held the molecules together and using
the photoionization method to image the
changes that occurred in the molecule as
they happened.
We show that the photoelectron spectra
recorded for a small molecule, such as
oxygen, nitrogen and carbon monoxide,
contain a wealth of information about
electron orbitals and the underlying mo-
lecular structure, said Dr. Arnaud Rouze
of Max Born Institute, lead author of the
study. This is a proof-of-principle experi-
ment that electrons ejected within the
molecule can be used to monitor ultrafast
electronic and atomic motion.
The study was published in IOP Pub-
lishings Journal of Physics B: Atomic,
Molecular and Optical Physics.
Photoelectron angular distributions for the ionization
of aligned and anti-aligned molecules using an
attosecond pulse train. CO
2
carbon dioxide.
Courtesy of Arnaud Rouze, Max Born Institute.
512TechNews_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:53 AM Page 28
512_ILXLightwave_Pg29_Layout 1 4/19/12 2:58 PM Page 29
Impact of PV panel penalties pondered
WASHINGTON In March, the US
Department of Commerce imposed duties
on imports of crystalline silicon photo-
voltaic (PV) cells from China after finding
that companies there received illegal gov-
ernment subsidies. But the long-term
effect of the move, on both the US-based
solar market and on China, remains to
be seen.
The tariffs, ranging from 2.9 to 4.73
percent, were smaller than expected by
those on both sides of the issue. The find-
ing is a preliminary determination; a final
ruling is expected to be announced in
June.
The surprisingly low numbers would
likely mean that the major Chinese com-
panies would have to pay between about
$5 million and $10 million to cover prod-
ucts shipped, a relatively minimal impact,
Citigroup analyst Timothy Arcuri told
Reuters news agency.
Still, the fact that tariffs were imposed
at all affirms what US manufacturers
have long known: Chinese manufacturers
have received unfair and [World Trade
Organization]-illegal subsidies, said
Steve Ostrenga, CEO of Milwaukee-based
Helios Solar Works, in a statement on the
website of the Coalition for American
Solar Manufacturing (CASM). The seven-
manufacturer CASM represents about
15,000 workers at more than 150 US
companies.
The initial duties do not cover the full
extent of the harm caused by Chinas
subsidies, said Gordon Brinser, president
of SolarWorld AGs US unit, in an inter-
view with Bloomberg News in March.
He expects the final tariffs to be higher.
SolarWorld, a member of CASM, is peti-
tioner in the governments anti-subsidy
and anti-dumping cases. Based in Ger-
many, it also has production facilities in
Hillsboro, Ore.
Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. of
Wuxi, China, the worlds largest manufac-
turer of solar panels, received countervail-
ing, or anti-subsidy, duties of 2.9 percent
from the Commerce Department on its
crystalline silicon PV cells.
This initial decision reflects the reality
that Suntechs global success is based on
free and fair competition, said Andrew
Beebe, Suntechs chief commercial officer,
in a statement. He added that unilateral
trade barriers such as these will further
delay our transition away from fossil fuels
at a time when the majority of Americans
demand cleaner and more secure energy
such as solar.
Besides China, Suntech has manufactur-
ing sites in Japan and the US. Regardless
[of] whether tariffs are imposed on solar
cells from China, we can provide our cus-
tomers in the US with hundreds of mega-
watts of solar products that are not sub-
ject to tariffs, Beebe said.
We are not dumping, nor do we be-
lieve that we are unfairly subsidized,
said Robert Petrina, managing director of
Yingli Green Energy Americas Inc., the
US subsidiary of Yingli Green Energy
Holding Co. Ltd. of Baoding, China. We
will continue to fight for affordable solar
energy and further growth of the tens of
thousands of US solar jobs that we help
to create. Regardless of the outcome of
this proceeding, we remain dedicated to
the US solar market.
The Commerce Departments decision
is a relatively positive outcome for the
US solar industry and its 100,000 employ-
ees, said Jigar Shah, president of the
Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy
(CASE), in an official statement. This
decision clearly demonstrates that the
Commerce Department did not find the
Chinese government engaged in massive
subsidization, as SolarWorld and CASM
claim.
CASE objects to any solar tariffs, Shah
said, because they will hurt American jobs
and prolong dependence on fossil fuels.
He cited a recent study by the Brattle
Group, an international economic consult-
ing firm, which determined that placing
artificially high tariffs on solar panels
will result in the loss of up to 60,000 US
jobs by 2014. Fortunately, this decision
will not significantly raise solar prices in
the United States, he added.
The major trade issues between China
and the US affect every export-oriented
industry, not just solar panels, wrote Tom
Gutierrez, CEO of industry production
equipment provider GT Advanced Tech-
nologies, in an editorial on the CASE
website. This issue should be addressed
by bilateral negotiations between the two
countries. The answer is not imposing a
special tariff really a tax on solar
panels. That tax would be built into the
costs of solar energy systems, making
solar power much more expensive for
electric utilities and commercial and resi-
dential consumers.
30 Photonics Spectra May 2012
TRACK
FAST
Gordon Brinser, US president of SolarWorld, speaks at the solar trade action press conference in October
2011 about the case against China as US Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., looks on. Courtesy of SolarWorld USA.
512FastTrack_Layout 1 4/20/12 1:47 PM Page 30
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If fair international trade can be re-
established, the solar-pioneering US indus-
try will once again compete on legitimate
market factors such as product perform-
ance, production efficiency and unsubsi-
dized pricing, Brinser said. We need
both the domestic manufacturing and in-
stallation businesses to participate in fair
competition to advance our solar indus-
trys reach for greater national energy,
economic and environmental security.
In 2010, the US Department of Energy
estimated that the Chinese government
provided its manufacturers with more than
$30 billion in subsidies. CASM contends
that Chinas subsidies spurred its produc-
ers to build huge excesses of manufactur-
ing capacity, to export more than 95 per-
cent of production and to sell products at
artificially low prices to unfairly seize
US market share at the expense of domes-
tic producers. At least 12 US manufactur-
ers of crystalline silicon solar cells and
panels have closed plants, gone bankrupt
or staged significant layoffs since 2010,
the coalition says.
One such company is Solyndra, a
Fremont, Calif., manufacturer of rooftop
solar panels that filed for bankruptcy in
September. Although not a significant
industry player, the company drew much
media attention and government investi-
gation after receiving more than $500
million in federally guaranteed loans.
In early March, CASM released a report
that found that the US swung from a small
surplus in solar product trade with China
in 2010 to a $1.6 billion trade deficit in
2011. This swing unfolded, the coalition
said, despite the fact that a National Re-
newable Energy Laboratory presentation
concluded that Chinese manufacturers
actually face a 5 percent cost disadvantage
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SolarWorld solar cells manufactured at the US headquarters in Hillsboro, Ore. Courtesy of SolarWorld USA.
512FastTrack_Layout 1 4/20/12 1:47 PM Page 32
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BRIGHT IDEAS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
512 Bright Ideas_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:59 AM Page 71
<1 dB. The devices use proprietary DirectLight
technology. The control electronics are designed
with carrier-class architecture and power-effi-
cient devices. The switches combine a high port
count with rapid reconfiguration. All-optical
switches have near-zero latency and are trans-
parent to future data-rate upgrades. DirectLight
uses piezoelectric actuation to steer the light
directly between switch ports to obtain the best
optical connection. Integrated position sensors
on every fiber ensure patchcordlike transmission
independent of the color, direction or power
level of light on the fiber. Applications include
defense, test and measurement, data center
interconnects, high-definition video broadcast
routing and reconfigurable optical add-drop
multiplexers in telecom networks.
Polatis Inc.
info@polatis.com
Objective Lenses
Olympus Europa Holding GmbH has released
its water-immersion MicroProbe Objective
lenses for studying the internal biology of living
organisms. The 27 magnification IV-OB35F
22W20 and the 20 IV-OB13F20W20 are
housed in tips with 3.5- and 1.3-mm diameters,
respectively. They can be inserted into small
surgical excisions, facilitating in vivo imaging
without disrupting the tissue or organ, or into
the ear or through the body wall via keyhole
surgery. They also can be positioned over small
tissues such as the cornea. Combined with
patch clamping, they can produce multifluores-
cence images. Designed to work with laser
scanning microscopes or multiphoton systems,
they offer high IR transmission rates for multi-
photon excitation experiments. The lenses are
suitable for intravital imaging because water
can mix with bodily fluids without hindering an
experiment, and extra water can be supplied
using an aspiration/irrigation system that fits
onto the tip of the objective.
Olympus Europa Holding GmbH
microscopy@olympus-europa.com
VIS Bandpass Filter
Delta Light & Optics LVVISBP visible linear vari-
able bandpass filters spectral properties vary
linearly along the long side. The position of the
center wavelength can be adjusted by sliding
the filter with respect to the incident light. This
opens up new design possibilities for analytical
and diagnostic instruments such as spectrome-
ters. By combining linear variable short- and
long-pass filters, bandpass filters can be tuned
continuously with center wavelengths from
320 to 850 nm, with tunable bandwidth. They
offer blocking levels better than OD 3 over the
complete reflection range, or OD 5 when two
filters are placed in series. They are coated on
single quartz substrates for minimal autofluores-
cence and a high laser damage threshold. The
ultrahard surface coatings offer high packing
density and spectral stability with no drift,
increased lifetime, mechanical stability and
minimal water uptake.
Delta Light & Optics
filters@delta.dk
Microspectrometer
Avantes BVs Avabench-RS configurable minia-
ture spectrometer allows the user to change the
slit and connector on the go. In the laboratory
or on the road, it takes only a screwdriver to
continue measurements with a new setup. The
microspectrometer adapts to changing needs,
whether the user requires higher throughput or
resolution. The proprietary ultralow stray light
optical bench is the enabling technology for this
and is available on all Avantes UV/VIS/NIR
AvaSpec spectrometers. The company says that
customers will get up to five times better stray
light performance and good thermal and
mechanical stability. The spectrometer includes
a choice of 13 standard gratings and 10 detec-
tor options.
Avantes BV
info@avantes.com
Radiation-Resistant Zoom Lens
Resolve Optics Ltd. has released a longer-focal-
length version (24 to 144 mm) of its Model 290
motorized radiation-resistant zoom lens. Pre-
senting the same compact footprint as the stan-
dard Model 290, the new 6 zoom lens allows
users to get closer to the subject and renders
images easier to read. The lens enables users to
image objects from 800 mm to infinity without
the need for add-on adapters. When focused at
72
b BRIGHT IDEAS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
512 Bright Ideas_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:59 AM Page 72
infinity, the lens achieves high image resolution
on-axis at full aperture throughout the zoom
range without refocusing (image tracking).
Operating at f/1.8, the extended-range Model
290 provides high image resolution and mini-
mum geometric distortion from 400 to 750 nm.
All optical elements in the nonbrowning zoom
lenses are made using cerium-oxide-doped
glass or synthetic silica, enabling them to with-
stand radiation exposure of up to 53 million
rads and temperatures up to 55 C without
discoloration.
Resolve Optics Ltd.
sales@resolveoptics.com
IP67 Enclosures
Available in three standard sizes with a maxi-
mum length of 250 mm, IP67 protective enclo-
sures from autoVimations Orca series are suit-
able for large cameras with a cross section of
up to 62 62 mm. Users can select the version
for fish-eye or panamorph lenses with an image
angle of up to 200. Enclosures for thermal
imaging cameras featuring a 2- or 3-in. in-
frared transparent germanium window are
available, as are mounting brackets for block
and surveillance cameras. A patented quick lock
and heat guide system thermally couples the
camera to the outer enclosure wall, and the
passive cooling effect of the wall reduces cam-
era temperature. The 3-in. front window allows
use of wide-angle and large telecentric lenses.
Proprietary mounting kits for laser triangulation
tasks allow users to quickly integrate the enclo-
sures into 3-D applications.
autoVimation
sales@autovimation.com
Widely Tunable 3.2-m Laser
Daylight Solutions Inc.s TLS-41032 external
cavity laser offers >200 cm
1
of tenability,
with wavelength coverage in the 3.25-m
(3080 cm
1
) region of the mid-infrared spec-
trum. Users can embed it into sensors targeted
at industrial monitoring, process control,
process analytical technology, environmental
and safety applications. The laser provides in-
creased performance in spectral brightness,
tuning range and power. The center wavelength
matches the fundamental C-H stretching vibra-
tional mode, enabling measurement of most
hydrocarbons. The broad tuning range permits
analysis of multicomponent samples, where
blended absorption features or broad back-
grounds can produce ambiguous results when
using distributed feedback devices with limited
tuning ranges. The system enables new instru-
ments in the petrochemical and environmental
industries to detect and discriminate a wide
range of molecules based upon their unique
spectral signatures at these wavelengths.
Daylight Solutions Inc.
carmacost@daylightsolutions.com
Broadband Visible Light Source
Ocean Optics Inc.s BluLoop, a compact LED-
based light source, offers balanced spectral
output across the visible (400 to 700 nm) range.
When coupled to a miniature spectrometer,
optical fibers and sampling accessories, it is
suitable for color and reflectance measure-
ments, and for general-purpose VIS-NIR spec-
troscopy. BluLoops four LEDs are packaged in a
rugged, compact housing. Each LED is individu-
ally tunable for optimum balancing of the spec-
tral output. Unlike tungsten halogen sources,
BluLoop produces flatter spectral output in
the visible range for more predictable response,
especially for color analysis. It provides a more
constant spectral distribution and strongly re-
duced instrumental stray light, and its power
output is comparable to that of standard tung-
sten halogen sources.
Ocean Optics Inc.
info@oceanoptics.com
Fluorescence Illumination System
Prior Scientific Inc. has released the newest ad-
dition to its Lumen series fluorescence illumina-
tion systems. The Lumen 200S has a robust in-
ternal high-speed shutter and control options
73
- Ultra-low deadtime
(<10ns)
- Counts virtually every
photon
- Measure lifetimes from
picoseconds to seconds
- Two channels available
for simultaneous data
acquisition
- USB interface-no PCI
cards
Discover our full range
of picosecond
components for:
TCSPC
Single molecule
fuorescence
Photon migration
Fluorophore lifetimes
picocomponents.com
adsci.photospec@horiba.com
NEW
DeltaHub
TCSPC
Module
Make
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photon
count !
b BRIGHT IDEAS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
512 Bright Ideas_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:59 AM Page 73
including RS-232, USB, transistor-transistor logic
and a proprietary ProScan III controller shutter
port. The system features a 2000-h lifetime and
a 200-W metal arc lamp with a stabilized DC
power supply for consistent illumination. It
offers a 2- or 3-m lightguide and an easy-to-
view display screen for bulb life indication. With
quiet operation and a six-position adjustable
aperture/intensity knob to protect samples from
photobleaching, the 200S is suitable for labora-
tory use. Adapters are available for all modern
microscopes. Also available is the Lumen 220S
model, which offers the same features along
with an extended spectral output.
Prior Scientific Inc.
ddoherty@prior.com
Optical Modulation Analyzer
For testing 40/100-G coherent transmitters and
receivers, Agilent Technologies Inc. has intro-
duced the N4392A, a portable integrated opti-
cal modulation analyzer with a laptop-size
screen. It enables engineers to characterize
in-phase quadrature modulators and integrated
coherent receivers. Performance verification
and recalibration routines extend the recom-
mended recalibration period, improving uptime.
A 15-in. analysis screen shows more informa-
tion simultaneously, making it easier for engi-
neers to characterize complex modulated optical
signals. The device offers four differential radio-
frequency input channels for characterizing
integrated coherent optical receivers. Signal-
processing algorithms perform modulation-
format-transparent polarization alignment and
phase tracking, and the analyzers offer chro-
matic dispersion and first-order polarization
mode-dispersion measurement and compensa-
tion. The analyzers provide a defined interface
to customer-developed MatLab algorithms.
Agilent Technologies Inc.
contact_us@agilent.com
Low-Noise Microchannel Plates
Photonis USA Inc. has launched a long-life, low-
noise (L3N) performance option for its micro-
channel plate (MCP) product line. The company
says that the L3N option offers up to a hun-
dredfold reduction in background noise when
compared with traditional MCPs. It is suitable
for applications where the background noise is
lower than the detector noise. Recent tests con-
firmed that, at 0.01 counts per second per
square centimeter, the L3N MCP dark count
level approaches the background level of
cosmic rays. Other applications include low-
level imaging and high-energy physics research.
The L3N option also is available on any of the
companys products that contain MCPs, includ-
ing specialty Stripline MCPs and time-of-flight
detectors.
Photonis USA Inc.
sales@usa.photonis.com
UV/Si Calibrated Photodetectors
Newport Corp. has released two wand photo-
detectors, the 818-ST2 and 818-ST2-UV. They
operate from 200 to 1100 nm, and metal cases
safeguard the optics in the setup, especially in
the UV wavelength range, keeping the housing
and attenuator glue protected from high heat
damage. The 818-ST2 incorporates a 10 10-
mm silicon photodiode. The slender wand de-
sign is suitable for detection and measurement
in tight or confined spaces, and a mounting
hole on the side makes it easy to install without
the need for angle brackets. Power levels are
from picowatts to 2 W, with a built-in calibrated
OD3 attenuator that has an easily readable
and accessible on/off indicator. The DB15 cali-
bration module is detachable from the BNC
connector, permitting interface with the com-
panys power meters. The photodetectors also
are compatible with oscilloscopes and current
meters.
Newport Corp.
jay.jeong@newport.com
Improved Four-Axis Precision Mount
Pinpoint Laser Systems improved precision
mount for the Microgage laser line is lighter
and provides finer accuracy and control. It
moves the laser in four axes: vertical and hori-
zontal, and pitch and yaw. The laser beam can
be positioned to within 0.001 in. and is suitable
for checking machinery travel, precision bore
alignment and the straightness of fixtures and
assemblies. Two micrometers adjust the eleva-
tion of the laser up and down, and its position
left and right. Another pair of adjustments pro-
vides angular control of pitch and yaw. The
74
b BRIGHT IDEAS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
512 Bright Ideas_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:59 AM Page 74
mount is attached to a tripod or bolted to a
machine, enabling tight laser positioning con-
trol over distances of 150 ft. It is used for check-
ing machinery parallelism, squareness, flatness
and bore alignment. Made from solid aluminum
and protected by a hard anodized coating, it is
assembled with roller-bearing slides and stain-
less steel hardware.
Pinpoint Laser Systems
info@pinlaser.com
Scalable Matrix Optical Switch
SA Photonics has introduced the Cosmos com-
pact scalable matrix all-optical switch for space-
based-communications networks. It provides the
foundation for networks within and between
satellites, enabling higher bandwidth and lower
crosstalk than are possible with radio-frequency
communication. It has minimal power require-
ments, a modular architecture that integrates
into any modern satellite, and a design that
withstands the extreme temperatures and radia-
tion that satellites encounter in space. It uses
a solid-state switching mechanism made from
integrated off-the-shelf components, resulting
in low insertion loss, zero drift over years of
operation, zero power switch latching and
simple integration into communications subsys-
tems. Average switch speed is 15 ms, and
average insertion loss is 1 dB.
SA Photonics
sales@saphotonics.com
LED Technology
Z-Laser Optoelektronik GmbH now offers
customized OEM Moodlight LEDs for industries
including medical technology and architecture.
An important aspect of the color surfaces is the
small building depth, starting from 4 mm. The
scratch-proof polymethyl methacrylate is ren-
dered resistant to chemicals by a special proce-
dure. Free selectable optical possibilities, includ-
ing transparency and opaque glass effect in
desired gradation and/or opacity, open up a
number of possibilities for product design. The
company calls the color-changing LED surfaces
eye-catching. Depending upon the requirement,
various control profiles can be called up, e.g.,
for impressive lighting in a single strong color
or for rotating straight through the entire color
palette.
Z-Laser Optoelektronik GmbH
info@z-laser.de
Fiber Optic Simulator
A compact fiber optic network simulator that
can be customized to emulate a physical net-
work in the laboratory with reliability and re-
peatability is available from M2 Optics Inc. The
Fiber Lab 3200 is a 19-in. rack-mounted optical
fiber management package that can be cus-
tomized with virtually any fiber type or mix, in-
cluding lengths, splices and connectors, to pre-
cisely match a physical networks specifications.
Able to simulate an optical network to 120 km,
it eliminates fiber and connector damage and
yields repeatable results. Built to customer re-
quirements, the simulator holds up to four
lengths and lets network developers emulate a
physical network in their laboratories to ensure
that the systems will work as intended when
deployed in the field. Applications include prod-
uct development and certification, long-distance
network simulation, latency and delay testing,
and training.
M2 Optics Inc.
sales@m2optics.com
Pitch-Reducing Optical Fiber Array
The PROFA (pitch-reducing optical fiber array)
product line is an evolution of Chiral Photonics
Inc.s spot size converting interconnects, which
interface standard optical fibers with photonic
integrated circuits. The multichannel 2-D dense
fiber array is suited for vertical interfacing to
vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, receivers
or vertically coupled gratings. A monolithic
glass structure incorporating an adiabatic taper
and integrated pigtails brings multiple optical
channels close together for efficient and space-
saving coupling. The technology reduces chan-
nel pitch while tailoring the numerical aperture
of individual channels to customer needs.
The company is offering a 50-plus-channel
device with single-mode waveguides in the
visible spectral range, with channel spacing
of <40 m.
Chiral Photonics Inc.
lookdifferent@chiralphotonics.com
Forensic Glass Analyzer
Craic Technologies Inc. and Laboratory Imaging
sro have launched the rIQ (refractive index
b BRIGHT IDEAS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
512 Bright Ideas_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:59 AM Page 75
quantification) for analyzing glass trace evi-
dence. The automated system combines image
analysis software, an advanced optical design
and electronics to enable criminalists in forensic
laboratories to measure the refractive index of
multiple glass fragments simultaneously and
quickly. When combined with Craics micro-
scope spectrophotometers and microcolori-
meters, it determines transmission and fluores-
cence spectral characteristics of glass. The sys-
tem uses the thermal immersion method to
measure the refractive index of microscopic
glass fragments. The stand-alone package
consists of a phase contrast microscope, a
digital camera, the optical interface, a thermal
stage, controlling electronics and software.
The add-on package can be integrated with
Craic microspectrophotometers to determine
the color, absorbance microspectra, fluores-
cence microspectra and refractive index of small
glass fragments.
Craic Technologies Inc.
sales@microspectra.com
ZnS Optics for Mid-IR Lasers
REO Inc. has released mid-infrared optics
with a high laser damage threshold, environ-
mental stability and mechanical durability. The
zinc sulfide (ZnS) components are used with
Ho:YAG-pumped optical parametric oscillators
and other laser systems operating in the 2- to
5-m range. The ZnS substrates are precision-
ground and -polished, then coated using ion
beam sputtering, yielding densified thin films
that are impervious to water absorption. Appli-
cations include IR countermeasures, laser desig-
nating/rangefinding, atmospheric sensing and
small-molecule spectroscopy. The series in-
cludes flat and radiused components with 5-
to 150-mm-diameter substrates. All feature sur-
face accuracy of /10 at 632.8 nm and 20-10
surface quality, and are offered with antireflec-
tion, high-reflection and multispectral coatings.
The laser damage threshold of the antireflection
bands is >8 J/cm
2
at 2.05 m in a 75-ns pulse,
while high reflection bands produce damage
resistance of >50 J/cm
2
for the same pulse
specifications.
REO Inc.
markd@reoinc.com
76
b BRIGHT IDEAS
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512 Bright Ideas_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:59 AM Page 76
Vision Sensor
The IV Vision Sensor from Keyence Corp. of
America combines the functions of machine
vision and traditional sensors. Setup takes
1 min using the Navigator software. The sensor
accommodates presence-detection applications
that previously required multiple conventional
or proximity sensors. Equipment includes high-
intensity illumination, lenses and eight sensor
heads to produce sharp and stable images. The
IV camera selection includes close-, medium-
and long-range models. The sensor complies
with the IP67 enclosure rating based on IEC/JIS
standards. It has applications in the semicon-
ductor, electrical, electronics, automotive, food,
pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries.
Features include automatic focus, automatic
one-touch brightness adjustment, a quad lens,
output adjustment, remote operation, a statistics
function and a pattern tool. The autotuning
function enables optimization of threshold and
parameters. Illumination accessories and utili-
ties include dome lights, a high-speed/high-
dynamic-range function and polarizing filters
to eliminate glare.
Keyence Corp. of America
marketing@keyence.com
Diamond ATR Probe
Axiom Analytical Inc. has announced its DMD-
270Fx, a flexibly coupled diamond ATR (attenu-
ated total reflectance) probe for use in mid-IR
spectroscopy. It uses hollow flexible lightguides
to provide coupling to a Fourier transform in-
frared spectrometer, providing flexibility without
the drawbacks of solid-core mid-infrared optical
fibers. In contrast to the solid-core mid-IR fibers,
the hollow polymer lightguides provide full-
fingerprint-region spectral coverage combined
with stability and durability. Extreme chemical
resistance is ensured by the use of a diamond
ATR element, Hastelloy construction and ener-
gized polytetrafluoroethylene seals. The probe
is used in applications ranging from chemical
and pharmaceutical research to incoming in-
spection of raw materials and online process
77
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b BRIGHT IDEAS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
512 Bright Ideas_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:59 AM Page 77
analysis. It features broad mid-IR spectral response, providing detailed
quantitative analysis based on specific chemical functional groups.
Axiom Analytical Inc.
info@goaxiom.com
4-Megapixel Camera
Optronis GmbHs CL4000CXP is a 4-megapixel camera with a high-speed
CoaXPress interface upgraded with the GenICam standard. The camera
has four CoaXPress channels and can transfer 25 Gb/s across a parallel
connection, allowing 500 images to be received per second in real time on
the connected PC. It is suitable for real-time applications in 2- and 3-D
surface analysis. The company supplies interfaces for frame grabbers pro-
duced by leading manufacturers, providing configuration tools that make it
easier to integrate the camera and that enable semiautomated configura-
tion. Supported by the development environment provided by the frame-
grabber manufacturer, customers are offered a professional solution for
evaluating optical data easily. The camera performs simple image process-
ing in industrial applications and produces traceable and precise data.
Optronis GmbH
info@optronis.com
78
b BRIGHT IDEAS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
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.
512 Bright Ideas_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:59 AM Page 78
JUNE
Display Week 2012 (June 3-8) Boston.
Contact Society for Information Display,
+1 (408) 879-3901; office@sid.org;
www.sid.org.
Principles of Fluorescence Techniques
Course (June 4-6) Urbana, Ill. Contact
Samantha Redes, +1 (217) 359-8681;
coordinator@fluorescence-foundation.org;
www.fluorescence-foundation.org.
Laser Welding: Equipment and Process
Validation (June 4-7) Madison, Wis. Contact
Elaine M. Bower, College of Engineering,
University of Wisconsin-Madison, +1 (800)
462-0876; bower@engr.wisc.edu; epd.engr.
wisc.edu/laserprocess.
Laser Safety Officer Training Course
(June 5-8) San Diego. Contact Rockwell
Laser Industries, +1 (513) 272-9900; training
@rli.com; www.rli.com.
3D Microscopy of Living Cells Course
(June 9-21) and 3D Image Processing
Postcourse Workshop (June 23-25)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Contact James Pawley, University of
Wisconsin-Madison, +1 (608) 238-3953;
jbpawley@wisc.edu; ww.3dcourse.ubc.ca/2012.
QIRT 2012: 11th Quantitative Infrared
Thermography Conference (June 11-14)
Naples, Italy. Contact Secretariat, +39 081
7685 184; qirt2012@unina.it; www.qirt2012.
unina.it.
Advanced High Power Lasers 2012
(June 11-15) Broomfield, Colo. Contact
Cynnamon Spain, Directed Energy Professional
Society, +1 (505) 998-4910; cynnamon@
deps.org; www.deps.org.
Lasys 2012: International Trade Fair
for System Solutions in Laser Material
Processing (June 12-14) Stuttgart, Germany.
HAPPENINGS
79 Photonics Spectra May 2012
PAPERS
JSAP-OSA Joint Symposia (September 11-14) Matsuyama, Japan
Deadline: paper submission, June 1, 17:00 JST
Papers are invited for the 73rd Japan Society of Applied Physics Autumn Meeting 2012. Topics
include optoelectronics, nanocarbon photonics, plasmonics, biophotonics, medical photonics,
photonic crystals and fiber optics, and optical microsensing, manipulation and fabrication.
Contact JSAP, +81 3 5802 0864; technical-meetings@jsap.or.jp; www.jsap.or.jp/english.
Renewable Energy and the Environment (November 11-15) Eindhoven, Netherlands
Deadline: abstracts, July 8, 12:00 EDT; 16:00 GMT
Papers are encouraged for this OSA Optics & Photonics Congress, encompassing Optical Instrumenta-
tion for Energy and Environmental Applications (E2); Optical Nanostructures and Advanced Materials
for Photovoltaics (PV); Optics for Solar Energy (SOLAR); and Solid State and Organic Lighting (SOLED).
Contact OSA, +1 (202) 223-8130; info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
Laser Florence 2012 (November 9-10) Florence, Italy
Deadline: abstracts, July 30
The IALMS (International Academy for Laser Medicine and Surgery) invites papers for its annual con-
gress, addressing advantages, limitations and controversies associated with laser use on the human
body for diagnosis, therapy and surgery. Topics will include laser biomodulation, laser biomedicine,
laser therapy for central nervous system injuries, and lasers in dentistry, dermatology and the treat-
ment of diabetes. Contact IALMS, +39 055 234 2330; info@laserflorence.org; www.laserflorence.org.
Come and see us at OPATEC show,
May 22-25, Hall 3, Booth F45
512Happenings_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:55 AM Page 79
Contact Meike Mayer, +49 711 18560,
Ext. 2374; meike.mayer@messe-stuttgart.de;
www.messe-stuttgart.de.
EuroLED 2012 (June 13-14) Birmingham, UK.
Contact Michelle Cleaver, +44 121 250 3515;
info@euroled.org.uk; www.euroled.org.uk.
Third EOS Topical Meeting on Terahertz
Science and Technology (TST 2012) (June
17-20) Prague, Czech Republic. A European
Optical Society Event. Contact Silke Kramprich,
EOS Events and Services GmbH, +49 511
277 2674; tst2012@myeos.org; www.myeos.
org/events/tst2012.
Advanced Photonics Congress
(June 17-21) Colorado Springs, Colo. Includes
Access Networks and In-house Communica-
tions; Bragg Gratings, Photosensitivity and
Poling in Glass Waveguides; Integrated Photon-
ics Research, Silicon and Nano-Photonics;
Photonic Metamaterials and Plasmonics;
Nonlinear Photonics; Specialty Optical Fibers
and Applications; and Signal Processing in
Photonic Communications. Contact Optical
Society of America, +1 (202) 223-8130;
info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
TechConnect World 2012 (June 18-21)
Santa Clara, Calif. Contact Sarah Wenning,
+1 (925) 353-5004; wenning@techconnect.
org; www.techconnectworld.com.
BIO International Convention (June 18-21)
Boston. Contact Biotechnology Industry
Organization, +1 (202) 962-9200;
reg2012@bio.org; www.convention.bio.org.
Third International Congress on
Biophotonics (ICOB 2012) (June 19-21)
Jena, Germany. Contact Clemens Homann,
+49 3641 206 064; clemens.homann@
ipht-jena.de; www.myeos.org/events/icob2012.
Imaging and Applied Optics: OSA Optics
and Photonics Congress (June 24-28)
Monterey, Calif. Includes Applied Industrial
Optics: Spectroscopy, Imaging and Metrology;
Computational Optical Imaging and Sensing;
Imaging Systems Applications; Optical Fabrica-
tion and Testing; Optical Remote Sensing of the
Environment; and Optical Sensors. Contact
Optical Society of America, +1 (202) 223-8130;
info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
International Workshop on Laser-Matter
Interaction (WLMI-2012) (June 25-29)
Porquerolles, France. Contact Luc Berg, CEA
France, luc.berge@cea.fr; www.pks.mpg.
de/~wlmi12.
Ninth International Symposium on Display
Holography (ISDH 2012) (June 25-29)
Cambridge, Mass. Contact MIT Media Lab,
isdh2012info@media.mit.edu; isdh2012.media.
mit.edu.
10th International Conference on
Vibration Measurements by Laser
and Noncontact Techniques and
Short Course (June 26-29) Ancona, Italy.
Contact Janet L. Dubbini, AIVELA (Italian
Association of Laser Velocimetry and Non-
invasive Diagnostics), +39 071 220 4489;
aivela@univpm.it; www.aivela.org.
JULY
2012 Astronomical Telescopes +
Instrumentation (July 1-6) Amsterdam.
Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-3290; help@
spie.org; www.spie.org.
Sixth International Meeting on
Developments in Materials, Processes
and Applications of Emerging Technologies
(MPA) (July 2-4) Alvor, Portugal. Contact MPA
Tech, +44 161 918 6673; info@mpa-meeting.
com; www.mpa-meeting.com.
Eighth International Conference on
Optics-Photonics Design and Fabrication
(ODF 12) (July 2-5) St. Petersburg, Russia.
Contact Eugenia Brui, +7 911 998 21 81;
odf12org@gmail.com; www.odf2012.ru.
80
h HAPPENINGS
Photonics Spectra May 2012
For complete listings, visit
www.photonics.com/calendar
Advertise in Photonics Spectra
Contact your sales representative at
(413) 499-0514 or sales@photonics.com
Lasers, optics, imaging, lighting and
solar covered in every issue in addition
to our special content focus targeted to
our 95,000 qualified subscribers.
August Content Focus: Annual List Issue/
Industry Focus
Spotlight: Lasers, Laser Accessories &
Light Sources
Ad Action Survey
Sneak Preview: SPIE Optics & Photonics
Ad close: June 25, 2012
September Content Focus: Transportation & Energy
Spotlight: Imaging Components & Systems
Photonics Showcase
Webinar: Solar
Ad close: July 25, 2012
Break through the clutter!
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512Happenings_Layout 1 4/20/12 11:55 AM Page 80
aa
ADVERTISER INDEX
81 Photonics Spectra May 2012
Photonics Media Advertising Contacts
Please visit our website
Photonics.com/mediakit for all
our marketing opportunities.
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
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Associate Director
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 112
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
becky.pontier@photonics.com
NY, NJ & PA
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Regional Manager
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tim.dupree@photonics.com
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Yukon & British Columbia
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Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 226
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joanne.gagnon@photonics.com
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Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 104
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tracy.reynolds@photonics.com
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riley.moriarty@photonics.com
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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
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Laurin Publishing
Berkshire Common, 2 South St.
Pittsfield, MA 01201
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
advertising@photonics.com
Aero Research
Associates Inc. ....................72
www.aerorese.com
Aerotech Inc. .........................53
www.aerotech.com
Andor Technology .................68
www.andor.com
Applied Scientific
Instrumentation ....................28
www.asiimaging.com
Argyle International ...............34
www.argyleoptics.com
Aston Science Park ................59
www.euroled.org
Avantes .................................24
www.avantes.com
B&W Tek ................................7
www.bwtek.com
Bristol Instruments Inc. ......48, 69
www.bristol-inst.com
Castech Inc. ...........................74
www.castech.com
China International
Optoelectronic Exposition ....64
www.cioe.cn
Coherent Inc. ...................15, 27
www.coherent.com
ConOptics Inc. .......................68
www.conoptics.com
CVI Melles Griot ..............18, 32
www.cvimellesgriot.com
Directed Energy Inc. ...............23
www.ixyscolorado.com
Edmund Optics ......................13
www.edmundoptics.com
89 North ...............................69
www.89north.com
Electro-Optical
Products Corp. ....................42
www.eopc.com
EMD Millipore
Corporation ........................21
www.emd4photonics.com
Energetiq
Technology Inc. ...................12
www.energetiq.com
Exciton Inc. ............................68
www.exciton.com
FLIR Systems Inc. ....................36
www.flir.com
Gooch & Housego .................77
www.goochandhousego.com
Hellma USA ..........................28
www.hellmausa.com
Horiba Scientific ....................73
www.picocomponents.com
ILX Lightwave Corp. ...............29
www.ilxlightwave.com
Image Science Ltd. .................76
www.image-science.co.uk
Incom Inc. .............................35
www.incomusa.com
Innovation Photonics ..............69
www.innpho.com
Jenoptik
Optical Systems ..................11
www.jenoptik.com
Julabo USA Inc. .....................69
www.julabo.com
Laser Institute
of America ...................54, 78
www.icaleo.org
Lightmachinery Inc. ..........22, 34
www.lightmachinery.com
Market Tech ..........................68
www.markettechinc.net
Martek Power Laser
Drive LLC ............................43
www.laserdrive.com
Master Bond Inc. ...................52
www.masterbond.com
Mercron Inc. ..........................14
www.mercron.com
Mightex Systems ....................80
www.mightexsystems.com
Newport
Corporation ....................6, 20
www.newport.com
Novotech Inc. ........................52
www.novotech.net
Nufern ..................................33
www.nufern.com
Ocean Optics ..........................9
www.oceanoptics.com
OPCO
Laboratory Inc. ....................46
www.opcolab.com
The Optical Society
of America ..........................58
www.osa.org/meetings
Photonics Media ..............40, 80
www.photonics.com
PI
(Physik Instrumente) L.P. .......71
www.pi.ws
Pico Electronics Inc. ................77
www.picoelectronics.com
PIDA .....................................67
www.optotaiwan.com
Piezosystem
Jena GmbH ........................79
www.piezojena.com
Polymicro Technologies,
a Subsidiary of Molex .........19
www.polymicro.com
Qioptiq Inc. ........................CV2
www.qioptiq.com
Research
Electro-Optics .....................49
www.reoinc.com
Satisloh .................................25
www.satisloh.com
Scanlab AG ............................8
www.scanlab.de
SEMI .....................................55
www.semiconwest.org
Sill Optics GmbH ...................66
www.silloptics.de
Siskiyou
Corporation ........................62
www.siskiyou.com
Society for Information
Display ...............................63
www.displayweek.org
Spectra-Physics,
A Newport
Corporation Brand ............CV4
www.newport.com
Spectrogon
US Inc. ...............................79
www.spectrogon.com
Stanford Research
Systems Inc. ..........................3
www.thinksrs.com
StellarNet Inc. ........................38
www.stellarnet-inc.com
Swift Glass
Co. Inc. ..............................78
www.swiftglass.com
Sydor Optics Inc. ...................76
www.sydor.com
Terahertz
Technologies Inc. .................68
www.terahertztechnologies.com
Tohkai
Sangyo Co. Ltd. ..................22
www.peak.co.jp
Toptica
Photonics Inc .................31, 75
www.toptica.com
TRIOPTICS GmbH ..................26
www.trioptics.com
Trumpf Inc. ............................37
www.us.trumpf.com
Xenics NV .............................69
www.xenics.com
Zygo Corp. .........................CV3
www.zygo.com
512AdIndex_Layout 1 4/20/12 2:09 PM Page 81
p PEREGRINATIONS
Alexander Graham Bell, we can hear you now
L
inguists, historians and even musi-
cians could benefit from noninvasive
optical scanning technology that
enables us to hear voices and sounds that
were recorded more than a century ago.
Unlocking these sounds is part of a
collaborative sound recovery project in-
volving scientists at Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory (LBNL) in California
and curators at the Library of Congress
and the Smithsonian Institution, both in
Washington. The team has tested the
process on six recordings using imaging
equipment installed by LBNL at the Li-
brary of Congress.
Using a digital scan made from one of
the very earliest sound recordings, the
group got to hear a male voice recorded
in the 1880s. Originally recorded on a
glass disc with a beam of light, the voice
originates from early experiments in sound
recording conducted in Washington by
Volta Laboratory Associates inventors
Alexander Graham Bell, Chichester Bell
and Charles Sumner Tainter.
Until recently, this historical record-
ing has remained silent in storage at the
Smithsonian Institution. Many other early
sound recordings could be brought back
to life with the new technology as well,
including those of musical artists, poets
and writers; extinct Native American
languages also could be revived.
The sound often is inaccessible because
of the fragile, damaged, varied or obsolete
technology in which it is embedded. The
scanning method preserves the original
hardware and essentially repairs some of
the existing damage.
These recordings were made using a
variety of methods and materials such as
rubber, beeswax, glass, tinfoil and brass,
as the inventors tried to find a material
that would hold sound, said Carlene
Stephens, curator at the Smithsonians
National Museum of American History.
We dont know what is recorded, except
for a few cryptic inscriptions on some of
the discs and cylinders, or vague notes on
old catalog cards written by a Smithsonian
curator decades ago.
The first 90 years of sound recording
are dominated by mechanical carriers,
some in cylinder form, where the groove
varies in depth, and some in disc form,
where the stylus moves from side to side
in the spiral groove, according to a recent
report by Carl Haber, a scientist at LBNL.
The optical technique creates a high-
resolution digital map of the disc or cylin-
der. The digital version is then processed
to remove scratches or skips that may
have appeared on the original recording.
Software then calculates the motion of a
stylus moving through the grooves of the
disc or cylinder, reproducing the audio
content and producing a standard digital
sound file.
Two-dimensional imaging using a
line-scan camera is suitable for a disc
with a lateral groove, and 3-D imaging
using a confocal scanning probe is re-
quired for a cylinder with vertical groove
modulation, Haber reported.
82 Photonics Spectra May 2012
Caren B. Les
caren.les@photonics.com
This electrotyped copper negative disc of a sound
recording was deposited at the Smithsonian
Institution in 1881 in a sealed tin box. It contains
a tone, a male voice counting numbers, and then
two more tones.
Participants in a sound recovery project, Carlene Stephens and Shari Stout, curators at the National Museum
of American History, handle an early glass disc record. Images courtesy of National Museum of American
History, Smithsonian Institution.
Hear for yourself
To listen to the early sound recordings,
visit the Volta Labs Recordings
channel on YouTube, provided by
the Smithsonian Institutions National
Museum of American History:
http://tinyurl.com/cp8ooxt.
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