New Board Level CCD Camera from Hamamatsu

Posted on April 13, 2009

Hamamatsu Photonics introduce the new C10990 series of OEM CCD board level cameras. The new series feature high sensitivity and high resolution and include the latest 1.3 million pixel 2/3 inch progressive scan interline front illuminated CCD, circuitry and lens mount all on one board.

OEM CCD Camera

The CCD itself has enhanced sensitivity in the visible wavelength region in excess of 50% at its peak. A peltier cooled option (C10990-902 & C10990-942), allows dark noise to be reduced and stability maintained, ideal for measurements requiring a long integration time. Furthermore it includes a stacked PCB construction to enable a more compact design to be achieved.
Read more

New Product Catalogue - Steinmeyer FMD

Posted on April 2, 2009

Now available from Armstrong Optical UK Ltd is the new 99 page, 2009 Steinmeyer FMD precision motion systems brochure, with over 35 different translation stage formats with hundreds of different configurations and options making the Steinmeyer stages suitable for almost all movement applications. Included are details on the dual drive stages which incorporate a DC motor for high speeds of up to 120 mm/sec and a piezo motor for high accuracy applications.

Applications are discussed in areas such as automation, semiconductor, medical and R&D as well as solutions for challenging environments which require vacuum and non magnetic compliance.
Read more

Studies Show Combination Laser Therapy Effective At Clearing Acne, Reducing Oil Production

Posted on March 23, 2009

From the removal of childhood birthmarks to skin rejuvenation, laser technology has become a mainstay in dermatology. Now, dermatologists are fine-tuning this technology to safely and effectively treat one of the most common skin conditions that plagues teenagers and adults alike: acne.

Speaking today at the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (Academy), dermatologist Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, MD, PhD, FAAD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., presented scientific data illustrating how photodynamic therapy combined with a long-pulse, pulsed-dye laser and topical 5-aminolevulinic acid provides long-lasting clearance of acne lesions.

“Laser technology has made great inroads in the treatment of acne, which until recently has been treated almost exclusively - and with varying degrees of success - with topical, systemic and hormonal medications,” said Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas. “Now, we have solid evidence-based medicine supporting the effectiveness of certain laser therapies as a long-term solution for treating active acne. The key is to distinguish the benefits and limitations of these available technologies and select the most effective treatments for each acne patient.”
Read more

id400 - Single Photon counting module for 1064nm

Posted on March 18, 2009

The id400 is a photon counting module optimized for 1064nm wavelength. It includes an InGaAsP/InP avalanche photodiode optimised for Geiger mode and a fast quenching electronic circuit. It comes with a control unit intended for APD temperature control and regulation, power supply, gate generation and dead time setting. The photon detection probability can be adjusted at 7.5%, 15% or 30%. The id400 can word in free running or gated mode.

id Series of Products

Read more

Funding Renewed for National Nanotechnology Network

Posted on March 11, 2009

Cornell UniversityA high-profile consortium of nanotechnology research centers, of which Cornell is the lead institution and a founding member, has received a five-year renewal grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the amount of $17 million per year.

With the renewal — a 20 percent increase over the previous grant — the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (NNIN) entered its second five-year term on March 1. Led by Sandip Tiwari, Cornell’s Charles Mellowes Professor in Engineering, NNIN provides researchers with cutting-edge facilities and support in nanoscale fabrication, synthesis, characterization, modeling, design, computation and training.
Read more

Significant Implications for the Development of Light Based Computing

Posted on March 10, 2009

Warwickshire boffins believe they may be on the track of science-fiction “slow glass”, through which light might take a long time to travel. The scientists think that such light-storing materials might be fashioned using excitons mounted inside unfeasibly tiny “quantum doughnuts”.

In essence it seems that an exciton is an electron which has been jazzed up a bit energy-wise by absorbing a photon of light. The idea is that if you could prevent such excitons immediately re-emitting their photons and so turning back into electrons at once as they normally do, you could effectively store, or “freeze” light.
Read more

CWDM SFP+ 10Gbps Optical Transceiver Module

Posted on March 10, 2009

The EOLP-1696-XX series optical transceiver is designed for fiber communications application such as 10G Ethernet (10GBASE-ER/EW) and 10G Fiber Channel (1200-SM-LL-L)

Optical Transceiver Module

This module is designed for single mode fiber and operates at a nominal wavelength of CWDM wavelength. There are four center wavelengths available from 1270nm to 1330nm, with each step 20nm. A guaranteed minimum optical link budget of 14 dB is offered.
Read more

Continuously Variable Attenuator for ultraFAST lasers

Posted on March 3, 2009

Continuously Variable Attenuator for ultraFAST lasersThe variable attenuator incorporates 2 (or 1) high-performance Broadband polarizers working at 72deg angle of incidence (AOI), which reflect s-polarized light while transmitting p-polarized light.

A rotating Zero Order (air-spaced) quartz Phase λ/2 Waveplate is placed in the incident polarized laser beam. The intensity ratio of those two beams may be continuously varied without alteration of other beam parameters by rotating the waveplate. The intensity of either exit beam, or their intensity ratio, can be controlled over a wide dynamic range. P-polarization could be selected for maximum
transmission, or high-purity s-polarization could be reflected when maximum attenuation of the transmitted beam takes place.
Read more

High Speed InGaAs Linear Image Sensors and New Multichannel Detector Head

Posted on February 27, 2009

G10768-1024D

Hamamatsu Photonics introduce the high speed G10768-1024D InGaAs linear image sensors and the new C10854 multichannel detector head to meet increasing industrial requirements to measure foreign bodies on-line in the near infrared range (wavelength range from 800 nm to 1700 nm).
Read more

New line of CMOS image sensors now available

Posted on February 25, 2009

CMOS Image SensorAlrad Imaging are pleased to announce it now offers the CMOS Sensor, Inc. range of state-of-the-art CMOS image sensors.

Founded in 1997, CMOS Sensor Inc has a history of developing Contact Image Sensor modules utilising in-house fabrication facilities. These modules are used in machine vision, barcode readers, fax machines, copiers, video cameras and document scanners.
Read more

Shields for ORION

Posted on February 24, 2009

Debris Shields for ORIONArmstrong Optical Ltd and Sydor Optics Inc (Rochester, NY), have been awarded a major contract to supply optical debris shields for the Atomic Weapons Establishment’s replacement high-energy laser facility, Project Orion.

Project Orion is a world-class laser facility for the creation and study of hot dense matter and is the successor to the HELEN (High Energy Laser Embodying Neodymium) laser, which is now well over 25 years old and reaching the end of its technically useful life.

“Armstrong Optical and Sydor Optics have been chosen from a number of suppliers as one of the only partnerships that could provide precision flat optics with the highest specification cleaning in an economic manner, whilst still meeting all AWE’s stringent conditions,” said Rob Roach, the Sales manager for Armstrong Optical. “Sydor’s special capacities and links with other USA facilities including the high power laser system at the University of Rochester, (USA) enable us to provide world class solutions.”
Read more

Research team: Terabit per Second Communications One Step Closer

Posted on February 18, 2009

University of Sydney scientists say they have developed a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that can not only increase Internet networks speeds making them 60 times faster but can act as traffic monitors to keep the speed high and error-free.

The PIC caused wide interest in July 2008 when ARC Federation Fellow, Professor Ben Eggleton, announced the extraordinary speed of the ‘scratch on a piece of glass.’

In an announcement by the University in the past few days, Professor Eggleton says “we realised that with this chip we’d effectively unblocked the bottleneck of Internet traffic but without constant monitoring you can’t keep that traffic flowing. What we didn’t realise at the time was our chip’s versatility – it not only allows high rates of data transmission but monitors the integrity of that transmission.”
Read more

High power laser diode DRIVER for DPSS lasers LASCON

Posted on February 16, 2009

Cost-effective, hi-tech solution designed for safe operation of laser diodes and DPSS lasers for both OEM and end-user applications.

The Laser Diode Driver is an electronic device that combines high power current source (up to 10A) for laser diode (LD) and two controllers for Peltier termoelectrical coolers (TECs).

Compact and highly-efficient design limits power dissipation and simplifies heat-sinking requirements. Perfectly suited for OEM applications.
Read more

Hamamatsu Photonics Releases Photo IC Replacement for Photo-conductive (CdS) Cells

Posted on February 12, 2009

s10604

Hamamatsu Photonics introduce a new linear output Photo IC, the S10604 to replace traditional CdS photoconductive cells (also known as LDRs), which have been used for many years in visible light sensor products. The use of cadmium in electronic equipment is now restricted under European RoHS legislation, so the alternative S10604 photo IC is fabricated from silicon and is fully compliant with all RoHS regulations.

With a spectral sensitivity similar to the human eye and with internal electronics amplifying the photocurrent signal by approximately 1000 times, the S10604 provides an ideal replacement for the old CdS technology in all visible light monitoring applications. The excellent linearity and low output fluctuation with temperature of this new photo IC technology mean that its performance far surpasses that of the older photoconductive cells.
Read more

US Military Develops Anti-Aircraft Laser

Posted on February 8, 2009

Laser Avenger

The Laser Avenger which is capable of shooting down aircraft with its high-powered energy beam

The Laser Avenger successfully shot down a series of unmanned aerial vehicles during recent tests and is being hailed as a revolutionary weapon for future warfare.

The experiment was the first time that a ground vehicle has used a laser to destroy moving aircraft and marks a watershed moment in the development of lasers for battlefield use.

Invented by Boeing, the laser is fitted to a Humvee off-road vehicle, allowing it to be moved into the most remote locations to shoot down enemy planes.
Read more

Jacobs School Engineers Closing the Gap Between High-Speed Data Transmission and Processing

Posted on January 28, 2009

Electrical engineers at the University of California, San Diego have achieved world-record speeds for real-time signal processing in an effort to meet ambitious goals set by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop the first Terabit-scale technology for optical processing. The technology could have widespread ramifications for networking, computing, defense and other industries.

UC San Diego electrical and computer engineering professor Stojan Radic and his team have demonstrated the first real-time sampling of a 320 Gigabits per second (Gb/s) channel, setting multiple records in the process. The results were outlined in papers delivered at the IEEE LEOS Society for Photonics Winter Topical Meeting Jan. 12-14 in Innsbruck, Austria, at the Photonics West Conference this week in San Jose, Calif., and in recent submissions to IEEE Photonics Technology Letters and the IEEE Journal of Lightwave Technology.

Jacobs School of Engineering professor Stojan Radic in the 2,000-square-foot Photonics Systems Lab in Atkinson Hall.

Jacobs School of Engineering professor Stojan Radic in the 2,000-square-foot Photonics Systems Lab in Atkinson Hall.

Developed in the Photonics Systems Lab of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), the UC San Diego technology is part of an advanced program on parametric optical processing funded by DARPA. The program was envisioned and managed by Dr. Henryk Temkin of DARPA’s Microsystems Technology Office.

“For the first time we have been able to process signals as fast as 320 Gb/s by making more than eight copies of the signal and simultaneously sampling all the copies – thereby allowing us to do real-time processing,” said Radic, a professor in UCSD’s Jacobs School of Engineering. The aggregate speed was a record, as were the number of copies simultaneously sampled. The demonstration also registered a five-fold improvement in a published optical delay demonstration.
Read more

Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation Releases Benchtop Multimeter

Posted on January 19, 2009

The new Model 1201 uses a 7.5 digit design to enhance the performance of a 6.5 digit
DMM. Users can now spend under $800.00 USD and receive a feature-filled DMM with 11 measurement and 8 math functions. Other important considerations are its noise immunity, USB with 2000 measurements and transfers/sec 10-channel scan option, temperature measurements for thermocouples and RTD’s and USBTMC compliancy. The 6 1/2 digit 1201 DMM is designed with 7 1/2 digit techniques which provides more stability and accuracy over time.

Benchtop Multimeter

BNC Model 1201 is able to be used in virtually every laboratory ranging from cell biology, microbiology, neuroscience, electronic engineering, manufacturing, circuit testing, quality control and test & repair departments. The Model 1201 is priced at $785.00 domestically.
Read more

QCL Emits a Surprising Second Beam

Posted on January 14, 2009

Princeton researchers have discovered an entirely new mechanism of light emission from quantum cascade lasers.

Attempts to decrease the threshold current and improve the performance of a quantum cascade laser (QCL) have led Kale Franz and colleagues to stumble upon a surprising result. Instead of emitting just one beam, the team’s QCL overcomes conventional losses to emit a second beam. The discovery, say researchers, could be applied to enhance the performance of other lasers (Nature photonics doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.250).

Dual Beam Quantum Cascade Laser

“We’ve discovered a way to almost completely rid ourselves of one of the primary loss mechanisms that limit laser performance,” Kale Franz, a researcher at Princeton University, told optics.org. “Although we are not there yet, the discovery could ultimately lead to better lasers.”

The Princeton device operates on most of the basic principles of a standard QCL, but with one unique difference. Instead of using electron transitions from the second to the first state in the quantum well for lasing, Franz and colleagues used the third to second state transition. Unexpectedly, the team found that lasing occurred via the second to first state transition in parallel with the intended third to second state transition.
Read more

Using Optics to Catch Underground Smuggling

Posted on January 8, 2009

Electro-optic technology has been used by researchers from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology for an urgent purpose - locating tunnels through which arms and other goods are smuggled by terrorists.

Using Optics to Detect Smuggling Tunnels

The research, by Dr. Assaf Klar and Dr. Raphael Linker of the faculty of civil and environmental engineering, will be presented in April at the Defense, Security and Sensing Conference of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering in Orlando, Florida.

“Smuggling tunnels enable uncontrolled movement of people, drugs and weapons and are a security threat to Israel,” they said on Tuesday. “Recent advances in distributed strain [an indicator of distortion] measurements using fiber optics enable the development of smart, underground security fences capable of identifying and locating tunnel excavations. Tunnel excavation is accompanied by the release of stresses that cause permanent displacements and strains - although very tiny - in the ground. By measuring the developed strains in the soil with sensitive equipment, one can find the tunnel’s location.”
Read more

Biodesign Institute researchers use nanoparticles to make 3-D DNA nanotubes

Posted on January 5, 2009

Arizona State University researchers Hao Yan and Yan Liu imagine and assemble intricate structures on a scale almost unfathomably small. Their medium is the double-helical DNA molecule, a versatile building material offering near limitless construction potential.

In the January 2, 2009 issue of Science, Yan and Liu, researchers at ASU’s Biodesign Institute and faculty in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, reveal for the first time the three-dimensional character of DNA nanotubules, rings and spirals, each a few hundred thousandths the diameter of a human hair. These DNA nanotubes and other synthetic nanostructures may soon find their way into a new generation of ultra-tiny electronic and biomedical innovations.
Read more

First Solid-State Laser to Emit Eyesafe Wavelength

Posted on December 29, 2008

The first solid-state heat-capacity laser (SSHCL) with an erbium-doped active medium could offer an eyesafe alternative to traditional sources used in industry, medicine and defence. The diode pumped SSHCL offers up to 76 W of output power as well as high laser efficiency (Applied Physics B 93 817).

Schematic setup of the SSHCL

“I have realized the first European SSHCL, which is simultaneously the world’s first eyesafe SSHCL,” Marc Eichhorn, a researcher at the French-German Research Institute of Saint-Louis, France, told optics.org. “This laser can be compared to the eyesafe CO2 laser, however, with a much shorter wavelength resulting in much higher machining precision.”
Read more