Latest Optical physics Stories

Fully productized s3 swept wavelength laser marks the emergence of Micron Optics’ core swept laser technology in markets outside of fiber optic sensing for applications in optical coherence technology (OCT), industrial imaging, spectroscopy, and chromatic confocal microscopy. (PRWEB) July 18, 2012 Micron Optics Inc., the leading provider of innovative equipment for fiber optic sensing, today announces commercial production of the s3 swept wavelength laser. The laser module, based upon...

Columbia Engineering pioneers ultralow-power optical information processing and frequency generation in graphene-silicon photonic circuits New research by Columbia Engineering demonstrates remarkable optical nonlinear behavior of graphene that may lead to broad applications in optical interconnects and low-power photonic integrated circuits. With the placement of a sheet of graphene just one-carbon-atom-thick, the researchers transformed the originally passive device into an active one...

Scientists visualize the trapping and confinement of light on graphene, making a sheet of carbon atoms the most promising candidate for optical information processing on the nano-scale, optical detection, and ultrafast optoelectronics Spanish research groups achieve first ever visualizations of light guided with nanometric precision on graphene (a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms). This visualization proves what theoretical physicists have long predicted; that it is possible to trap...

In future, optical fibers could connect all optical atomic clocks within Europe – a milestone for various users of optical frequencies in research and industry Optical atomic clocks measure time with unprecedented accuracy. However, it is the ability to compare clocks with one another that makes them applicable for high-precision tests in fundamental theory, from cosmology all the way to quantum physics. A clock comparison, i.e. a comparison of their optical frequencies, proved to be...

The NaPANIL project at Photonics Europe 2012 The development of new applications based on nanoimprinting techniques (NIL) is evolving at a rapid pace. But what are the challenges to be overcome in order to reach the market? How do we bridge the gap between basic research and its uptake from the industry? What are the tools needed for each product? The European project NAPANIL deals exactly with this topic, i.e. Nanopatterning, Production and Applications based on Nanoimprinting...

WARRINGTON, Pa., March 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Tiger Optics LLC, a leading manufacturer of laser-based trace gas analyzers, today announced that its advanced LaserTrace 3(TM) has won the Golden Gas Award from Gases & Instrumentation International Magazine in the Gas Analysis & Detection category. It is the third such honor bestowed on Tiger Optics since the 2008 debut of the annual competition. Utilizing Tiger Optics' patented Continuous Wave Cavity Ring-Down...

Light intensified by plasmonics yields a nanoscale nonlinear optical device that can be controlled electronically Not long after the development of the first laser in 1960 scientists discovered that shining a beam through certain crystals produced light of a different color; more specifically, it produced light of exactly twice the frequency of the original. The phenomenon was dubbed second harmonic generation. The green laser pointers in use today to illustrate presentations are based...

Research highlights advances in nano-optics Light-matter interaction at the nanometer scale has turned into a very fast-growing field of research known as nano-optics.  To highlight breakthroughs in the specific areas of nano-optics known as nanoplasmonics and metamaterials, the editors of the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal Optical Materials Express (OMEx) have published a special Focus Issue on Nanoplasmonics and Metamaterials. The issue is organized and edited by Guest...

Using an ultrafast femtosecond laser, researchers at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., were able to label, draw patterns on, and remove individual melanocytes cells from a species of frog tadpole (Xenopus) without damaging surrounding cells and tissues. Melanocytes are the cells responsible for skin pigment; they also are descendants of a specific type of stem cell that has regenerative potential and other characteristics similar to some cancer cells.By precisely marking and ablating these...

Recent progress in chalcogenide glass photonics has been driven by scientific and technological challenges in a variety of areas. These range from increased demand for bandwidth in optical communications, to the emergence of bio-health hazards associated with hazardous microorganisms that absorb at mid-infrared wavelengths, to defense applications that require bright mid-infrared sources. Additionally, chalcogenide glass provides a platform for fundamental investigations of light-matter...