Briefs: Physical Sciences
Corner-Cube Retroreflector Instrument for Advanced Lunar Laser Ranging
A paper describes how, based on a structural-thermal-optical-performance analysis, it has been determined that a single, large, hollow corner cube (170-mm outer diameter) with custom dihedral angles offers a return signal comparable to the Apollo 11 and 14 solid-corner-cube...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Electrospray Collection of Lunar Dust
A report describes ElectroSpray Ionization based Electrostatic Pre cip itation (ESIEP) for collecting lunar dust particles. While some HEPA filtration processes may remove a higher fraction (>99.9 percent) of the particles, the high efficiency may not be appropriate from an overall system standpoint,...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Fabrication of a Kilopixel Array of Superconducting Microcalorimeters With Microstripline Wiring
A document describes the fabrication of a two-dimensional microcalorimeter array that uses microstrip wiring and integrated heat sinking to enable use of high-performance pixel designs at kilo - pixel scales (32×32). Each pixel is the...
Briefs: Information Technology
Spacecraft Attitude Tracking and Maneuver Using Combined Magnetic Actuators
A paper describes attitude-control algorithms using the combination of magnetic actuators with reaction wheel assemblies (RWAs) or other types of actuators such as thrusters. The combination of magnetic actuators with one or two RWAs aligned with different body axis...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Coherent Detector for Near-Angle Scattering and Polarization Characterization of Telescope Mirror Coatings
A report discusses the difficulty of measuring scattering properties of coated mirrors extremely close to the specular reflection peak. A prototype Optical Hetero - dyne Near-angle Scatterometer (OHNS) was developed. Light from a...
Articles: Photonics/Optics
Transforming Gaussian Beams into Uniform, Rectangular Intensity Distributions
The majority of laser types in current use produce output beams with circular or elliptical crosssections, with either Gaussian or near- Gaussian intensity...
Application Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Designing Optical Systems With Off-The-Shelf Products
Utilization of COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) products is now almost a bylaw of government and military design projects and is becoming of increasing interest in commercial designs, as...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
High-Speed Digital Interferometry
Digitally enhanced heterodyne interferometry (DI) is a laser metrology technique employing pseudo-random noise (PRN) codes phase-modulated onto an optical carrier. Combined with heterodyne interferometry, the PRN code is used to select individual signals, returning the inherent interferometric sensitivity...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Integrated Optics Achromatic Nuller for Stellar Interferometry
This innovation will replace a beam combiner, a phase shifter, and a mode conditioner, thus simplifying the system design and alignment, and saving weight and space in future...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Near-Infrared Photon-Counting Camera for High-Sensitivity Observations
The dark current of a transferred-electron photocathode with an InGaAs absorber, responsive over the 0.9-to-1.7-μm range, must be reduced to an ultralow level suitable for low signal spectral astrophysical measurements by lowering the temperature of the sensor incorporating...
NASA Tech Needs
Long-Term Data Acquisition, Command, and Control of Spaceflight-Quality Laser Systems
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is a leader in developing satellite-based laser technology for remote sensing measurements of the Earth and other planetary bodies. Laser performance for such missions must be highly efficient and stable over long periods of...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Goniometric Radiometer
The LD8900 Goniometric Radiometer from Ophir Photonics Group (Logan, UT) makes X-Y, holographic, and 3D measurements without moving either the detector or the source. The design allows the farfield profiler to...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Thermal Surveillance Cameras
Vumii (Atlanta, GA) has added four thermal camera lines to its imaging solutions portfolio: CompactSec™, EyeSec™, DualSec™, and RangeSec™. The IP-enabled CompactSec thermal camera is available in three...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Color Sensors
TAOS (Plano, TX) has announced the TCS3x71 and TCS3x72 Series of Digital Color RGB and Proximity Sensors. When coupled with IR LED, the sensors also provide proximity detection within a range of lighting conditions and through...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Laser Diode Module
Power Technology (Little Rock, AR) offers a violet laser diode module with 250mW of output power at 405nm. The module meets OEM analytical and general scientific laser application needs, including laser-induced...
Products: Photonics/Optics
CW and Pulsed Laser Diode Driver
Analog Modules (Longwood, FL) has released its CW and pulsed laser diode driver, Model 784. The 50A, 2.5V driver requires +5VDC input power. Pulsewidths vary from 600ns to CW, with power capabilities up to...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Industrial Sensors
The FB series M18 plastic DC photoelectric sensors from AutomationDirect (Cumming, GA) are diffuse, polarized reflective and through-beam models. The 18mm devices have sensing distances ranging from 70mm to eight meters....
Products: Photonics/Optics
Epoxy
The Polymer System EP37-3FLF from Master Bond (Hackensack, NJ) resists cryogenic temperatures and thermal cycling. The two-component epoxy, which features a low exotherm, functions as a potting, encapsulating, and casting system,...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Forensic Analytical Microscope
The CRAIC Elixir™ microscope from CRAIC Technologies (San Dimas, CA) offers multiple forensic analytical techniques. Forensic scientists can use the tool to conduct microspectroscopy, high-resolution imaging,...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Vacuum UV Imaging Spectrometer
Vacuum spectrometers from McPherson (Chelmsford, MA) have a 670mm focal length. The spectrometers feature stainless steel housings and components for ultra-high-vacuum applications. The instruments readily...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Source Measurement Unit
Keithley Instruments (Cleveland, OH) has announced the Model 2401 SourceMeter® instrument, which is optimized for high-precision test applications such as current vs. voltage (I-V) characterization of photovoltaic...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Submillimeter Achromats and Doublets
Bern Optics (Westfield, MA) has released submillimeter achromatic lenses as small as 0.20mm in diameter. The achromatic doublet, a compound lens consisting of two elements cemented together, can be custom...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Multispectral Imaging Camera
The SpectroCam™ Multispectral Imaging (MSI) Camera from Ocean Thin Films (OTF) (Largo, FL) combines a scientific-grade CCD array with a precision rotating optical filter wheel. With a single-point spectrometer,...
Products: Photonics/Optics
HD Zoom Lens
Resolve Optics Ltd (Chesham, UK) offers the adaptable Z10-HDCF compact f/1.8 highdefinition zoom lens. The motorized 10x HD zoom lens is 87.5mm long and 45mm square. The Z10-HDCF, which is lighter than 500g, is also able to...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Laser Diode Driver
The laser diode drivers iC-NZN and iC-NZP from iCHaus Corp. (Bodenheim, Germany) operate laser diodes in both CW and spike-free pulse mode, with up to 155 MHz. The devices allow either the optical output power (APC) or...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Single-Photon Counter
AUREA Technology (Besancon, France) has introduced the SPD_B, a single-photon counting module used for short near infrared wavelengths [1,000 to 1,350 nm]. The SPD_B is an ultra-low-noise, highquantum- efficiency, and...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Hybrid Sensor
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors (Sunnyvale, CA) has released a “3 in 1” SFH 7773 digital sensor that combines an IR LED emitter and detector chips together, eliminating the need to install a separate IR emitter to enable the...
Techs for License
Mirror Switches Between Reflective and Transparent States
A flexible mirror film electrically switches between reflective and transparent states. By applying (+) voltages, hydrogenation occurs and creates transparency. When (-) voltages are used, the switchable mirror returns to its original reflective state within 10 seconds. The technology...
Techs for License
Hovering Aerial Vehicles Use Wireless Energy Supplied from Ground
New electrically charged, polarized, proprietary alloys create thrust to lift small aircraft, commonly referred to as Personal Ultralight Vehicles (PAVs), without the need of a propeller, jet, balloon, or rockets. The ion electric air propulsion is considered a clean technology...
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