New Products

See the new products, including a handheld NIR spectrometer, a Boson+ thermal camera module, next-generation pump laser diode, and much more.

Controlling the Grind for Precision Photonics

As the tolerances for photonics systems become more demanding, controlling the grinding of optical components must also become more precise.

NASA Targets 2026 for Launch of Israel's First Space Telescope

NASA will launch Israel’s first space telescope mission, the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite (ULTRASAT). ULTRASAT, an ultraviolet observatory with a large field...

Sixth Mirror Casting Brings Giant Magellan Telescope Closer to Completion

Nearly 20 tons of extremely pure borosilicate glass made by Ohara Corporation in Japan are becoming a honeycomb mirror measuring 27.6 feet across.

Test Your Knowledge About the James Webb Space Telescope

On July 12, 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope began its official science operations. Test your knowledge about Webb with this quiz.

Compact MEMS-Based NIR Spectroscopy for Mobile Applications

This measurement technique is particularly useful for, but not limited to, samples containing organic compounds.

SPIE Photonics West 2023 Preview

The conference will showcase the latest innovations in lasers, photonics, optics, optoelectronics, biophotonics, biomedical optics, 3D printing, and more.

James Webb Space Telescope Enters New Era of Universal Infrared Imaging in Cycle 1

It began full scientific operations July 11, following six months of instrumentation cool-down, calibration, and other commissioning activities.

Silicon Chip Improves LiDAR

Bulky, heavy LiDAR systems in self-driving cars could be replaced with a single chip.

An Engineer Uses an Ancient Art to Solve a Very Modern Problem

If you’ve ever made an origami paper crane, using folds and creases to transform a square piece of craft paper into the delicate long-necked bird, it may seem odd that...

Breakthrough Lightweight AR Eyeglasses

With AR eyeglasses, the screen of a mobile device can be transitioned to the lens of a pair of eyeglasses. The problem with that is that even though the technology has been around for a while, the...

Visualizing Value at the Speed of Light

See how hyperspectral imaging adds value to food inspection systems.

A Primer on Solid-State Lasers

See how solid-state lasers have grown and diversified over the years.

SPIE Photonics West 2022: Reality Versus Virtual Reality

There are some things you just can't do at a virtual trade show. Editor Bruce A. Bennett walks the floor at SPIE Photonics West.

The James Webb Space Telescope Successfuly Launches

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope successfully launched on December 25 on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, South America. A joint effort with ESA...

Manufacturing Large Mirrors

With advanced tech, mirrors can be made with high accuracy.

SPIE Photonics West 2022 Preview

The main Photonics West exhibition opens on Tuesday, January 25.

New Products

Fiber laser machinery, polishing pitch, beam collimators, and more.

Sixth Mirror Casting Brings Giant Magellan Telescope Closer to Completion

At 3 p.m. on March 5, a gigantic furnace slowly started spinning underneath the stands of Arizona Stadium at the University of Arizona. Fire-engine red, massive in...

NASA’s Webb Will Join Forces with Event Horizon Telescope to Reveal Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole

On isolated mountaintops across the planet, scientists await word that tonight is the night. The complex coordination between...

Silicon Carbide Optics for High-Energy Applications

Silicon Carbide (SiC) optics are becoming more and more prevalent in high-energy laser (HEL) designs, and manufacturers must be aware of the potential risks

Graphene-Based Photonics Devices for Remote Sensing

Growing large-area graphene on optical substrates enables use in photonics devices.

Optical Coating Exhibits the Same Color in Reflection and Transmission

Fano Resonance Optical Coatings (FROCs) can both transmit and reflect the same color simultaneously.

Tiny Diamond Mirrors Could Smooth Out Already Revolutionary X-Ray Lasers

Twelve years ago, physicists turned on the first x-ray laser, and since then it and several others around the world have proved themselves revolutionary probes of...

Labsphere and ASU to Collaborate on FLARE Technology Development

Labsphere, Inc. announced plans to locate a Field Line of sight Automated Radiance Exposure (FLARE) testing site at Arizona State University's (ASU) Polytechnic campus as...

Hot Water on Demand

With a clever design by NASA, waiting for hot water could be a thing of the past.

Q&A: Electricity-Free Cooling

Professor Qiaoqiang Gan of the University at Buffalo (NY) and his team developed a unique two-in-one system that uses solar energy for simultaneously cooling and heating — without electricity.

Photonics West 2021 Preview

The virtual event offers a mix of live plenary talks, on-demand technical presentations and discussions, online networking and special events.