Photonics/​Optics

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Kodiak 3D LiDAR

This system provides low-cost, reliable 3D LiDAR images in nearly any lighting condition.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Photoreceptor System for Melatonin Regulation and Phototherapy

This system treats light-responsive disorders or deficits such as eating disorders, sleep problems, hormone-sensitive cancers, and cardiovascular disorders.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Sensitive Optical Receivers for Space

This concept could help break through the present-day data-return bottleneck in deep space missions.

Briefs: RF & Microwave Electronics

Low-Energy Nanolaser Shines in all Directions

Compared to a LED, the omnidirectional laser light is much brighter and better defined.

Briefs: Lighting

Compound for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)

The material could enable cheaper and more environmentally friendly displays and large-area lighting.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Smart Fabric Detects and Collects Space Dust

A smart fiber being tested on the International Space Station could be used to develop space dust telescopes and allow astronauts to feel through their pressurized suits.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Sensing Magnetic Fields

Applications include detection of explosives, navigation, and aerospace altitude sensing.

Briefs: Nanotechnology

Stretchable Micro-Supercapacitors Self-Power Wearable Devices

A stretchable system can harvest energy from human breathing and motion.

Articles: Materials

Products of Tomorrow: February 2021

Next-generation solar panels, 3D-printed composites from NASA, and a new way to sterilize medical devices.

Briefs: Materials

Niobium Titanium Nitride Thin Film Coating

Applications include terahertz medical imaging and communications.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

A Near-Perfect Blackbody Calibration Target

This rapid and cost-effective technique yields a uniform etched surface with 99.5 percent emissivity.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Split-Ring Torque Sensor

This optical-based device measures position, velocity, and torque.

Blog: Photonics/Optics

A Squid-Like 'Muscle' Senses Light and Changes Shape

Inspired by the squid's color-changing chromatophore, Rutgers engineers set out to create an artificial one.

INSIDER: Imaging

New Products: January 2021 Photonics & Imaging Insider

Bandpass Filters

MidOpt® (Palatine, IL) introduced the BP450 Indigo Bandpass and the BN450 Narrow Indigo Bandpass, two new filters designed for multi-application use. The...

INSIDER: Electronics & Computers

Large-Area Flexible Organic Photodiodes Can Compete with Silicon Devices

The performance of flexible large-area organic photodiodes has advanced to the point that they can now offer advantages over conventional silicon photodiode...

INSIDER: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Combining Electronic, Photonic Chips Enables Super-Fast Quantum Light Detection

Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Quantum Engineering Technology Labs (QET Labs) and Université Côte d‘Azur have made a new miniaturized...

INSIDER: Imaging

Orbiting Instrument Hints That Stored Magnetic Energy Heats Solar Atmosphere

A phenomenon first detected in the solar wind may help solve a long-standing mystery about the sun: why the solar atmosphere is millions of degrees hotter than...

Facility Focus: Robotics, Automation & Control

Facility Focus: Stanford University School of Engineering

Stanford University’s School of Engineering has been at the forefront of innovation for nearly a century

Briefs: Medical

Photonic Wireless System Powers Medical Implants

The system can recharge the internal battery of devices without invasive surgery or risky penetrative procedures.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Cavity-Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (CEAS) for Ozone Detection

This simple and inexpensive design achieves high-quality ozone measurements.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Platform for All-Optical Computing

Computations are done solely with beams of light.

Products: Photonics/Optics

New on the Market: January 2021

Radar sensors, cameras, RF processing systems, and more.

On-Demand Webinars: Photonics/Optics

New High-Peak Power Line Laser for Beam-Steering LiDAR

The mainstream LiDARs used for robotaxis and autonomous consumer vehicles either utilize a few tens of 360-degree rotating laser beams to build 3D models of the vehicle...

INSIDER: Photonics/Optics

How to Make Tomorrow’s Electronics Using Ink-Jet Printed Graphene

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have cracked the conundrum of how to use inks to 3D-print novel electronic devices with useful properties, such as an...

Blog: Photonics/Optics

How to Choose an Optical Filter

Optical interference filters are critical to the overall performance of machine vision applications. So how do you select the right one?