Photonics

Time of Flight vs. FMCW LiDAR Systems

An expert compares Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) LiDAR systems with Time of Flight tech.

A Primer on Solid-State Lasers

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

New Products

Spectrometers, digital microscopes, high-speed imaging, and more.

500°C-Rated Optical Fiber for High Temperature Applications

A metal-coated fiber capable of withstands high temperatures.

Facility Focus: University of Michigan College of Engineering

Michigan engineers and collaborators are improving smart infrastructure, autonomous transportation, weather prediction, nuclear non-proliferation, and more.

Nano Flashlight Enables New Applications of Light

Design of miniature optical systems could lead to future cell phones that can detect viruses and more.

NIST Improves the Ability of Optical Microscopes to Measure the Volume of Microdroplets

For the first time, a team has measured the volume of individual droplets smaller than 100 trillionths of a liter, with an uncertainty of less than 1%.

New Device Modulates Visible Light with the Smallest Footprint and Lowest Power Consumption

Columbia researchers are reducing both the size and the power consumption of a visible-spectrum phase modulator, from one millimeter to 10 microns.

An Innovative Imaging Technique for Dynamic Optical Nanothermometry

A new imaging method measure temperature in 2D.

An Alternative Approach to 3D Reconstruction

The method combines concepts of global and local stereo methods for accurate, pixel- wise matching at low runtime.

Turning Thermal Energy into Electricity

Applications include power and energy, communications, and sensors.

Using Magnets to Toggle Nanolasers Leads to Better Photonics

A new control mechanism may prove useful in devices that make use of optical signals.

Artificial Intelligence Magnifies the Utility of Electron Microscopes

An AI framework enables scientists to improve an imaging technique, enhancing the performance of electron microscopes.

LED Lighting Beyond Space

NASA’s lighting research gives people on Earth better rest and helps plants grow.

How to Measure High Voltage with No Physical Contact

Dr. Israel Owens and his team at Sandia National Laboratories have used a crystal smaller than a dime and a laser smaller than a shoebox to safely measure 20 million volts without making physical contact to the electrode.

Photonic Integrated Chip for Improved Light Control

This combination of technologies could enable developments for many optical applications.

Sub-Pixel Spatial Resolution Interferometry

Applications include aircraft-mounted and space-based interferometers, electronics fabrication, and military optics.

Optical Coating Exhibits the Same Color in Reflection and Transmission

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

Technique Merges Solar Cell and Liquid Battery

A highly efficient and long-lasting solar flow battery generates, stores, and redelivers renewable electricity from the Sun in one device.

Micro-Robots Propelled by Air Bubbles and Ultrasound

A remotely controlled microswimmer could navigate the human body and aid in drug delivery.

Fabrication Method for Large-Scale Production of Perovskite Solar Cells

The sulfolane-additive process yields easy fabrication, low cost, and long operating life.

Nanoscale LED Also Functions as a Laser

This new design overcomes a long-standing LED efficiency problem and can also transform it into a laser.

Light Helps Autonomous Vehicles Better Scan for Nearby Fast-Moving Objects

Mechanical control and modulation of light on a silicon chip could enhance LiDAR.

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.

SPIE Photonics West 2022 Returning to 'Normal'

Editor Bruce A. Bennett reports from SPIE Photonics West 2022 in San Francisco.

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 (European...

Fundamental Particles Modelled in Beam of Light

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have succeeded in creating an experimental model of an elusive kind of fundamental particle called a skyrmion in a beam of light. The breakthrough...

New Products

Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) QVGA Camera Attollo Engineering (Camarillo, CA) has introduced a quarter-VGA format camera (320 x 256 resolution), based on indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) shortwave infrared technology. The miniature...

Testing Sensors in Fog to Make Future Transportation Safer

Self-flying drones and autonomous taxis that can safely operate in fog may sound futuristic, but new research at Sandia National Laboratories’ fog facility is bringing the future...