Photonics

Add LiDAR to ADAS for Pedestrian Safety

While ADAS has improved freeway and high-speed driving, the basic need for collision mitigation with pedestrians and bicyclists has mostly remained unaddressed.

Creating High-Precision Glass for NIR Lasers

See what kinds of applications require high-precision laser glass with demanding dimensional tolerances and high-power laser coatings.

Perseverance on Mars: The Journey Begins

Perseverance is the first leg of a round trip to Mars.

High-Brightness Source of Coherent Light Spanning From the UV to THz

A novel technique for a high-brightness coherent and few-cycle duration source spans seven optical octaves.

3D-Printed Smart Gel Changes Shape When Exposed to Light

The invention can become color-changing “artificial muscle.”

Laser Printing Technology for Waterproof E-Textiles

The next generation of waterproof smart fabrics can be laser-printed and made in minutes.

Researchers Acquire 3D Images with LED Room Lighting and a Smartphone

Researchers are tapping into dynamically controlled LEDs to create a simple illumination system for 3D imaging.

INRS Researchers Design the World’s Fastest UV Camera

Imagine being able to snap a picture of extremely fast events on the order of a picosecond.

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.

Optimal Information About the Invisible

Researcher are finding ways to estimate a target location when light gets deflected by a disordered structure.

High-Speed Infrared Reveals Safer Hypergolic Propellant

When SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule splashed down off the Florida coast in August following its first crewed mission, the two astronauts inside could not exit the capsule immediately....

New Fiber Optic Temperature Sensing Approach Could Keep Fusion Power Plants Running

The pursuit of fusion as a safe, carbon-free, always-on energy source has intensified in recent years, with a number of organizations pursuing aggressive...

New Products

IR and UV Optics Edmund Optics (EO) (Barrington, NJ) has released Zinc Selenide (ZnSe) Wedged Windows, which are ideal for infrared (IR) applications, and TECHSPEC® Calcium Fluoride (CaF2) Aspheric Lenses, which have high...

SoloHI Imager Captures Rare Shot of Venus, Earth, Mars, and Uranus

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) and NASA’s Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI) recently recorded an image showing three of the four inner rocky planets. The...

This LED Can Be Integrated Directly Into Computer Chips

Light-emitting diodes — LEDs — are important in many more applications than just illumination. These light sources are useful in microelectronics too. Smartphones, for example, can...

Compact Infrared Spectrometer

This device fits on a computer chip but can analyze infrared light in the same way as a conventional spectrometer.

Manufacturing Ultra-Thin Camera Lenses

Ultra-thin and flexible metalenses could replace traditional camera lenses.

Kodiak 3D LiDAR

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

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.

Compound for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)

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

New Materials Boost Efficiency and Stability of Optical Rectennas

The improved rectennas could operate low-power devices such as temperature sensors.

Sensitive Optical Receivers for Space

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

Low-Energy Nanolaser Shines in all Directions

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

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.

New Products

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 BP450 enhances the viewing of subjects illuminated by a...

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...

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 light...

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 the...