Following Lumentum's recent announcement it was set to buy Coherent, MKS Instruments and II-VI have both put in acquisition bids
Editor's picks
Keely Portway looks at some of the latest developments in quantum science, and what they could mean for the commercial space
Two laser manufacturing giants are set to merge following Lumentum's announcement that it will acquire Coherent for $5.7 billion
News
12 February 2021
Following Lumentum's recent announcement it was set to buy Coherent, MKS Instruments and II-VI have both put in acquisition bids
19 January 2021
Two laser manufacturing giants are set to merge following Lumentum's announcement that it will acquire Coherent for $5.7 billion
The micro loudspeaker proves that microactuators can be produced in seconds and at low costs using inkjet printers and lasers. (Image: Fraunhofer ILT)
19 January 2021
The process could be used as a faster and more affordable alternative to vacuum- and mask-based piezo-MEMS manufacturing methods
13 January 2021
The discovery, made by researchers at the Universities of Oxford, Münster, Exeter, Pittsburgh, EPFL and IBM Research Europe, is the first to apply frequency combs in the field of artificial neural networks
12 January 2021
Dutch start-up MantiSpectra has received investment from PhotonDelta and Innovation Industries, while Senorics is set to receive more than €2 million from the Development Bank of Saxony
Analysis & opinion
05 February 2021
Carlos Lee, EPIC’s director general, talks to Koichiro Ikeda, president and CEO of Isuzu Glass
16 December 2020
Nicholas Goffin, research associate at Loughborough University, investigates where energy savings can be made in laser processing
16 December 2020
Carlos Lee talks to Lars Rymell, CEO and founder of Swedish consultancy Eclipse Optics
Features
11 February 2021
Keely Portway looks at some of the latest developments in quantum science, and what they could mean for the commercial space
12 January 2021
Algorithms let developers shrink microscopes, enabling innovation by building on existing technology, discovers Andy Extance
16 December 2020
Now smaller, cheaper and more robust, light detection and ranging instruments are being used in new ways, finds Jessica Rowbury
Classification of nuts as good or bad using Specim’s FX17 camera
13 November 2020
Optical design is crucial in enabling wider adoption of hyperspectral imaging, finds Andy Extance
Press Releases
The event will be held on 11 November when the cancelled Vision show would have taken place. Young vision companies have until 28 October to apply
Each year, the Portland Business Journal honors the region’s top manufacturing companies who drive our economy with innovation, excellence and productivity
Following strong growth, Delta Optical Thin Film is moving into its new purpose-built facilities in DTU Science Park in Hørsholm, Denmark
The partnership provides customers with a combination of innovative CMMs and Nikon Metrology’s laser scanning technology
Customers will have access to the highest of quality polished optical glass filters from Schott, with the exceptional customer service and fast shipping of Edmund Optics
With immediate effect, Market Tech will supply Chromacity’s ultrafast laser systems through its industrial and academic research network across North America
Qioptiq will invest about 25 million euros ($27 million USD) in this expansion of its production capacities
Viewpoint
Cavity ring-down spectroscopy schematic
12 February 2021
Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed optical interruption of a mid-infrared quantum cascade laser, which could cut costs of a sensitive type of spectroscopy
The James Clerk Maxwell telescope in Hawaii is a clear example of the sheer power of freeform optics. Credit: The JCMT/William Montgomerie
2 February 2021
Gemma Church discusses the advances made in manufacturing freeform optics
Tech focus
The shape of modern optical components is becoming increasingly complex, which can make them more difficult to coat.
21 January 2021
Dr Kristin Pfeiffer, Pallabi Paul, and Dr Adriana Szeghalmi have developed conformal coating processes for functionalising strongly curved optics
A rendering of the experimental setup used. Light is reflected down to the nanostructure of molybdenum disulfide (yellow and teal lattice) and PZT (blue and green). Wavelengths reflecting from the surface are captured by the top detector as transmitted wavelengths pass through the PZT to the bottom detector. (Image: Hong et al.)
06 January 2021
Researchers could spur the development of smaller, more versatile optical filters that are especially adept at playing a trick of the light
03 November 2020
Car manufacturing has been hit hard by Covid-19 but the need for vision on production lines has not diminished, as Greg Blackman finds out
Products
02 February 2021
Following our move into new premises, and our recent expansion in staff and production capacity, we are delighted to announce our first new product release of the year
04 November 2020
Photon Lines now offers a new microscopic biomechanical force sensor system called SENSOCELL from Impetux, of Barcelona, Spain
02 September 2020
ProPhotonix has extended its range of Prodigii digital laser modules with five new wavelengths: 375nm, 405nm, 450nm, 905nm and 940nm
24 August 2020
The 5-axis laser scanner is particularly suitable for the high-precision production of complex components in medical technology, microelectronics and the automotive industry
24 August 2020
Aerotech has introduced a new hexapod for quality assurance applications
24 August 2020
The Cobolt Rogue series of lasers are continuous-wave diode pumped lasers (DPL) and are multi-mode, high power complements to Cobolt's 05-01 series of single frequency lasers
04 March 2020
Focuslight technologies, a global provider of high power diode lasers and micro optics, announced the LIMO Wide Angle Diffuser at SPIE Photonics West 2020. Designed for automotive LiDAR and 3D sensing applications, the LIMO Wide Angle Diffuser is a glass refractive optical element (ROE) with the ability to disperse laser light in one direction up to a full illumination angle, ranging from a few mrad up to 150 degrees. When combined with a second functional surface, the light can also be shaped at any desired angle in the other direction.
Events
White papers
26 January 2021
Researchers from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed optical interruption of a midinfrared (MIR) quantum cascade laser (QCL) using a near-infrared (NIR) laser diode for cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). The QCL is modulated from the injection of the NIR laser diode, and this shifts the frequency of the signal in the cavity generating rapid interruption of the high-finesse cavity resonance. This method is compared to the traditional electrical interruption method and shows similar performance. Optical interruption reduces the high bandwidth requirements of the QCL driver as well as lowers cost and complexity of the system. The necessary precision control was provided by Wavelength Electronics'
laser and QCL drivers. With this optical interruption method, other
26 January 2021
Taking advantage of collective quantum effects has enabled the so-called first quantum revolution in the 20th century for technologies such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and the development of transistors, LEDs, solar panels, and lasers. Today, amid the second quantum revolution new sensing schemes offer higher sensitivities and better resolution thanks to the possibility to detect and control individual quantum states in microscopic systems like atoms, quantum dots, or color centers.
14 December 2020
In this whitepaper, e introduce a novel optical replication manufacturing method. We investigate the manufacture and measurement of freeform optics, explain how this high-precision replication manufacturing method works, and outline the benefits this manufacturing solution brings to OEMs and any organisation who wants to benefit from the inclusion of freeform optics at cost and at scale across their imaging applications.
Webcasts
13 October 2020
*On demand* For sensor, camera, and machine learning developers interested in how process monitoring can be implemented in reality
24 March 2020
*On demand* This online discussion will explore the photonics technologies being developed to maximise data throughput and to extend data delivery speeds beyond 400Gbps
20 March 2020
*On demand* This webcast will present European capabilities for the development of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) biosensors for virus detection
