Two laser manufacturing giants are set to merge following Lumentum's announcement that it will acquire Coherent for $5.7 billion
Editor's picks
The fluorescence microscopy technique uses frequency combs and no mechanical parts to observe dynamic biological phenomena
Algorithms let developers shrink microscopes, enabling innovation by building on existing technology, discovers Andy Extance
News
Two laser manufacturing giants are set to merge following Lumentum's announcement that it will acquire Coherent for $5.7 billion
The process could be used as a faster and more affordable alternative to vacuum- and mask-based piezo-MEMS manufacturing methods
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
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
The TV, which contains a newly-developed RGB laser light source, offers a colour gamut coverage almost 50 per cent beyond that of high-end cinema
Analysis & opinion
Nicholas Goffin, research associate at Loughborough University, investigates where energy savings can be made in laser processing
Carlos Lee talks to Lars Rymell, CEO and founder of Swedish consultancy Eclipse Optics
Filling technical positions is difficult any time, but the pandemic poses further challenges. Jessica Rowbury reports on a panel discussion where experts gave tips to organisations recruiting during this period
Features
Algorithms let developers shrink microscopes, enabling innovation by building on existing technology, discovers Andy Extance
Now smaller, cheaper and more robust, light detection and ranging instruments are being used in new ways, finds Jessica Rowbury
Optical design is crucial in enabling wider adoption of hyperspectral imaging, finds Andy Extance
Optical coatings are helping to improve the efficiency of solar cells, finds David Stuart
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
Dr. Steve Buckley, Business Unit General Manager for Applied Systems at Ocean Insight, shares his insights on the many ways spectroscopy and optical sensing technologies can be used to help customers solve measurement challenges across diverse industries and applications.
Gemma Church explains how mirrors are improving ultrafast laser performance
Tech focus

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.)
Researchers could spur the development of smaller, more versatile optical filters that are especially adept at playing a trick of the light
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
Matthew Dale speaks with the developers of the world’s first dual-comb spectrometer with an acquisition speed of 10 gigahertz
Products
Photon Lines now offers a new microscopic biomechanical force sensor system called SENSOCELL from Impetux, of Barcelona, Spain
ProPhotonix has extended its range of Prodigii digital laser modules with five new wavelengths: 375nm, 405nm, 450nm, 905nm and 940nm
The 5-axis laser scanner is particularly suitable for the high-precision production of complex components in medical technology, microelectronics and the automotive industry
Aerotech has introduced a new hexapod for quality assurance applications
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
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.
Focuslight technologies, a global provider of high power diode lasers and micro optics, announced the Focuslight FocusFlux® AL01 Series LiDAR laser module at SPIE Photonics West 2020. The FocusFlux AL01 series is a high peak power, 1064nm laser module that employs a novel, compact, solid state design. It features a 1.5mJ 3ns laser pulse based on Q-switch technology. Built-in advanced glass diffusers enable it to generate a configurable field of view (FOV) of 125x25, 60x45, or customized per request.
Events
White papers

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.

Measurement limitations present a unique challenge to thin-film coating manufacturers as optical interference filters and coatings become more advanced. Learn about a custom solution specifically designed to measure high-performance optical filters.

In this application note a Raman microscope, with a heated stage, is used to observe phase transitions in two polymers - polyethylene and nylon-6.
Webcasts
*On demand* For sensor, camera, and machine learning developers interested in how process monitoring can be implemented in reality
*On demand* This online discussion will explore the photonics technologies being developed to maximise data throughput and to extend data delivery speeds beyond 400Gbps
*On demand* This webcast will present European capabilities for the development of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) biosensors for virus detection