Photonics & Imaging

Photonics/​Optics

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Explore the latest technical briefs and product breakthroughs in photonics and optics. Resources include breakthroughs in lasers, laser systems, fiber optics, optical components, and photonics.

Briefs: Nanotechnology
Engineering the Flow of Light
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Latest Briefs & News

Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Portable Laser-Guided Robotic Metrology
Innovators at the NASA Glenn Research Center have developed the PLGRM system, which allows an installed antenna to be characterized in an aircraft hangar. All PLGRM components can be packed onto pallets, shipped, and easily operated.
Special Reports: Medical
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Camera & Imaging Innovations - August 2023

Read about the latest breakthroughs in AI-based machine vision, hyperspectral imaging, x-ray tomography, high-speed cameras, and more in this compilation of recent articles from the editors of Tech...

White Papers: Photonics/Optics
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Response Time of Semiconductor Photodiodes

The effect of displacement currents due to dielectric relaxation of majority carriers in the charge-neutral region of a semiconductor photodiode is discussed. The dielectric relaxation is often...

Special Reports: Sensors/Data Acquisition
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Space Technology - July 2023

Read about ten surging space startups, robotic construction on the moon, metal 3D printing in orbit, and much more in this compendium of recent articles from the editors of Tech Briefs and Aerospace & Defense...

Tech Talks: Medical
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As humans live increasingly longer lives, medical technology is improving the quality of those lives. To combat the rise in ailments such as obesity and cardiovascular disease that accompany longer...

White Papers: Photonics/Optics
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Optimizing System Performance: A Guide to Specifying Laser Modules

Laser modules play a critical role in many processes, and selecting the right laser module is essential to optimize system performance. This white paper examines the key...

White Papers: Test & Measurement
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XM-60 and XM-600 Multi-Axis Calibrators

XM laser measurement systems are capable of measuring errors in six degrees of freedom along a linear axis, simultaneously from a single set-up. They are powerful diagnostic tools that measure all...

Briefs: Aerospace
The "AOM" performs complex observations with ten observation modes and 175 strategies.
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Researchers are tapping into dynamically controlled LEDs to create a simple illumination system for 3D imaging.
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Special Reports: Photonics/Optics
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ADAS/Connected Car - June 2023

In this compendium of articles from the editors of Automotive Engineering and ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Engineering magazines, see how advances in computer simulation, lidar/sensors, display technology, and...

INSIDER: Manned Systems

Two NASA CubeSats designed to study tropical cyclones, including hurricanes and typhoons, are in orbit after a successful launch.

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INSIDER: Photonics/Optics

Researchers have developed a new light-based computing scheme that uses a photonic integrated circuit to reduce the energy necessary for cryptocurrency and...

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INSIDER: Electronics & Computers

Cornell researchers have developed an optical neural network (ONN) that can filter relevant information from a scene before the visual image is detected by a camera, a method that...

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Application Briefs: Photonics/Optics
As the tolerances for photonics systems become more demanding, controlling the grinding of optical components must also become more precise.
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Briefs: Imaging
Using a new fabrication method, researchers developed a single-lens telescope and captured clear images of the lunar surface — achieving greater resolution of objects and much farther imaging distance than previous metalenses.
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Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Computing using light can potentially provide lower latency and reduced power consumption, benefiting from the parallelism of optical systems.
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
The ability to control light using a semiconductor device could allow low-power, relatively inexpensive sources like LEDs or flashlight bulbs to replace more powerful laser beams in new technologies.
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Briefs: Electronics & Computers
The future of electronics will be based instead on using laser light to control electrical signals, opening the door for the establishment of “optical transistors” and the development of ultrafast optical electronics.
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Products: Photonics/Optics
See the New Products, including Variable Beam Expander, a modulator, Smart Fixture Mount Sensors, a pluggable module, and more.
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Blog: Lighting Technology
Physicists achieved optical switching of a light signal at attosecond speeds to reach previously unattainable data transfer speeds.
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On-Demand Webinars: Photonics/Optics
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There are many factors to consider when specifying a laser diode module for your application, both technical and commercial. This 30-minute Webinar examines key criteria to...

Special Reports: Electronics & Computers
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Optics & Photonics Innovations - April 2023

Demand for satellite communications bandwidth is quickly outstripping supply. The solution: optical, laser-based technologies. Read all about it – and other major photonics advances – in this...

Special Reports: Sensors/Data Acquisition
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Aerospace & Defense Sensing - April 2023

NASA is applying sensor technologies to create a state-of-the-art dexterous humanoid robot, to monitor the structural health of inflatable habitats designed for Mars, and to test the first...

Briefs: Materials
New research suggests that laser-based devices are poised to become a lot smaller.
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Optical Signals can be retrieved from inherent background noise using Talbot effect to amplify them.
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Briefs: Test & Measurement
NASA's NEID tool delivered its first batch of data on the nearest and best-studied star, our Sun.
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
3D nanometer-scale metamaterial structures hold promise for advanced optical isolators.
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Briefs: Photonics/Optics
NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed a Beam Crossing Optical System for use in two-point Focused Laser Differential Interferometers.
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On-Demand Webinars: Photonics/Optics
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Precision optics are used in a variety of aerospace, industrial, scientific, medical, astronomical, and military applications. In addition to material selection and rigorous design specifications, optical...

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