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  • Volume 57, Issue 08
  • Volume 57, Issue 08

    Founders and co-CEOs of Refined Laser Systems, Maximilian Brinkmann (left) and Tim Hellwig (right).
    Lasers & Sources

    Pioneering a path in tunable lasers—An interview with Tim Hellwig and Maximilian Brinkmann

    Aug. 18, 2021
    Tunable fiber laser system provides new imaging capabilities for the biomedical field, initially for coherent Raman microscopy applications.
    New Image 2
    Industrial Laser Solutions

    More than fiber lasers

    Aug. 18, 2021
    Ultrashort-pulse lasers continue to improve, enabling the processing of transparent materials such as glass used in industrial manufacturing through self-focusing and multiphoton...
    FIGURE 1. Transparent ultrashort pulses can do a lot, or nothing at all, depending on focus condition and pulse frequency.
    Industrial Laser Solutions

    Glass microwelding with ultrashort-pulse lasers

    Aug. 18, 2021
    High-power, high pulse-repetition-frequency picosecond technology is well suited for the task.
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    Lasers & Sources

    More effective laser control possible via new metasurface system

    Aug. 18, 2021
    The single metasurface is able to tune various properties of laser light, including wavelength; it does so without additional optical components.
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    Commentary

    Recognizing young professionals

    Aug. 18, 2021
    Laser Focus World Rising Stars Awards program recognizes the 2021 honorees!

    More content from Volume 57, Issue 08

    FIGURE 1. The spectral demixing principle shows normalized spectra of two typical red dyes, AF647 and CF680, with the long-pass dichroic filter at 700 nm to separate the two emission (a); an example of PSF recordings on Cam1 and Cam2 (b, top), zoom-in (b, middle), and 2D Gaussian PSF representation to evaluate center position and photon counting (b, bottom); photon ratio distribution and an example of ranges chosen for ƛ assignment (c); an optical pathway adopted for the spectral separation, with a first dichroic separate excitation from emission—the emission light is then split with a second long-pass dichroic into the two cameras (d); and an example of image reconstruction of a Cos7 cell labeled for tubulin AF647 and Clathrin CF680 (e).
    Bio&Life Sciences

    STORM made easy for high-throughput research

    Aug. 18, 2021
    Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) methods are now vital to accessing biological information at the nanoscale. Now, a novel solution involving just a single laser ...
    Schematic representations of the optical setup; broadband vibrational imaging based on multichannel lock-in detection. Stimulated Raman scattering microscopy requires precise design. A single ultrafast pulse provides the Stokes pulse and sources a broadband pulse from an optical parametric oscillator. The broadband pulse is pre-compensated for dispersion in a grating compressor, and separated into a reference and pump pulse, which are spectrally dispersed and simultaneously measured by linear arrays of balanced photodetectors.
    Detectors & Imaging

    Raman detection refinements offer detailed chemical imaging

    Aug. 18, 2021
    Simultaneous pump and Stokes beams can stimulate Raman scattering, which is measured as a decrease in transmitted pump intensity—with detailed attention to system architecture...
    FIGURE 1. Received 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellations without (a) and with (b) the presence of laser phase noise.
    Lasers & Sources

    Tunable external-cavity lasers power high-speed coherent transmission

    Aug. 18, 2021
    With the inception of coherent transmission, rigorous performance requirements have been placed on tunable laser technology. Researchers more and more are discovering in those...
    FIGURE 1. Schematic representation of a simple neural network for spectral processing consisting of two hidden layers, each with four neurons and a binary output layer.
    Test & Measurement

    Machine learning: The future of healthcare

    Aug. 18, 2021
    There is no doubt that the future of photonics in healthcare, especially in diagnostic healthcare, will hinge on machine learning, but it is critical to remember that it's a tool...
    A schematic of how a light-field print works (a) and a light-field print observed from different angles (b) are shown.
    Detectors & Imaging

    High-resolution light-field prints go from 2D to 3D

    Aug. 18, 2021
    Traditional 2D images display a fixed appearance, unable to control light rays and thus 3D images. Researchers in Singapore are addressing this problem.
    Timo Betz
    Researchers produced instructions for building the microscope in several languages: https://github.com/tobetz/legomicroscope.
    Detectors & Imaging

    Optics, toys, and phone components inspire next-generation scientists

    Aug. 18, 2021
    Researchers in Germany are working to inspire and assist potentially budding scientists, namely youths, by combining microscopes with ordinary phones and even toys.
    Courtesy of Aykut Argun
    Illustration of how a neural network is used to retrieve interesting information from a microscope image.
    Software & Accessories

    Newly developed AI tool could transform traditional microscopy

    Aug. 18, 2021
    AI and deep learning are already hugely impacting many industries, applications, and scientific fields. A new tool has the potential to revolutionize microscopy for everything...
    akitada31/Pixabay
    A new multicore fiber-optic monitoring system has the potential to enhance 5G. According to researchers at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), in collaboration with the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV), such a system, which they have patented, could optimize energy consumption and preserve data transmission capacity. The team’s work could lead to a parallel system, in which they will continually monitor the node’s energy needs. And in obtaining a single optical signal, “the system can also monitor temperature changes in the fiber core, energy distribution using optical means at different network points, and the state of the communication channel used within the fiber.”
    Fiber Optics

    Fiber-optic monitoring system drives 5G light-powered networks

    Aug. 18, 2021
    A new multicore fiber-optic monitoring system has the potential to enhance 5G, as it could optimize energy consumption and preserve data transmission capacity.
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    Detectors & Imaging

    Researchers demonstrate new framework for 3D imaging

    Aug. 18, 2021
    A recurrent neural network is giving a boost to fluorescence samples with a framework for 3D imaging; it demonstrates a deep learning-enabled volumetric microscopy framework.
    FIGURE 1. Laser-induced thermal therapy (LITT; a) and photodynamic therapy/ photoimmunotherapy (PDT/PIT; b) are used to treat cancer and other severe pathologies.
    Lasers & Sources

    Advanced laser light delivery improves medical treatments

    Aug. 18, 2021
    Whether supporting minimally invasive surgical procedures, killing tumors, or treating dermatological pathologies, light-based therapies play an important role in improving the...
    FIGURE 1. Scattering of light by a gold nanoparticle embedded in a substrate. The finite element mesh is also shown.
    Optics

    Multiscale optical simulations pose unique challenges

    Aug. 16, 2021
    Simulation is used for design, optimization, and diagnostics in diverse applications including optical fibers, lasers, smartphones, and autonomous vehicles. However, optical simulation...
    Rising Star Hero
    Home

    Laser Focus World announces 2021 Rising Stars Awards

    Aug. 3, 2021
    In its inaugural year, the Rising Stars Awards program celebrates young researchers, scientists, and other industry up-and-comers for their dedication to photonics and who are...