• Subscribe
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • White Papers
  • PhotonicsNXT
  • Buyer's Guide
  • Get Published!
  • Back Issues >
  • Laser Focus World >
  • Volume 58, Issue 05

    • Volume 58, Issue 05

    FIGURE 1. The laser beam (left) is turned into a beam pattern (right), composed of individual beamlets.
    Laser Processing

    Multibeam laser marking: The individual traceability enabler

    Florent Thibault
    May 2, 2022
    Laser marking for product traceability is permanent, contactless, consumable-less, and eco-friendly. Multibeam technology boosts throughput to address emerging needs arising from...
    2205 Lfw Ef F
    Executive Forum

    Photonics investing: Pivoting to the NBT-quantum

    John Dexheimer
    April 26, 2022
    With nearly $2 billion invested in commercial quantum firms in 2021 and government programs committing over $30 billion in coming years, the accelerant fuel is here.
    Photo 30458013 © Zestmarina | Dreamstime.com
    Dreamstime Xl 30458013
    Commentary

    Always follow the money

    Peter Fretty
    April 25, 2022
    Significant investments demonstrate belief in the science fueling laser and optics-based innovations.
    (Image credit: NCI-Frederick, public domain; Kinetic River Corp.)
    FIGURE 1. Cells can be characterized by several attributes, including size, nucleus shape, and presence and abundance of several hundred surface antigens identified so far. A solution of fluorophore-coupled antibodies matching a target antigen is mixed with the cell sample; the label-carrying antibodies only sticks to those cells presenting the antigens of interest. As those cells get exposed to a laser beam, the attached fluorophores emit fluorescence that identifies the cell in question.
    Bio&Life Sciences

    Advances in flow cytometry

    Justine Murphy
    April 25, 2022
    The development of time-resolved flow cytometry (TRFC) adds speed, ease, and efficiency to the entire cell-analysis process.
    (Courtesy of 3D Systems)
    3D Systems’ range of durable SLS nylon thermoplastics provide balanced, long-term mechanical properties and environmental stability tested out to 1.5 years outdoor and 8 years indoor, per ASTM testing methods.
    Laser Processing

    Build a factory floor that can do it all

    Phillip Conner
    April 22, 2022
    The four main components for a complete additive manufacturing solution are hardware, materials, software, and downstream processes.

    More content from Volume 58, Issue 05

    FIGURE 1. The quantum technology-based gravity gradient sensor.
    Test & Measurement

    Quantum gravity gradient sensor detects outdoor tunnel

    Jamie Vovrosh
    April 21, 2022
    Existing measurement technologies are susceptible to vibrational noise, but a practical quantum gravity gradient sensor overcomes this issue and may revolutionize our understanding...
    FIGURE 1. A SEM image of a metaoptical element designed and manufactured by NIL Technology.
    Optics

    Scaling metalenses for mass manufacturing

    Thorlak Vestergaard
    April 20, 2022
    Combining nanoimprint lithography with e-beam lithography enables the fabrication of high-quality, low-cost meta-optical elements in batch sizes suitable for mass manufacturing...
    (Courtesy of John Deere)
    FIGURE 1. The 8R autonomous tractor is currently designed for soil tilling, which can free up farmers for more difficult tasks.
    Test & Measurement

    Working smarter, not harder

    Justine Murphy
    April 19, 2022
    The future of farming lies in the agriculture industry’s ability to advance and evolve. From autonomous tractors to drones, advanced technology is changing the landscape.
    (Image credit: Center for High Energy Density Science, University of Texas at Austin)
    FIGURE 1. The Texas Petawatt Laser, a 140 J (pulse energy), 140 fs (pulse width) high-intensity laser, can generate peak power of more than 10 PW.
    Lasers & Sources

    Can high-intensity lasers help save the planet?

    Sally Cole Johnson
    April 15, 2022
    Focused Energy is pursuing proton-fast ignition for clean fusion energy via high-intensity lasers and chirped-pulse amplification—with a goal of first shots on target by 2029....
    Clinical diagnoses of skin lesions can be aided by acquiring co-registered imaging information. This image shows the skin of a patient with a delayed reaction to a tattoo, with Raman spectroscopy identifying normal epidermis, inflammatory cells, and tattoo ink with respect to a detailed LC-OCT tissue map.
    Science & Research

    OCT, Raman combo enhances dermatology diagnoses

    Richard Gaughan
    April 12, 2022
    A combination of morphological cellular-scale imaging, color surface imaging, and point molecular analysis opens the door to 3D optical histology for all types of skin lesions...
    (Courtesy of P. Jousset, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences)
    FIGURE 1. Researchers dig the trench for the fiber-optic cable at the site of Mount Etna (2800 m elevation, Piano delle Concazze; the Pizzi Deneri Observatory can be seen in the background.
    Science & Research

    Fiber-optic sensor effectively monitors volcanic activity

    Justine Murphy
    April 11, 2022
    A new system equipped with fiber-optic cables is helping scientists observe volcanic eruptions and other activity for better understanding and predictions of potentially catastrophic...
    (Courtesy of Wen Qiao, Soochow University)
    FIGURE 1. A new glasses-free 3D light field display system with a significantly extended viewing distance represents an important step toward compact, realistic-looking 3D displays.
    Science & Research

    Flat lens technique expands, enhances 3D displays

    Justine Murphy
    April 8, 2022
    A new 3D display using flat lenses paves the way for more realistic virtual imagery.
    (Image credit: Peter Laursen)
    The distant (blue) galaxy shines in all directions. Light close to the massive galaxy cluster (orange) gets deflected, and the light on the right gets deflected a little to the left, and the light going over the top is deflected downward. The cluster ends up acting as a lens, or magnifying glass, and since it’s caused by gravity it’s a gravitational lens.
    Science & Research

    Hubble detects most distant single star yet, 28 billion lightyears away

    Sally Cole Johnson
    April 7, 2022
    An international team of astronomers detected a star so incredibly far away its light took 12.9 billion years to reach Earth and be detected—thanks to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope...
    Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
    2205 Lfw Wn 4
    Science & Research

    Miniscope offers window-like view of brain functions in action

    Justine Murphy
    April 6, 2022
    A new miniature microscope is allowing researchers to watch what happens in brain cells that control movement, including walking, climbing, and other navigation.
    (Courtesy of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems)
    This thumb-shaped sensor uses computer vision and a deep neural network to infer haptic contact information.
    Science & Research

    Smart thumb sensor provides cost-effective accuracy

    Peter Fretty
    April 1, 2022
    Max Planck researchers add fingertip sensitivity to robotics with a new thumb-shaped sensor.
    (Image credit: TU Wien)
    Light travels back and forth in these two closely spaced waveguides (red and blue) and is partially reflected at their ends.
    Science & Research

    Topology can play a crucial role in the generation of laser light

    Sally Cole Johnson
    March 30, 2022
    Researchers bring concepts from topology to laser physics—without resorting to photonic lattices as done for the first realizations of topological lasers.
    FIGURE 1. Checking for hot spots with an IR camera yields reliable measurements (a). Heat measurements of a 10-mm-long SCHOTT Luminous cylindrical diffuser (b) at a slightly elevated power level (local radiant exitance or fluence rate) of 450 mW/cm (left) and 2.5 W/cm (right) diffuser length are also shown. At left, the diffuser heats up to 20.9°C, which is only slightly above room temperature (17°C); at right, even at considerably higher power levels, the diffuser heats up to levels of 36.4°C, remaining significantly below the critical temperature of 42°C. This is an advantage of SCHOTT’s glass-based diffusers, which are inherently bonded to the fiber, thus avoiding adhesives, over other commercially available diffuser technologies (for example, those based on polymers and glued to the fiber).
    Bio&Life Sciences

    Minimizing patient risk for light-based therapies

    Haike Frank
    March 29, 2022
    A new holistic measurement approach accounts for entire light-delivery devices, helping to improve photodynamic therapy, photoimmunotherapy, and laser interstitial thermal therapy...
    (Image credit: Christian Gruppe)
    Photon-spin interface with the europium molecular crystal for entanglement of nuclear-spin qubits (arrows) with the help of photons (yellow).
    Science & Research

    Light from rare-earth ions shows promise for quantum computers and networks

    Sally Cole Johnson
    March 24, 2022
    In a breakthrough for quantum processing, researchers show europium molecule’s nuclear spins can be used to produce an effective photon-spin interface.
    FIGURE 1. Relative system revenue for Coherent tube cutting machines based on fiber lasers and femtosecond lasers.
    Laser Processing

    Femtosecond laser processing is a flourishing production tool

    Roland Woelzlein
    March 23, 2022
    As advances in femtosecond laser cutting technology intensify, demand is surging.