Scott C. Buchter, Helsinki University of TechnologyBo Andersen, Koheras ASSupercontinuum sources are finding increasing use in applications that require a source with very broad spectral bandwidth and high spatial brightness. A common method of generating supercontinuum light has involved the coupling of the output from a high-power femtosecond laser into a photonic crystal, or holey, fiber, in which a variety of nonlinear optical effects contribute to extreme spectral broadening. Although effective, the use of this type of pump source results in a complicated and expensive system that heretofore has restricted it to the laboratory. In the past year, advances in...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaArticlesTerahertz Generation Method Targets Ultrafast ElectronicsTerahertz (THz) waves can be used to probe the magnetic properties of new materials. 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Until...Photonics.com 11/25/2024Advantages of Using DDS (Direct Digital Synthesis) for Signal GenerationWe are showing how multi-tone sinewaves produced by our DDS function can be used for fast frequency switching and fine frequency, phase, and amplitude control. It is a particularly useful feature in...Photonics.com 12/30/2024Heat Conduction Joining the Multispot Focusing LensDespite the rapid development of modern lasers, the Gaussian intensity distribution often leads to problems, especially in laser material processing. When welding wide weld seams, a top-hat profile...Photonics.com 2/21/2024Optics for Medical Laser ApplicationsHighly customized and application optimized laser optics for demanding applications from demanding markets.Photonics.com 4/5/2024WebinarsVersatile Broadband Tunable Lasers for Cutting-Edge Scientific ResearchBroadband tunable lasers have long been considered essential for scientific research in fields such as fluorescence imaging and material science. 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These tunable lasers allow...Photonics.com 10/15/2024Photonics Dictionary TermssupercontinuumSupercontinuum refers to a broad spectrum of light that spans a wide range of wavelengths, typically from the visible to the near-infrared or even mid-infrared regions of the electromagnetic...Photonics Dictionaryfemtosecond laserA femtosecond laser is a type of laser that emits ultrashort pulses of light with durations on the order of femtoseconds, where one femtosecond is equal to 10-15 seconds. These lasers are capable of...Photonics Dictionarylithium triborate nonlinear crystalLithium triborate, commonly abbreviated as LBO, is a nonlinear optical crystal widely used in various applications involving frequency conversion of laser light. It is valued for its excellent...Photonics DictionaryGaAlAs laserA GaAlAs laser is a type of semiconductor laser diode that emits light in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. 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These lasers are capable of...CW CO2 LasersNd:YAG LasersAn Nd:YAG laser is a solid-state laser that utilizes neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet as the gain medium. This type of laser emits light at a wavelength of 1064 nm in the infrared region of...Wireless Laser Communications SystemsCompaniesFOCtek Photonics Inc.FOCtek provides customers with all types of custom manufactured lenses, Precision Optical Components, Polarizing Optics, Prisms, Filters, Coatings, Optical Systems, Crystals, Nonlinear Crystals,...Photonics Buyers' GuideOhara CorporationOHARA manufactures more than 130 environmentally safe optical glass types, free of both lead and arsenic. More than 300 tons of optical glass are melted per month, available in the following forms of...Photonics Buyers' GuideOZ Optics LimitedEstablished in 1985, OZ Optics is a leading worldwide supplier of fiber optic components, test equipment and sensors. OZ Optics manufactures its products in three locations, Ottawa (Canada),...Photonics Buyers' GuideMicro Laser Systems Inc.We are a manufacturer of Diffraction Limited Fiber Coupled Laser Systems, Optical Systems, and Fiber Optic Systems from 240 nm to 6000 nm. Unique products include various sizes of Fiber Collimators,...Photonics Buyers' Guide