Telescopes Require Polishing to Perfection

All optical imaging systems, from smartphone cameras to extreme-ultraviolet photolithography optics, are under increasing pressure to support higher resolution, broader spectral range, or higher...

Optical frequency combs have been transformational for metrology, spectroscopy, atomic clocks, and other applications, but their utility outside of lab and industrial settings has yet to be realized...

Applied Materials and the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (Fraunhofer IPMS) collaborated to create what will be Europe’s largest technology hub for semiconductor metrology and...

Lasers provide many different industries with greater efficiency, less waste, and higher precision, but they are not always as easy to fix as the machines they replace. A blunted drill bit is easier...

The Metrios 332 from Metrios is an optical measuring machine for metrology applications on the shop floor. The machine provides a wide measuring range of 300 mm × 300 mm X-Y with a part passage...

The V-574 family from PI is a series of linear positioning stages for applications such as optics inspection, metrology, photonics, interferometry, and semiconductor test equipment. The stages are...

The XYHG series of stages from Optimal Engineering Systems are linear X-axis, linear Y-axis, plus horizontal goniometer stages for metrology, light measurement, mirror positioning, laser scanning,...

The MESO™ metrology solution from Imagine Optic is designed for at-wavelength testing of flat surfaces. The system offers shop floor measurements for quality control and in situ process...

With the understanding of aspheric lens manufacturing provided in part one of this article, designers have the tools to optimize their aspheres; the next step is to understand how to specify and...

To Isaac Newton the problem was clear, and in 1704 he realized the effects of atmospheric turbulence on image formation. Just as heat waves shimmering above a hot patch of ground can distort our...

Aspheric surfaces are powerful tools that combine the optical corrections of multiple lenses into a single element (Figure 1) and affect performance in ways that spherical optics cannot. For example,...

By its original definition, a nanopositioning device is a mechanism capable of repeatedly delivering motion in increments as small as one nanometer. Lately demands from industry and research have...

4D SWIR interferometers are used to test optical components and systems involved in transmitting, relaying, and receiving laser communication signals in space - at every functional wavelength in the...

We offer custom prisms, polygons, windows, mirrors, and wedges from one source. FISBA not only has the complete production chain in-house, we can also develop entire systems built-to-spec or support...

Answering some common questions new users of optical design and analysis software have are “How accurate are the results?” or “Can I trust the results I get?” and discussing the importance of...

Accurate control over film thickness and uniformity is essential for throughput and performance in the automotive, aerospace, semiconductor, medical, and research industries. The modern standard for...

Optical manufacturing has become increasingly challenging as specifications tighten for wavefronts, form, slopes, and mid-spatial frequency features. Interferometers are essential tools to control...

Free Webinar Additional Questions & Answers from the Webinar (below) Dr. Dae Wook Kim Assistant Research Professor College of Optical Sciences University of Arizona ...

Photonics Media will host its second annual Photonics Spectra Conference Jan. 10-13. The virtual event will comprise four technology tracks — Lasers, Optics, Sensors and Detectors, and Imaging...

Set for completion in 2028, the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) promises a new era in astronomical exploration with its state-of-the-art technologies and larger than ever light collection area. With...

Active optics refers to a technology used in telescopes and other optical instruments to improve the quality of images by dynamically adjusting the shape of optical components, such as mirrors, in...

On-board optics refers to optical systems integrated into devices or platforms for various purposes, such as imaging, navigation, communication, and sensing. These systems are crucial in a wide range...

A helium-neon (HeNe) laser is a type of gas laser that emits visible red light at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. It operates based on the principle of stimulated emission of photons from excited helium...

A linear positioning stage, also known as a linear stage or translation stage, is a precision mechanical device used to accurately move and position objects along a linear axis. These stages are...

Optical coatings modify the reflectance, transmittance, and absorptive properties of optic substrates to make them much more efficient and functional. From an optical manufacturer's perspective,...

As the demand for fluorides and other high expansion materials increases, it is important to understand the risks/challenges involved with these materials and how they affect various factors such as...

Aspheres have allowed optical designers to create systems and products that push the limitations of performance across several fields. In this presentation, we will explain the various processes...

We are celebrating 10 years of Äpre! We’re proud to have helped so many of you increase your capabilities so you, in turn, can meet your customer’s toughest requirements. We’re grateful we can...

A glass-melting furnace is a furnace used to heat glass materials. Learn more about Glass-Melting Furnaces →

An alignment telescope is an optical tooling instrument consisting of an objective lens, a focusing lens, an optical micrometer, a reticle and an eyepiece. Alignment telescopes project a precise line...

An optical flat is a piece of glass, pyrex, or quartz having one or both surfaces carefully ground and polished plano, generally flat to less than a tenth of a wavelength. Optical flats are used in...

The LaCroix name is synonymous with quality precision optics. Since 1947, three generations of family leadership have guided LaCroix Precision Optics to become the premier precision optics...

Avantier Inc. is an unparalleled leader in providing innovative imaging systems solutions and optical systems solutions. We offer advance precision custom optical design, optical engineering...

OHARA 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...

ISO 9001 & ISO 13485 certified and D&B DUNS # 113515303 Shanghai Optics is an unparalleled custom system solution provider offering advance precision custom optical design, engineering,...