Laser Focus World Newsletter

FOCUS ON > Microscopy

August 4, 2009

INDUSTRY NEWS
Scientists enter new phase of automotive laser ignition research with Ford Following collaborative work with Ford Motor Company and GSI Group, engineers at The University of Liverpool have reported encouraging results in their quest for laser ignition (LI) in automobile engines.
Nextreme and Lockheed cooperate on next-generation thermal management Nextreme Thermal Solutions, provider of microscale thermal and power management products, and Lockheed Martin entered into a cooperation agreement to develop new products based on Nextreme's thin-film thermoelectric materials.
Laser materials processing market downturn could create opportunities Sales of low-power lasers for micro materials processing will fall by 40% in 2009, but growth will recover in 2010 to exceed $460 million by 2013, along with new opportunities for suppliers, according to a report from O/E market research firm Strategies Unlimited.
Light Blue Optics raises $15 million in Series A extension for pico projectors Light Blue Optics (LBO), developer of laser-based pico projection systems, announced closing of a $15 million Series 'A' extension to accelerate its product development roadmap across multiple markets including automotive, industrial, and consumer.

More industry news headlines:
• Research report forecasts nanophotonics market will reach $3.6 billion by 2014
• Lockheed Martin acquires Gyrocam Systems to grow surveillance capability
• Schleiren imaging gives a better understanding of blast initiation
• Syntec, OFS ISO certifications aim to reassure buyers of polymer devices

TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Transparent aluminum no longer just the stuff of Star Trek IV Oxford University and collaborating scientists have created a transparent form of aluminum by bombarding the metal with a soft X-ray laser. The exotic state of matter has implications for planetary science and nuclear fusion.
Thinnest semiconductor laser holds promise for on-chip interconnects Semiconductor lasers with thicknesses down to 80 nm from researchers at ASU and TU Eindhoven create possibilities for using nanoscale lasers in OICs to speed up Internet access.
3M technology enables 3-D viewing in handheld devices A new 3M '3D Film' integrates into handheld displays and delivers autostereoscopic viewing for extended periods without eye fatigue, and special glasses are not required.
Liquid crystal's helical design could benefit miniature optical systems A paper just published in the journal Science promises to benefit the quest for miniature optical devices and photonics by explaining how the shell of the beetle Chrysina gloriosa uses a unique helical structure to reflect the light of two specific colors.

More technology news headlines:
• New nitride phosphor from Philips Lumileds closes yellow LED gap
• Nanocrystals' optical properties promise global warming solution
• IPG Photonics unveils 100 W fiber-coupled laser diode
• Laser and image analysis enable video-capable holographic microscope

NEW PRODUCTS

Compact industrial laser provides efficient power up to 10,000 W
Laserline continues to push the performance of its industrial high-power laser systems, packaging up to 10,000 W in a dramatically shrunk footprint. Continuous improvement of the active cooling technology creates a high-power laser with a footprint of 30 x 38 inches with an integrated chiller as an option.
Laserline; Santa Clara, CA

Videos highlight new products from Laser Munich
Laser Focus World Product Showcase videos from Laser, World of Photonics (Laser Munich) include new products from Newport, Michelson Diagnostics, JenLab, Eolite, and the development of sCMOS for scientific imaging in a collaboration among Andor, Fairchild Imaging, and PCO.

CMOS digital camera reaches 1.4 million frames per second
Vision Research has unveiled the Phantom v710, the latest addition to the company's v-Series of advanced digital high-speed cameras, with an unrivaled throughput of more than 7 gigapixels/s, which allows the camera to record at 7,530 frames/s at its maximum resolution of 1280 x 800, or 1.4 million frames/s at reduced resolution.
Vision Research; Bridgewater, NJ

More new products ...
... from the pages of Laser Focus World

FOCUS ON: Microscopy
Resolving more with light “Super-resolution using conventional lenses and focused light has the potential to transform many areas in the life sciences,” says Stefan Hell, director at the Max Plank Institute for Biophysical Chemistry.
PALM microscopy reveals cell organization's impact on biological function Photo-activated localization microscopy (PALM) enables scientists to see how thousands of bacterial proteins assemble into clusters that direct cell movement to select chemicals in their environment.
CARS microscopy peers deep into microstructures Compared to scanning-electron microscopy, CARS microscopy produces a richer data set and is more conducive to in situ testing of microstructures created using two-photon polymerization.
A richer view of bio structures Hyperspectral microscopy combines disparate methodologies to produce a data-rich view of biological structures useful in research and clinical applications.