Photonicsspectra 201209

www.photonics.
com September 2012

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Laser Car Ignition Dream
Sparks Multiple Approaches
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4 Photonics Spectra September 2012 www.photonics.com
Content

SEPTEMBER 2012 www.photonics.com VOLUME 46 ISSUE 9
20 64 82
Departments & Columns
10 EDITORIAL
16 LIGHT SPEED
Business and Markets
Same economy bears different results
Turbulence predicted for LED front-end
equipment market
20 TECH PULSE
Photonics Spectra editors curate the
most signicant photonics research
and technology headlines of the month
and take you deeper inside the news.
Featured stories include:
New class of 3-D optical cavities
demonstrated
I cant see the rain against my
headlights
Terabits transmitted by twisted light
60 LASERS IN USE
by Ken Barat, Certied Laser Safety Ofcer,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Designing a Laser Lab: What to Do
and What Not to Do
64 GREENLIGHT
Laser probes pollution particles
Silicone eyed for extending solar cell lives
70 NEW PRODUCTS
79 HAPPENINGS
81 ADVERTISER INDEX
82 LIGHTER SIDE
by Caren B. Les
Fiber optic sensors set sail
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THE COVER
Shown is a spark
emitted from a
laser spark plug
at the National
Energy Technol-
ogy Laboratory.
Design by Senior
Art Director Lisa N.
Comstock. Image
courtesy of NETL.
912Contents.indd 4 8/22/12 12:11 PM
September 2012 Photonics Spectra 5
PHOTONICS: The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon.
The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and information processing.
36
40 50
Features
35
ISSUE FOCUS: TRANSPORTATION
Fuel efciency and safety drive
photonics innovation.
36
HEAD-UP DISPLAYS KEEP SPEED
AND MORE IN SIGHT
by Hank Hogan, Contributing Editor
Although head-up displays have been around
for decades, cost and design challenges
have slowed their penetration of the market.
40
LASER CAR IGNITION DREAM
SPARKS MULTIPLE APPROACHES
by Laura S. Marshall, Managing Editor
Conventional spark plugs could someday
be replaced by laser-based ignition systems,
which would save energy and reduce auto
emissions.
44
NEW SMART CAMERAS PROVIDE
QUALITY CONTROL IN A BOX
by Max Larin, Ximea GmbH
These compact machine vision systems
offer most of the functionality of a personal
computer, including a full operating system.
50
DPSS LASERS OVERCOME GLASS
PROCESS CHALLENGES
by Jim Bovatsek and Dr. Rajesh S. Patel,
Spectra-Physics
Thanks to these devices, laser glass
processing is becoming a feasible solution
for a growing number of industrial applications.
56
DLC COATINGS ENHANCE
IR CAMERAS
by Dr. Mordechai Gilo, Ophir Optronics Ltd.
The Narcissus effect on infrared lens
assemblies can be reduced with diamondlike
carbon multiple-layer coatings.
912Contents.indd 5 8/22/12 10:46 AM
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www.photonics.com
Group Publisher Karen A. Newman
Editorial Staff
Managing Editor Laura S. Marshall
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Contributing Editors Hank Hogan
Gary Boas
Marie Freebody
Creative Staff
Senior Art Director Lisa N. Comstock
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Multimedia Services & Marketing
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editorial
comment

editorial Advisory Board
Dr. Robert R. Alfano
City College of New York
Walter Burgess
Power Technology Inc.
Dr. Michael J. Cumbo
IDEX Optics & Photonics
Dr. Timothy Day
Daylight Solutions
Dr. Anthony J. DeMaria
Coherent-DEOS LLC
Dr. Donal Denvir
Andor Technology PLC
Patrick L. Edsell
Avanex Corp.
Dr. Stephen D. Fantone
Optikos Corp.
Randy Heyler
Ondax Inc.
Dr. Michael Houk
Bristol Instruments Inc.
Dr. Kenneth J. Kaufmann
Hamamatsu Corp.
Brian Lula
PI (Physik Instrumente) LP
Eliezer Manor
Shirat Enterprises Ltd., Israel
Shinji Niikura
Coherent Japan Inc.
Dr. Morio Onoe
professor emeritus, University of Tokyo
Dr. William Plummer
WTP Optics
Dr. Richard C. Powell
University of Arizona
Dr. Ryszard S. Romaniuk
Warsaw University of Technology, Poland
Samuel P. Sadoulet
Edmund Optics
Dr. Steve Sheng
Telesis Technologies Inc.
William H. Shiner
IPG Photonics Corp.
John M. Stack
Zygo Corp.
Dr. Albert J.P. Theuwissen
Harvest Imaging/Delft University
of Technology, Belgium
Kyle Voosen
National Instruments Corp.
As we worked to get this issue ready for press, the US National Academy of
Sciences National Research Council released its long-awaited report, Optics & Photonics:
Essential Technologies for Our Nation. In it, the council recommends a national photon-
ics initiative: an organized effort of academia, industry and government to steer federal
research and development funding and activities. The council believes that such an
initiative will help manage the broad reach of rapidly expanding photonics technology,
allowing government and industry together to form coherent strategies for technology
development and deployment.
In this follow-up to the councils 1998 Harnessing Light: Optical Science and
Engineering for the 21st Century, the committee named fve grand challenges facing the
nation that can be addressed with advances in optics and photonics technology, including
keeping up the pace of technological achievement established in previous decades.
Watch for in-depth coverage of the report on our Light Matters weekly newscast at
Photonics.com, and in the October issue of Photonics Spectra.
Remember your frst car?
Was it a Beetle or a Mustang? Was it fast or fuel-effcient? Did you choose domestic
or foreign? Whatever your answer, and as much as you loved it, chances are pretty good
it had nothing on the cars of tomorrow.
Contributing editor Hank Hogan tells us that despite current issues, including cost
experts say that projecting information on a windshield is a future safety must-have
for drivers. Head-up displays, Hogan writes, are becoming more capable, with color
imagery depicting speed, lane location, turn direction, radio setting and other informa-
tion. Head-Up Displays Keep Speed and More in Sight can be found on page 36.
Safety is important, but a laser under the hood is just cool. As calls for improved
energy effciency and reduced auto emissions grow ever louder, lasers are being investi-
gated as possible replacements for the conventional spark plug, according to Managing
Editor Laura Marshall. In her cover story, Laser Car Ignition Dream Sparks Multiple
Approaches, beginning on page 40, Marshall explains how laser spark plugs promise
better fuel effciency and lower pollution than conventional ones.
About our new look
Photonics Spectra has a new look! Our name on the cover is big and bold and ready
for the future, just like the vital industry we cover. Inside, youll fnd an easy-to-navigate,
easy-to-read presentation of all the latest on research, applications, and the people and
business of the photonics industry.
Our design team is led by senior art director Lisa Comstock, who has been designing
Photonics Spectra and our other publications since 1984. Working with her are Janice
Tynan and Suzanne Schmidt, both of whom contributed to the redesign. We are grateful
for their design talents and their thoughtful consideration of our readers in the new look.
Enjoy the issue.

A New Initiative for the
Future of Photonics
karen.newman@photonics.com
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Research news: A roundup of the industrys top research headlines.
Light Matters weekly newscast: A video recap of the most compelling optics and
photonics news brought to you by editors from Photonics.com, and Photonics Spectra
and BioPhotonics magazines.
Business news: We keep you up-to-date with the latest mergers, acquisitions, nancial
reports, grants, patents and more.
Popular Topics: Check out our most viewed stories from Photonics.com.
Light Exchange: An easy link to all of our social media sites, including Facebook,
Twitter, blogs, forum and our poll question section.
EDU.Photonics.com: Our collection of helpful resources for students, educators and
researchers, including the Photonics Dictionary+; Photonics Handbook; a list of societies,
associations, universities and research centers; interactive laser charts; webinars;
white papers; Light Matters weekly newscasts; and more.
Welcome to
1
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2
3
4
5
6
Latest
Research
News
Light
Matters
Weekly
Newscast
Biz News
from the
Field
Popular
Topics
Light
Exchange
Social
Media
EDU.Photonics.com
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PHOTONICS MEDIAS INDUSTRY-LEADING SITE FEATURES
THE LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
4
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www.photonics.com
Ken Barat
Ken Barat has been the laser
safety offcer at Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory
for 20 years. He is chair of
standard Z136.8, author of
two laser safety texts, an LIA
Fellow, a Rockwell Award win-
ner and the founder of the LSO
Workshop Series. Page 60.
Jim Bovatsek
Jim Bovatsek is an applica-
tions lab manager for Spectra-
Physics focused on laser ap-
plications using nanosecond,
picosecond and femtosecond
pulsed lasers. He holds a BS
in physics from the University
of California, Santa Barbara.
Page 50.
Dr. Mordechai Gilo
Dr. Mordechai Gilo holds a
doctorate in electrical engi-
neering from Tel Aviv Univer-
sity. With Ophir Optronics Ltd.,
since 2008, he is the process
development manager of
the R&D and engineering
department of the Optics Div.
Page 56.
Hank Hogan
Contributing editor Hank
Hogan holds a BS in physics
from the University of Texas
at Austin. He worked in the
semiconductor industry and
now writes about science and
technology. Page 36.
Dr. Max Larin
Dr. Max Larin is CEO of Ximea
GmbH in Germany. A graduate
of the Moscow Institute of
Physics and Technology, he
was formerly a director at Soft-
hard Technology Ltd. in the
Slovak Republic. He also was a
senior research analyst at the
Institute of Informatics Prob-
lems of The Russian Academy
of Sciences. Page 44.
Laura S. Marshall
Managing Editor Laura S.
Marshall combines her years
of journalism experience with
a lifelong love of science to
cover the vast world of photon-
ics; in the past four years, she
has attended nearly every
major industry trade show and
conference. Page 40.
Dr. Rajesh Patel
Dr. Rajesh Patel has 23 years
of experience in laser material
processing. He is currently
director of strategic marketing
and applications at Spectra-
Physics. He earned his
doctorate at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Page 50.
contRiButoRS
Photonics Spectra ...
In the October issue of
Vision Boosts Robotics in Manufacturing
Lasers Expand Applications in Micromachining
Plasma Drives Extreme uV Patterning
Select the Right Epoxies
for optical Applications
Youll also fnd all the news that affects your industry,
from tech trends and market reports to the latest
products and media.
n Check out a sample of the digital
version of Photonics Spectra magazine at
www.photonics.com/DigitalSample. Its a
whole new world of information for people
in the global photonics industry.
912What'sComing_Online.indd 14 8/21/12 6:46 PM
Features
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Coherent
Strong sales in the microelectronics mar-
ket, particularly those of excimer laser
annealing systems for at panel displays,
contributed almost half of Coherents
third-quarter revenue of $196.4 million,
the laser maker reported.
Prot for the quarter, which ended June
30, was $17.2 million, or 72 cents a share,
down slightly from the record-setting $19
million, or 74 cents a share, for the same
quarter a year ago.
Bookings received during the quarter
were $218.9 million, a decrease of 4.2
percent year over year but an increase
of nearly 20 percent over the previous
quarter.
The book-to-bill ratio was 1.11, result-
ing in a backlog of $369.4 million,
a record, CEO John Ambroseo told
investors.
The microelectronics and materials
processing markets performed solidly,
while there were declines in the scientic
and instrumentation markets, which are
subject to funding cuts and uncertainties,
Chief Financial Ofcer Helene Simonet
said in an earnings call with investors.
Excimer laser annealing allows high-
volume production of polycrystalline
silicon on conventional glass substrates,
instead of requiring such polysilicon
layers to be produced on expensive spe-
cial glass at high temperatures. Low-
temperature polysilicon greatly enhances
the performance of silicon thin-lm tran-
sistors in certain types of displays.
Coherents excimer lasers are the only
industrial-grade ones with the high pulse
energy optimized for that application,
the company says.
IPG Photonics
Strong sales of ber lasers for materials
processing applications were the driv-
ing factor behind IPG Photonics $37.7
million prot for the second quarter, a
23 percent increase over the same quarter
last year, the company reported. Revenue
increased 13 percent year over year, to a
record $138 million.
IPG Chairman and CEO Dr. Valentin
Gapontsev attributed the companys sales
growth to three factors: the continued
adoption of ber lasers over other types,
the increasing number of applications
using lasers and the strong demand in
several key industries.
Second-quarter materials process-
ing sales increased 16 percent year
over year to $124.6 million, IPG Chief
Financial Ofcer Tim Mammen said in
a conference call with investors. This
market continues to drive our growth and
accounted for 90 percent of total sales
during the quarter.
Telecommunications, advanced appli-
cations and the medical market accounted
for the remaining 10 percent. Revenue
from these decreased 5 percent year over
year to $13.3 million, Mammen said.
The biggest materials processing
applications for ber lasers are cutting,
welding, marking and engraving, he said,
adding that IPG also is seeing growth
from cladding, drilling, brazing, anneal-
ing and rapid prototyping.
CVI Melles Griot
Cost-cutting will continue through the
end of the year at CVI Melles Griot fol-
lowing its lower-than-expected nancial
performance in the second quarter, the
CEO of parent company Idex said. The re-
structuring is intended to right size their
Light Speed
Goodrich secures sensors order Laser, LED projects receive $7M in grants from US Dept. of Energy LPKF sees demand spike for PCB-cutting lasers
Idex acquires Matcon 3DIcon to acquire Dimension Technologies EDAC acquires Ebtec Raytheon awarded $191M for multispectral targeting
Same economy bears different results
Three top photonics companies recently announced quarterly results, and the mixed
results reect the industrys ongoing attempts to recover from the 2008 downturn.
Flat panels buoy sales
Optics market weakens
Fiber laser demand up
Mars! Cameras! Action!
NASAs Curiosity rover landed safely on Mars on Aug. 5 with no fewer than 17 cameras onboard. The
rovers mast features seven cameras: the Remote Micro Imager, part of the Chemistry and Camera suite;
four black-and-white Navigation Cameras (two on the left and two on the right) and two color Mast Cameras
(Mastcams). The left Mastcam has a 34-mm lens and the right, a 100-mm lens. There are nine cameras
hard-mounted to the rover: two pairs of black-and-white Hazard Avoidance Cameras in the front; another
two pairs mounted to the rear of the rover (dashed arrows in the graphic) and the color Mars Descent Imager
(MARDI). In addition, there is one camera on the end of a robotic arm that is stowed in this graphic;
it is called the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI).
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912LightSpeed.indd 16 8/21/12 6:47 PM
Universal Display Corp. of Ewing,
N.J., and Plextronics Inc. of Pitts-
burgh have entered into a strate-
gic alliance for the development
and commercialization of solution-
based organic LED material sys-
tems for phosphorescent-based
display and lighting.
Information technology company
Unisys of Blue Bell, Pa., has be-
come a strategic alliance partner of
AOptix Technologies Inc. of Campbell, Calif., for delivery of face capture and iris recogni-
tion systems for biometrics applications.
Electro-optic mass spectrometer component manufacturer Photonis USA of Sturbridge,
Mass., has signed a sponsorship research agreement with Georgia Tech Research Corp.
of Atlanta to design and develop a prototype of an ion mobility spectrometer analyzer using
Photonis patented technology.
Focal Point Inc. of Boise, Idaho, and piezosystem jena Inc. of Hopedale, Mass., are
collaborating to deliver turnkey autofocus systems for high-speed metrology and biological
imaging applications.
cost structure to drive proftability; cost-
cutting measures at the laser and optical
equipment manufacturer have already
resulted in a loss of about 20 percent of its
workforce and one manufacturing facility.
CVI Melles Griots products are used in
spectroscopy, cytometry, remote sensing,
target designation and interferometry,
among other applications. Idex acquired
the company in June 2011 and added
it to its optics and photonics platform.
Other companies in that platform, located
within the Health & Science Technolo-
gies segment, are Semrock, ATFilms and
Precision Photonics.
Idex CEO Andrew Silvernail said Idex
has been pretty aggressive in reducing
CVIs head count, cutting it by a magni-
tude of plus-20 percent.
He didnt attach a specifc number to
the downsizing, but Idexs companywide
2011 restructuring initiatives included
severance benefts for 337 employees, the
company reported in a May 2012 SEC
fling. As of Dec. 31, 2011, the company
employed 6814.
Light Speed
Goodrich secures sensors order Laser, LED projects receive $7M in grants from US Dept. of Energy LPKF sees demand spike for PCB-cutting lasers
Idex acquires Matcon 3DIcon to acquire Dimension Technologies EDAC acquires Ebtec Raytheon awarded $191M for multispectral targeting
COLLABORATIONS
P
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I
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Organic LED light is emitting from a fexible substrate.
Turbulence predicted
for LED front-end
equipment market
The LED front-end equipment market
will experience turbulent investment
cycles in the coming years, wrote Yole
Dveloppement of Lyon, France, and
EPIC (European Photonics Industry
Consortium) in a recent report. The
market presents signifcant opportunities
for growth in the next fve years but is
expected to saturate in value by the end
of the decade. Revenue experienced par-
ticularly strong growth in 2010 and 2011,
driven by metallorganic chemical vapor
deposition (MOCVD) reactors. The next
cycle, expected to start in 2013 and to be
driven by lighting applications, will likely
be more limited in value.
Published in July, the report, titled LED
Front-End Manufacturing, focuses on
the LED manufacturing technology and
equipment market, including MOCVD,
plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposi-
tion, lithography, dry etching and physical
vapor deposition tools.
This months Light Exchange Poll
Question: We asked Photonics.com
viewers, What photonics-related
innovation do you think will
be available frst in modes of
transportation?
Here are the results:
Photonics technologies are already the enablers behind
advanced manufacturing, yet we are so far seeing only
a thin slice of their full potential to drive growth and
create new high-skilled jobs.
Eugene Arthurs, SPIEs chief executive, commenting on the US government Report
to the President on Capturing Competitive Advantage in Advanced
Manufacturing, which was formally adopted in July
Light Speed
ESI acquires Eolite Lockheed receives $23M to deliver targeting pods to Oman Air Force Soitec Solar wins $25M Sunpath award
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
U.S. Naval Research
Laboratory physicist
Dr. Phillip Sprangle
was awarded the
2012 Offce of Naval
Research Award for
Outstanding Lifetime
Achievement in Science.
Ravi Guntupalli and Dr. Brian Smith
were appointed to Princeton Instruments
sales and marketing team.
Shane Simpson and Tom Bailey have
been promoted to management positions
at Trumpf Inc., a laser and fabrication
machinery company.
Ocean Thin Films has
appointed Dr. Steve
Smith as manager of
its SpectroCam multi-
spectral product line.
Lighting Solutions company LED Engin
Inc. has appointed new executives Geoff
Brown, Jack S. Yeh and Seth Halio.
Shimadzu UK Ltd. has
appointed Andy Winn
as a product specialist
for atomic absorption,
inductively coupled
plasma and total
organic carbon in the
companys Spectroscopy Group.
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Shane Simpson Tom Bailey
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Laser manufacturer Trumpf Inc. of
Farmington, Conn., has opened an Asian
production facility for disk lasers at
Trumpf Japan in Yokohama. The loca-
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tion is the companys third disk laser
production site. Dr. Peter Leibinger, vice
chairman of Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG and
president of the Laser Technology and
Electronics Divison, speaks at the formal
launch of TruDisk production in Japan.
In Ohio, Mound Laser & Photonics
Center Inc. of Miamisburg broke ground
in July on a $4 million, 20,000-sq-ft
facility. The new site, in Miami Valley
Research Park in Kettering, will enable
Mound Laser to add another 30 workers
and will focus on the companys laser-
based advanced manufacturing and R&D.
II-VI Infrared, a business unit of II-VI
Inc., is continuing to expand its chemi-
cal vapor deposition diamond facility.
II-VI Infrared of Saxonburg, Pa., provides
optics to CO
2
laser OEMs and laser con-
sumables to CO
2
laser users worldwide.
MOVES & EXPANSIONS
912_ISPOptics_Pg19.indd 19 8/22/12 10:47 AM
BERKELEY, Calif. Nanoscale three-
dimensional optical cavities made from
metamaterials can generate the most
powerful nanolaser beams to date.
This new class of optical cavities, with
remarkable electromagnetic properties,
holds promise for a variety of other tech-
nologies, including photonic integrated
circuits, LEDs, quantum optics, nonlinear
optics and optical sensing.
Optical cavities are the major com-
ponents of most lasers. Light confned
within these cavities refects back and
forth between two opposing mirrors to
produce a standing wave at a specifc res-
onant frequency. It is from this standing
light wave that a laser beam is generated.
When created from natural materials,
optical cavities can be no smaller than
the wavelength of the light propagating
through them. Metamaterials, however,
allow for electromagnetic behavior that
is not found in nature. These materials,
engineered by combining metals and
dielectrics, derive their optical properties
from their structure rather than from their
chemical composition.
Scientists from the US Department of
Energys Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory and the University of Cali-
fornia used this information to develop
3-D optical cavities using an indefnite
metamaterial that alternates superthin
multiple layers of germanium and silver.
Conventional optical cavities are made
from natural materials, where the cavity
sizes are limited to the wavelength scale
due to the restrict refractive indices,
Berkeley Lab principal investigator Xiang
Zhang told Photonics Spectra. Indefnite
metamaterials with metal-dielectric mul-
tilayers have a hyperbolic spatial disper-
sion relation, which supports extremely
large wave vectors and therefore unnatu-
rally high refractive indices.
Light in natural materials behaves the
same, no matter the direction in which
it propagates. In indefnite metamateri-
als, however, light can be bent backward
in some directions, a property known as
negative refraction. Using this indefnite
metamaterial enabled the researchers
to scale down the 3-D optical cavities
to extremely deep subwavelength size,
resulting in a hyperboloid iso-frequency
contour of light wave vectors that sup-
port the highest optical refractive indices
ever reported.
By using such metamaterials with
refractive indices as high as 17.4, 3-D
optical cavities smaller than one-tenth of
the optical wavelength have been demon-
strated, based on the total internal refec-
tion at the interface of the metamaterial
and the surrounding air, Zhang said.
These optical cavities can compress the
optical mode in a tiny space and enhance
light-matter interactions.
Using indefnite metamaterials to make
3-D optical cavities is also advantageous
because they offer more fexibility in cav-
ity design, according to Xiaodong Yang,
lead author of the paper who is now with
the Missouri University of Science and
Technology. Cavities of different sizes
can have the same resonance frequency.
Another advantage is that the number of
photons lost when light is refected back
and forth a problem for optical cavities
from natural materials is reduced as the
cavity size gets smaller. This could ben-
eft the design of future nanoscale lasers,
Yang said.
The Berkeley team used the dielectric
germanium to fabricate its metamaterial
because it has a relatively high refractive
index (about 4), compared with air (1),
which is the dielectric most typically used
to make a metamaterial. They alternated
layers of 20-nm-thick silver and 30-nm-
thick germanium that were cut into vari-
ous size cubes, depending on the number
of metal-dielectric layers. The cube walls
tilted into the shape of a trapezoid during
the fnal stage of fabrication, with a nano-
size optical cavity in the core.
Silver and germanium are one combi-
nation for the multilayer deposition, since
germanium has high surface energy and
there is a very smooth wetting effect for
the silver growth, Zhang said. Other di-
electric materials can also be considered
with silver, such as glass, magnesium
fuoride, titanium oxide. Other combina-
tions such as gold and alumina can also
be used.
Nanoscale lasers and LEDs
All of the material combinations could
result in properties similar to those
demonstrated by the teams germanium
and silver indefnite metamaterial, he
said. The research was reported in Nature
Photonics (doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.124).
The team plans to continue work on
applications based on these 3-D optical
cavities.
These optical cavities with truly
nanoscale mode sizes can increase the
photon density of states and greatly
enhance light-matter interactions in lots
of optical processes, Zhang said. We
think the most immediate application will
be nanoscale lasers and LEDs. Due to
the deep subwavelength mode volumes,
these cavities made of alternating layers
of metal and semiconductor gain medium
can emit light at the nanoscale with an
extremely low threshold.
The team thinks that the application
most affected by this technology will be
the subwavelength photonic integrated
circuits. The ultrahigh refractive indices
TECH pulse

New class of 3-D optical cavities demonstrated
Indefnite optical cavities feature a hyperboloid
iso-frequency contour that supports ultrahigh
optical refractive indices. This cross section shows
the iso-frequency contour (bronze curves) for a
silver-germanium metamaterial, with yellow circles
representing cavity wave vectors and the green
circle representing the light cone of air.
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supported in the indefnite metamateri-
als will help to shrink the footprint of
the optical components such as cavi-
ties, waveguides, beamsplitters, so as to
realize photonic integrated circuits with
dimensions less than one wavelength.
The scientists also hope to push the
cavity sizes into extremely small nanome-
ter dimensions with a carefully controlled
deposition process for the ultrathin metal-
dielectric multilayers, Zhang said.
Practically, the sizes are limited by
the available thickness of the multilayers.
For example, as we predicted in the paper,
cavities smaller than 1/45 of the optical
wavelength can be realized with multilay-
ers of 4-nm silver and 6-nm germanium
at the wavelength of 2 m. Such ultrathin-
flm deposition has been demonstrated
with an annealing process.
There will be more new applications
when the cavity sizes go to nanometer
level, he said. For example, it will
be quite interesting to see how a single
quantum dot will strongly couple to an
optical cavity with the same size as the
quantum dot.
This schematic shows (a) an indefnite metamaterial structure with alternating silver and germanium
multilayers and (b) its iso-frequency contour of lightwave vectors with negative refractions along the X- and
Y-directions, and positive along the Z-direction.
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PITTSBURGH Driving at night through
a downpour or a heavy snowstorm could
become much easier if a sophisticated
headlight system created at Carnegie
Mellon Universitys Robotics Institute
becomes commercially viable.
A camera, computer chip and an off-
the-shelf digital light projection (DLP)
system comprise the prototype. The use
of a DLP allows the researchers to control
the individual light rays.
The camera captures an image and then
looks for raindrops in the image. If it fnds
any, then the computer, using the insti-
tutes algorithms, detects the raindrops
and predicts where they are going to be
in the future. And then, based on that
information, it controls the light projec-
tor to not illuminate that area, Robotics
Institute project scientist Robert Tamburo
told Photonics Spectra.
The light strobes so fast that to the
human eye it looks like a steady beam.
And it operates just that way when there
is no precipitation to detect.
The neat thing is that if its not rain-
ing, its just a regular headlight, he said.
Tamburo joined the project, led by
associate robotics professor Srinivasa
Narasimhan, a year ago. The projects sec-
ond and current prototype has a refresh
speed of 120 Hz, four times faster than
the originals 30 Hz. The latency also has
improved its processing lag time from 80
to 100 ms to 13 ms.
The team has conducted feasibility
studies using computer simulations to
show that the idea could work under dif-
ferent intensities of rain or snow.
The simulations are promising, show-
ing that the idea is feasible, and that if we
can make the system fast enough, it will
work on a moving vehicle, Tamburo said.
To the human eye, rain can appear as
elongated streaks. To high-speed cameras,
however, it consists of sparsely spaced
I cant see the rain against my headlights
A new headlight system in the prototype stage could make driving in the rain and snow much easier. Here, the
system at work: Native illumination on left and fast-reactive illumination on right during equivalent of heavy
rainfall. The photos were captured with an exposure time of 2.5 s.
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For industry news updates every business day,
visit Photonics.com
discrete drops. That leaves plenty of space
between the drops where light can be
effectively distributed, if the system can
respond rapidly.
Fog is a bigger challenge than rain or
snow, however, because its so dense and
the particles are so small.
I know theres a lot of research on
fog. I know theres a lot of research on
removing fog from scenes and trying to
recover the photographs. Im not sure how
fast that algorithm is, Tamburo said. So
as long as the algorithm is fast enough,
potentially it could be used for things like
fog. Or even dust storms.
To be practical, the refresh speed must
improve from 120 to 500 Hz, and the
latency must be decreased. Both of those
things will happen when the system
gets smaller and can transfer data faster
through custom-made hardware.
In order to make it really, really fast,
we have to make it smaller, Tamburo
said. The image sensor, the light source
and the processing unit could be on a
small board, maybe a couple inches by a
couple inches, in the future.
New LED- and laser-based headlights
under development by car manufacturers
such as BMW (see The Light in Your
Eyes, Photonics Spectra, January 2012,
p. 88) could serve as the light source in
the future.
Either of those would be viable op-
tions for us as well because you can con-
trol the individual light rays, he said.
Because the light is being controlled
and is a projector, it also could assist
drivers by projecting images onto the road
when visibility is poor.
So one of the things that you can do, if
you have algorithms that are sophisticated
enough, is project the lines onto the road
so that drivers can see them when they
otherwise couldnt, Tamburo said.
It could also conceivably serve as an
early-warning system for drivers that
there is something in a road, such as a
deer, and even dim automatically when
another car is approaching in the opposite
lane.
Once you have the hardware in place,
you can write different algorithms to do
different types of detection, Tamburo
said.
The system is confned to the lab for
now, until its speed can be increased
enough to deal with real-world conditions
such as vibration and wind, and a vehicle
traveling at 60 mph. Tamburo estimates
that it will take three to four years to fn-
ish researching the technology behind the
concept, then more time for commercial-
ization and marketing.
But we think that, even before it gets
to that stage, were going to have to do
signifcant user studies just to fgure out
what parameters need to be tweaked and
optimized for the driver for the best ef-
fect, Tamburo said.
When the system does start to work at
speed, Im sure well start slow 10
miles per hour or something, he said.
It might not even be on a car; it might
be some sort of other moving platform
like a cart and someones pushing them
through the wind, or through the rain and
the wind. I think we will take it in slow
stages to avoid any damage.
In terms of accuracy, it doesnt have to
be at 100 percent to be effective.
Were shooting for 70 to 80 percent in
accuracy. Because really, any improve-
ment is helpful to the driver, improving
visibility and reducing stress, Tamburo
said.
The research was sponsored by the Of-
fce of Naval Research, National Science
Foundation, Samsung Advanced Institute
of Technology and Intel Corp.
TECH pulse

LOS ANGELES Do you
ever wish you could download
that Netfix movie youve
been dying to see in a matter
of just a few seconds rather
than those 15 long, grueling
minutes, or watch the latest
viral YouTube video without
the hassle of buffering? Well,
your wish may soon come
true, thanks to a new method
that combines twisted beams
Terabits transmitted by twisted light
of light to transmit data at up
to 2.56 terabits per second.
An international team led
by University of Southern
Multiple data channels, each on a different light beam having a front that twists in a different helical shape as it propagates,
can be combined (i.e., multiplexed) to produce an aggregate of terabits per second of free-space data transmission capacity.
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A-07082 Flourescence filtr hlfpg-V PS.indd 1 7/5/12 4:39 PM
Spintronic OLED promises
brighter displays
SALT LAKE CITY A new spintronic OLED that produces
an orange color holds promise for brighter, cheaper and more
environmentally friendly LEDs than the ones typically used
in television and computer displays, lighting and electronic
devices.
Traditional LEDs, introduced in the early 1960s, use conven-
tional semiconductors to generate colored light. OLEDs with
an organic polymer semiconductor that generates light have
become increasingly common in the past decade, particularly
for displays in consumer electronics such as MP3 players, digital
cameras and cell phones. OLED TVs are expected to hit the mar-
ket later this year, and OLEDs soon may become more common
in room lighting.
Physicists at the University of Utah have developed a proto-
type of the new spin-polarized OLED, or spin OLED.
California researchers has
developed a twisted-light sys-
tem that transmits more than
85,000 times more data per
second than broadband cable,
which supports up to about 30
megabits per second. The tech-
nique could lead to fabrication
of high-speed satellite com-
munication links or be adapted
for use in fber optics.
Todays deployed fber
does not readily accommodate
twisted light beams and orbital
angular momentums (OAMs),
USC electrical engineering
professor Alan Willner told
Photonics Spectra. Work is
being done to develop fbers
that could accommodate
OAMs, for example ringlike
fber instead of central core
fbers.
The team used beam-
twisting phase holograms
to manipulate eight beams of
light so that each twisted in
a DNA-like helical shape as
it propagated in free space.
There are in theory no limita-
tions on the number of beams
that can be manipulated,
Willner said; one key limita-
tion would be the need for an
infnitely large aperture.
Each beam can be encoded
with 1 and 0 data bits,
making each an independent
data stream similar to sepa-
rate channels on a radio.
To simulate the type of
communications that occur
between satellites in space, the
team demonstrated free-space
data transmission in a lab.
Next, the researchers plan
to increase the number of
twists they can combine and
the data rate they can send,
and to manipulate twisted
beams in a network function.
For example, the scientists
would like to be able to switch
data from one twist to another
and vice versa.
The twisting of light, it
doesnt increase the capacity
of one beam, but enables it to
multiplex many beams, he
said. The magic is that these
twists are orthogonal. They
can be combined and sepa-
rated.
The study, funded by
DARPA under the InPho
(Information in a Photon)
program, appeared in Nature
Photonics (doi: 10.1038/
NPHOTON.2012.138).
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Its a completely different technol-
ogy, said Z. Valy Vardeny, distinguished
professor of physics and senior author of
the study. These new organic LEDs can
be brighter than regular organic LEDs.
Vardeny expects that it will be possible
within two years to use the new OLED
to produce red and blue, and eventually
white as well.
The spintronic device uses an organic
semiconductor and stores information
using the spins of electrons. This was
enabled by the researchers previous
creation of an organic spin valve, which
they modifed to emit light and to regulate
current fow.
Organic spin valves comprise three
layers: An organic layer, sandwiched
between two metal electrode ferromag-
nets, acts as a semiconductor. In the new
spin OLED, one ferromagnet is composed
of cobalt, and the other is made of a
lanthanum strontium manganese oxide
compound. The organic layer is a polymer
known as deuterated-DOO-PPV, which
is a semiconductor that emits orange light.
Using deuterium instead of hydrogen
made the device more effcient, the physi-
cists said.
They also deposited a thin layer of
lithium fuoride on the cobalt elec-
trode, which allows negatively charged
electrons to be injected through one side
of the spin valve while at the same time
positively charged electron holes are
injected through the opposite side.
When they meet each other, they
form excitons, and these give you light,
Vardeny said.
This also means that the spintronic
OLEDs can be controlled with a magnetic
feld rather than requiring more electrical
current to boost intensity.
Current OLEDs produce a particular
color of light such as red, green or blue
based on the semiconductor used. The
new spin OLEDs could be a step toward
creating a single device that can pro-
duce different colors when controlled by
changes in magnetic feld.
Before the devices hit the market, they
must be able to run at room temperature.
They currently operate at temperatures no
warmer than 228 F, Vardeny said.
The study appeared in Science (doi:
10.1126/science.1223444).
TECH pulse

A new spintronic organic LED glows orangish (center) when the device, chilled well below freezing, is
exposed to a magnetic feld from the two poles of an electromagnet on either side of it. University of Utah
physicists have reported a prototype of this new kind of LED.
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ATLANTA Piezoelectric materials that
allow a robots camera eye to replicate
the muscle motion of a human eye could
help make safer, more effective robotic
tools for MRI-guided surgery and robotic
rehabilitation.
The biologically inspired technology,
developed by Joshua Schultz and Jun
Ueda of the George W. Woodruff School
of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia
Institute of Technology, could lay the
groundwork for investigating research
questions in systems that possess a large
number of active units operating together.
For a robot to be truly bioinspired,
it should possess actuation, or motion
generators, with properties in common
with the musculature of biological organ-
isms, said Schultz, a doctoral candidate
under the direction of assistant professor
Ueda. The actuators developed in our lab
embody many properties in common with
biological muscle, especially a cellular
structure.
Muscles in the human eye are es-
sentially controlled by neural impulses,
Schultz said. The actuators under devel-
opment will capture the performance and
kinematics of the human eye.
Piezoelectric materials expand or
contract when electricity is applied to
them, providing a way to transform input
signals into motion. This is the basic
principle for piezoelectric actuators that
have been used in various applications,
but their use in robotics has been limited
because of the piezoelectric ceramics
minuscule displacement. The cellular ac-
tuator concept developed by the research-
ers connects many small actuator units
in series or in parallel. Their lightweight,
high-speed approach includes a single-
degree-of-freedom camera positioner used
to illustrate and understand the perfor-
mance and control of the technology.
Each musclelike actuator has a piezo-
electric material and a nested hierarchical
set of strain amplifying mechanisms,
Ueda said. We are presenting a math-
ematical concept that can be used to pre-
TECH pulse

Robotic camera mimics eye movement
Joshua Schultz and Jun Ueda from Georgia Techs
School of Mechanical Engineering have developed
a mechanism to orient a camera using muscle-
like cellular actuators in a compact, lightweight
package.
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dict the performance as well as select the
required geometry of nested structures.
We use the design of the camera position-
ing mechanisms actuators to demonstrate
the concepts.
Their work shows mechanisms that can
scale up the displacement of piezoelectric
stacks to the range of the ocular position-
ing system. Previously, such stacks for
this purpose were too small.
During their experiments, the research-
ers sought to resolve a previous obstacle.
A cable-driven eye can produce the eyes
kinematics, but rigid servomotors make
it impossible to test the hypothesis for the
neurological basis for eye motion.
Although some measure of fexibility
could be used in software with traditional
actuators, it would depend largely on
having a continuously variable control
signal, and it could not show how fexibil-
ity could be maintained with quantized
actuation corresponding to neural recruit-
ment phenomena.
Unlike traditional actuators, piezo-
electric cellular actuators are governed
by the working principles of muscles
namely, motion results by discretely acti-
vating, or recruiting, sets of active fbers,
called motor units, Ueda said.
Motor units are linked by fexible
tissue, which serves a twofold function.
It combines the action potential of each
motor unit and presents a compliant in-
terface with the world, which is critical in
unstructured environments, he added.
The researchers presented a camera
positioner driven by a novel cellular
actuator technology, using a contractile
ceramic to generate motion. They used 16
amplifed piezoelectric stacks per side,
which addressed the need for more layers
of amplifcation. The units were placed
inside a rhomboidal mechanism.
The work offers an analysis of the
force-displacement trade-offs involved in
the actuator design and shows how to fnd
geometry that meets the requirement of
the camera positioner, Schultz said.
The goal of scaling up piezoelectric
ceramic stacks holds great potential to
more accurately replicate human eye
motion than previous actuators, he said.
Future work in this area will involve
implantation of this technology on a
multidegree-of-freedom device, applying
open- and closed-loop control algorithms
for positioning and analysis of co-con-
traction phenomena.
Details of the research, funded by the
National Science Foundation, were pre-
sented this summer at the IEEE Interna-
tional Conference on Biomedical Robotics
and Biomechatronics in Rome.
The camera positioning system used for the
biologically inspired technology.
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fve-year-long achievement is a super-
high-resolution microscope that made the
shadow dark enough to see.
By using the ultrahigh-res micro-
scope, we were able to concentrate the
image down to a smaller area than has
been achieved before, creating a darker
image which is easier to see, Kielpinski
said.
The precision involved in the process is
almost beyond imagining.
If we change the frequency of the light
we shine on the atom by just one part in a
billion, the image can no longer be seen,
he said.
The implications of these fndings are
far-reaching, said team member Dr. Erik
Streed.
Such experiments help confrm our
understanding of atomic physics and may
be useful for quantum computing, he
said. There are also potential follow-on
benefts for biomicroscopy.
Because we are able to predict how
dark a single atom should be, as in how
much light it should absorb in forming
a shadow, we can measure if the micro-
scope is achieving the maximum contrast
allowed by physics, Streed said. This
is important if you want to look at very
small and fragile biological samples such
as DNA strands, where exposure to too
much UV light or x-rays will harm the
material.
It is now possible to predict just how
much light will be needed to observe
processes within cells under the micro-
scope without crossing the threshold and
destroying them, he said.
In the end, a little bit of light just
might be enough to get the job done.
The results appeared in Nature Commu-
nications (doi: 10.1038/ncomms1944).
TECH pulse

BRISBANE, Australia The shadow of
a single atom was photographed for the
frst time using a superhigh-resolution
microscope, a discovery that could help
scientists confrm their understanding
of atomic physics and advance quantum
computing.
We have reached the extreme limit
of microscopy; you cannot see anything
smaller than an atom using visible light,
said professor Dave Kielpinski of Griffth
Universitys Centre for Quantum Dynam-
ics. We wanted to investigate how few
atoms are required to cast a shadow, and
we proved it takes just one.
Holding an atom still long enough to
take its photo is not new technology; the
atom is isolated within a chamber and
held in free space by electrical forces.
Kielpinski and colleagues trapped
single atomic ytterbium ions and exposed
them to a specifc frequency of light.
Under the light, the atoms shadow was
cast onto a detector, and a digital camera
captured the image. At the heart of their
Portrait of a single atom
An illustration of the single atoms shadow.
The discovery could be useful for quantum computing.
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LIVERMORE, Calif. A new technique
that employs a nanoporous material to
effciently identify neutrons could provide
a more effective and less costly way for
homeland security inspectors to detect
radiation in cargo and baggage.
Current neutron detection methods are
expensive and technically challenging
because of the diffculty in distinguish-
ing neutrons from ubiquitous background
gamma rays. In addition, traditional radia-
tion detection techniques are limited in
terms of speed and sensitivity, which are
crucial elements for dynamic scenarios
such as border crossings and nuclear
treaty verifcation.
The new method, developed at Sandia
National Laboratories, can monitor the
color of light emissions, which could
offer a screening process that is easier
and more reliable than measuring the rate
of light emissions. Called spectral shape
discrimination (SSD), the technique takes
advantage of a new class of nanoporous
materials known as metallorganic frame-
works (MOFs). By adding a doping agent
to an MOF, the scientists discovered, the
material emits red and blue light when
it interacts with high-energy particles
emanated from nuclear or radiological
materials.
We are approaching the problem from
a materials chemistry perspective, said
Mark Allendorf, a materials scientist at
Sandia. Fundamentally, it is easier to
monitor the color of light emissions rather
than the rate at which that light is emitted.
Thats the crux of this new approach.
The technology employs plastic scintil-
lators materials that fuoresce when
high-energy particles collide with them.
MOFs, which are porous in nature and
have exceptional scintillation proper-
ties themselves, facilitate the addition of
other materials to fne-tune the inherent
scintillation.
The scientists used the heavy-metal
compound iridium, used as a dopant in
organic LEDs, to increase light output.
Doping MOFs leads to red, blue emission
Crystals of a metallorganic framework (left) emit
light in the blue (middle) when exposed to ionizing
radiation. Infltrating them with an organometallic
compound causes the crystals to emit red light as
well (right), creating a new way to differentiate fssion
neutrons from background gamma particles.
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They discovered that the dopants not only
increase the brightness of the emitted
light by scavenging the high-energy elec-
trons that were not converted to light, but
also cause a different color to be emitted.
Team member Patrick Doty hypothe-
sized that this discovery could be applied
to radiation detection. The trick, he said,
is to add just the right amount of dop-
ant so that both the scavenged light and
the fuorescence from the excited MOF
itself are emitted. With this arrange-
ment, the ratio of the intensities at the two
wavelengths is a function of the type of
high-energy particle interacting with the
material.
Thats the critical thing, Doty said.
SSD allows one particle type to be
distinguished from another on the basis
of the color of the emitted light.
Because the ratio of neutrons to gamma
rays is so low, the threshold at which cur-
rent detectors can see neutrons is fairly
high. Sandia calculations suggest that the
threshold for detecting neutrons produced
by fssionable material could be substan-
tially lowered using the new technique.
Improvements must be made before
the technology moves into the market-
place, but Sandia is currently seeking
commercial partners to license the
technology.
TECH pulse

NEW YORK A technique for making
rewritable computer chips uses laser
light to control the spin of an atoms
nucleus to encode information, bringing
ultrafast quantum computing a step closer
to reality.
Current electronic devices, which are
approaching the upper limits in pro-
cessing speed, rely on etching a pattern
into a semiconductor to create a chip or
integrated circuit. These interconnec-
tion patterns serve as highways to shuttle
information around circuits, but there is
a drawback.
Once the chip is printed, it can only be
used one way, said Dr. Jeffrey Reimer, a
University of California, Berkeley (UCB),
professor of chemical and biomolecular
engineering.
Now, scientists from UCB and The
City College of New York (CCNY)
have looked to the emerging sciences of
spintronics and quantum computing to
remedy these problems. They used laser
light to pattern the alignment of spin
within atoms so that the pattern can be
rewritten on-the-fy. The technique could
lead to rewritable spintronic circuits.
Although conventional computing and
digital electronics rely on translating
electrical charges into the binary code
of zeros and ones, spintronics comput-
ers use the quantum property of electron
spin, which enables the electron to store
Computer chips made rewritable with light
Sandia researchers (from left) Patrick Doty, Patrick Feng and Mark Allendorf have created a scintillator
using metallorganic framework or plastic scintillator hosts combined with heavy metal dopants,
shown in Dotys hand. The material enables detection of neutrons using spectral- or pulse-shape
discrimination techniques that could transform radiation detection.
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Using laser light to control the spin of an atoms
nucleus to encode information could make com-
puter chips rewritable and bring ultrafast quantum
computing closer to reality. Here, a probe head is
used to send radio-frequency pulses onto the coil
used for pulsed spin manipulation of a gallium
arsenide (semiconductor) sample.
Inside this apparatus, a probe sends radio-frequency pulses onto the coil used for pulsed spin manipulation
of a semiconductor sample. The technique could be used to make computer chips rewritable.
any number between zero and one. This
allows multiple computations to be
completed simultaneously, and processing
power to be signifcantly increased.
Attempts to use electrons for quantum
computing have been plagued, however,
by their spins tendency to switch back
and forth rapidly. This makes them very
unstable vehicles for holding informa-
tion.
To suppress the random switching of
electrons back and forth, the scientists
used laser light to produce long-lasting
nuclear spin magnets that pull, push
or stabilize the spins of the electrons.
This was achieved by illuminating a
sample of gallium arsenide with a pattern
of light, similar to how lithography etches
a physical pattern onto traditional inte-
grated circuits. The illuminated pattern
aligned the spins of all the atomic nuclei,
along with the electrons, all at once, cre-
ating a spintronic circuit.
What you could have is a chip you can
erase and rewrite on-the-fy with just the
use of a light beam, said Carlos Meriles,
a CCNY professor of physics. Changing
the pattern of light altered the layout of
the circuit instantly.
If you can actually rewrite with a
beam of light and alter this pattern, you
can make the circuit morph to adapt to
different requirements, he said. Imagine
what you can make a system like that do
for you.
The results were published in Nature
Communications (doi: 10.1038/
ncomms1918).

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TECH pulse

Artists view of an experiment in which two photons emitted by two single atoms are brought
to interference on a beamsplitter; joint detection of the photons creates entanglement of the distant atoms.
Applications of the fndings could include communications networks and quantum computing.
MUNICH Two atoms 20 m apart have
signaled their entanglement, a signifcant
step forward for the study of quantum en-
tanglement and the development of practi-
cal applications such as quantum comput-
ing and communications networks.
In quantum entanglement sometimes
called spooky action at a distance
two particles quantum properties are
so tightly linked, even when they are
great distances apart, that one particles
quantum state changes when its partners
quantum state is measured. For entangle-
ments to have any practical applications,
scientists must understand how the
entangled state frst occurs.
Now, Julian Hofmann and colleagues
at Ludwig Maximilian University believe
that they have devised a way for the atoms
to signal their entanglement.
To create this heralded entanglement,
the team independently excited two single
rubidium atoms trapped in laboratory
rooms 20 m apart. The atoms were excited
via short optical laser pulses that emitted
single photons. Optical fbers brought
the photons together at an intermediate
location, where they were brought to in-
terference on a beamsplitter. The twofold
detection of the photons behind the beam-
splitter projected the atoms, yielding an
entangled atom-photon pair in each room.
The registration of the two photons in
their specifc state reported that the two
atoms were entangled. This is important
because verifcation at every attempt
could destroy the quantum state.
The fndings appeared in Science (doi:
10.1126/science.1221856).
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SEATTLE Work over the past decade
to harness the energy-generating mech-
anism of the sun has yielded bright high-
energy light needed to etch smaller
microchips.
The microchip industry now uses 193-
nm UV light, which cannot etch circuits
any smaller than those currently being
made. The future standard for making
microchips, the industry has determined,
is 13.5-nm light. Creating such extreme-
UV light requires high-temperature,
electrically charged gases called plasma,
but scientists have struggled to generate
enough power with existing extreme-UV
light sources.
Plasmas potential for photolithography pursued
Atoms signal their entanglement
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A new inexpensive fusion reactor model uses currents fowing through material, rather than giant magnets,
to control the million-degree plasma that generates high-energy extreme-UV light for applications such as
lithography. The lab experiment includes a small system that measures plasma for electronics applications,
attached to a larger tank containing plasma for energy research.
U
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Over the past decade, the primary
issue with these extreme-UV light
sources is they just cant produce enough
power, said Uri Shumlak, a University of
Washington (UW) professor of aeronau-
tics and astronautics. Its a stumbling
block for the whole semiconductor
industry.
The bright high-energy light developed
by Shumlak and a UW colleague is a
solution to this decade-long roadblock.
The scientists developed an inexpensive
fusion reactor model that uses currents
fowing through the material, rather than
giant magnets, to control the million-
degree plasma that generates the high-en-
ergy light. The technique produces stable,
long-lived plasma.
The researchers frst conducted the ex-
periment in 1999 and discovered a really
bright light when they looked through the
glass. They began to explore applications
for this light and discovered a need in the
microchip industry.
Existing technologies that are used to
etch microchips produce sparks with a
lifetime of 20 to 50 ns. The UW beam
lasts 20 to 50 millionths of a second
about 1000 times longer. It also provides
more control over the million-degree
plasma that produces the light.
That translates directly into more light
output, more power depositing on the
wafer, such that you can move it through
in some reasonable amount of time,
Shumlak said.
The researchers demonstrated the
methods ability to generate 13.5-nm light
with an initial grant from the universitys
Center for Commercialization. They
reduced the equipment from the size of
a broomstick to the size of a pin that can
generate a sharp beam, thanks in part to a
Washington Research Foundation grant.
They have established a startup,
Zplasma, to commercialize the technol-
ogy for the next generation of microchip
production.
Four capacitors supply up to 10,000 V of energy
to separate the xenon electrons from their nuclei,
creating an electrically charged plasma that
generates the high-energy light; the plasma
created is stable and long-lived.
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Transportation
Fuel effciency and safety
drive photonics innovation
In 2010, the number of vehicles in operation on the worlds roads totaled
more than 1 billion, according to Wards Auto. That number doubled from
the 500 million operating in 1986 over a span of just 24 years. That many
cars, trucks and other vehicles on the roads make auto safety and fuel effciency
more important than ever.
Laser spark plugs promise better fuel effciency

and lower pollution than conventional ones as long as the technology
continues to develop.
The head-up display market will quadruple from

$150 million today to $600 million by 2018, predicts IMS Research
automotive analyst Ben B. Scott. Even so, the penetration rate among
cars will be in the single digits, percentagewise.
In the fabrication of
biomedical lab-on-chip devices, lasers are used to machine microgrooves,
titration vias and even embedded waveguides for optical sensing.

Applying new diamondlike carbon multiple-layer coatings to front-surface
forward-looking infrared lens assemblies drastically reduces the narcissus
effect without compromising durability.
Compact vision systems called

PC cameras can deliver up to 90 gigafops of processing power.
Head-Up Displays Keep
Speed and More in Sight
DPSS Lasers Overcome
Glass Process Challenges
DLC Coatings Enhance
IR Cameras
New Smart Cameras Provide
Quality Control in a Box
this months FEATURES

912FeaturesIntro.indd 35 8/22/12 12:46 PM
Head-Up Displays
Keep Speed and More in Sight
Despite current issues, including cost, experts say projecting information
on a windshield is a future safety must-have for drivers.
BY HANK HOGAN
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
K
eeping your eyes on the road could
get easier, thanks to advances in
automotive head-up displays, or
HUDs.
They are becoming more capable,
with color imagery depicting speed, lane
location, turn direction, radio setting and
other information. All of this data foats
in front of the driver, at a distance that
seems to be about the same as the front
bumper.
Its something that few have seen,
although head-up displays have been
around in cars from Detroit-based Gen-
eral Motors and other manufacturers for
decades. Those who have driven these
vehicles have been able to travel hundreds
of miles without ever glancing down at
the instrument panel, said Thomas Seder,
a group manager in GMs global research
and development lab.
We consistently fnd that people who
experience HUDs never want to give
them up, he said.
Head-up displays are not currently
found in every car for one very practical
reason. Primarily, its been a cost issue,
Seder said. But we see HUDs in the
future as a huge safety component.
The increase in safety arises because
drivers do not have to take their eyes off
the road or even change their eyes focal
distance much. Eliminating even a few
seconds of distraction can pay off in
accident prevention.
The type of data that is displayed con-
tains various functions aimed at enhanc-
ing road safety and, of course, driving
comfort and direction, said Monty
Roberts, a spokesman for BMW of North
America in Woodcliff Lake, N.J. The
list includes speed, turn-by-turn direc-
tions, cruise control information, low tire
pressure and check oil alerts. In various
BMW models equipped with optional
HUDs, all of this information appears in
an ~7.75 3 4-in. area.
The head-up display market will qua-
druple from $150 million today to $600
million by 2018, predicts Ben B. Scott, an
automotive analyst with IMS Research.
Still, the penetration rate among cars will
be in the single digits, percentagewise.
Amongst vehicles, its still going to be
relatively small, he said.
Cost is indeed among the barriers to
widespread adoption of the technology,
he added. Another is that, as head-up
displays make their way from premium
to more middle-of-the-road vehicles,
automobile manufacturers will want
to distinguish what is in a premium
package from what is available in less
expensive cars.
Therefore, the displays not only must
become cheaper, but also have added
capabilities, such as covering a larger
area or offering greater resolution.
Other analyst frms also see the expan-
sion of head-up displays into less expen-
sive cars. Including them as an option in
less expensive cars would really drive the
production volume up for such systems,
said Satish Matade, a senior research ana-
lyst in semiconductors and electronics for
MarketsandMarkets of Dallas. He added
that it will be at least a few years before
this happens.
The head-up display market will quadruple to
$600 million by 2018 (IMS Research).
An optional head-up display from BMW shows speed and turn-by-turn directions.
B
M
W
We consistently fnd that
people who experience
HUDs never want to give
them up.
Thomas Seder,
GMs global research and
development lab
912HeadsUpDisplays.indd 36 8/22/12 10:50 AM
We estimate that HUDs in mid-seg-
ment cars will be down the road, around
2015, he said.
The challenge will be pulling off this
increase in deployment in a cost-effective
manner. Head-up displays operate in a
diffcult environment, with variations in
vibration, the elements, temperature and
lighting conditions. Unlike a monitor or
television, a windshield is a transparent
screen with a background that can be dim
during nighttime or brilliantly lit during
the day. A fnal challenge is that every-
thing in a head-up display must ft into
limited space inside the dashboard.
The head-up display from Nippon Seiki
of Nagaoka, Japan, which claims to be
the worlds No. 1 manufacturer of the sys-
tems, uses an LED-backlit color thin-flm
transistor LCD to form the image. Light
from this source bounces off two mirrors
before ending up on the windshield with
480 3 240-pixel resolution.
The only way to overcome the varying
lighting conditions and ensure enough
contrast for the display to be clear is
through intensity. Because of losses along
the way, projecting that much light onto
the windshield means that a lot of lumi-
nance must be present at the beginning.
The LED power is huge. We drive the
LEDs a lot. The intensity is greater than
10,000 candelas, said Yoshi Ida, division
manager of Nippon Seikis US design cen-
ter, N.S. International Ltd. of Troy, Mich.
One consequence of producing so much
luminance is heat, and the resulting need
for a large heat sink makes the system
bulky. A more effcient source would
allow system size to shrink. Laser diodes
are a possible solution, but the devices
must meet automotive specifcations.
Thus, they must operate between 40 and
85 C for years and this is a tall order.
N.S. International is working on de-
vices that use lasers, but their appearance
in a head-up display is perhaps fve years
out, said Al Petrulis, director of North
American sales and marketing.
In between then and now, were trying
to optimize intensities, colors, things of
that sort, Petrulis said.
The use of lasers in head-up displays
received a signifcant boost not long ago,
said Lance Evans, director of business
development for automotive applications
at MicroVision Inc. in Redmond, Wash.
The companys products use a milli-
meter-size microelectromechanical
systems laser-scanning device to create a
head-up display. The advent of a direct-
emitting green laser diode cut the cost
of the solution considerably and made it
commercially competitive, Evans said.
The system paints the image point by
point via a fying spot; the beholders
persistence of vision knits the distinct
points together into a picture. A key ad-
vantage of MicroVisions approach is that
the lasers produce very saturated colors,
easily overcoming anything beyond the
windshield.
When we put green up or we put red
up or we put magenta up, it really pops
over the background, Evans said.
MicroVisions display technology is
just entering the market, with the frst
volume product appearing this year in a
system from Pioneer aimed at Japanese
car buyers. Toward the end of the decade,
head-up displays will be going into mil-
lions of cars annually worldwide, Evans
predicts.
Other companies are tackling issues
associated with the other end of the opti-
cal path: the surface used for head-up
General Motors R&D and several universities are working on a head-up display system that will project data
from several sensors on the entire surface of a windshield highlighting, for instance, lanes in poor visibility
conditions.
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912HeadsUpDisplays.indd 37 8/22/12 10:50 AM
n Head-Up Displays
Head-up displays present
Internet, radio, vehicle or phone information to drivers.
Using a small, transparent screen, or a combiner,
instead of a windshield could cut the cost of a
head-up display, as seen in this Johnson Controls
product installed as an option in a Peugeot.
Head-up displays indicate an array of car data (center), navigation (right) and even incoming phone callers
(left), as seen in this laser-source system from MicroVision.
displays. Windshields have been the tradi-
tional choice, but they present problems.
Chief among them is that windshields
are actually two pieces of glass with a
polymer sandwiched in between. The
most popular polymer creates spurious
refections when an image is projected
onto it. The solution has been to use a
different polymer, one that eliminates
ghosting. Doing so, however, requires
carrying two windshield types, compli-
cating inventory management. Also, the
windshield suited for a head-up display
costs more than the other and, fnally, a
car that is getting a head-up display must
get the correct windshield, too, making
assembly more complex.
Johnson Controls of Milwaukee, an au-
tomotive component supplier, is attempt-
ing to cut the cost of head-up displays
through the use of a combiner, a small
transparent screen upon which an image
is projected. The arrangement eliminates
the need for an expensive windshield and
allows a stand-alone system to go into a
wider array of vehicles. Overall, it cuts
the cost of a head-up display by about a
third, as compared with the more tradi-
tional windshield-only approach, said
Patrick Nebout, director of global driver
information systems for the company.
The combiner product has been an
option in Peugeot cars since late 2009,
and drivers have been very accepting of
it, Nebout said. It uses a backlit thin-flm
transistor LCD to form the image, but it
could someday use lasers, provided they
hit cost and performance targets.
As for what is being shown on the
head-up display, that is likely to evolve
with the technology. Today, drivers can
be distracted by the cars instrument
panel and its infotainment system, as
well as by smartphones and tablets
brought into the vehicle.
A head-up display offers a way to ac-
cumulate information coming in from the
Internet, the radio, the vehicle or a phone
and to present the important elements to
the driver. For instance, the display could
alert a driver of an incoming call.
Then you go on to key actions of the
driver, either to reject the call or to accept
the call, Nebout said.
Its important that this information
presentation be designed to be useful but
not distracting, he added. Achieving the
right balance will take human factor stud-
ies and careful engineering.
The problem of possible distraction is
something that concerns Tokyo-based
Toyota Motor Corp., said Masaharu
Hirota, general manager of the companys
electronics development department.
Toyota is offering a head-up display
option for its new Prius hybrid.
Although declining to speak about any
specifc future plans, Hirota did say that
lasers are a promising technology for this
application. Head-up displays in general
ft into a desire to provide drivers with
more information, but how to do this has
not yet been settled, he added.
As we need to keep the importance
of preventing driver distraction in mind
at all times, we are investigating differ-
ent volumes and different methods of
providing information, Hirota said.
hank.hogan@photonics.com
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We estimate that HUDs
in mid-segment cars will
be down the road, around
2015.
Satish Matade,
MarketsandMarkets
912HeadsUpDisplays.indd 38 8/22/12 2:34 PM
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Laser car ignition systems promise better fuel effciency and lower pollution
than conventional ones as long as the technology continues to develop.
BY LAURA S. MARSHALL
MANAGING EDITOR
A
s calls for improved energy eff-
ciency and reduced auto emissions
grow ever louder, lasers are being
investigated as possible replacements for
the conventional spark plug. But theres
another reason, too.
Every laser jock wants to run an en-
gine with laser ignition, said Dr. Steven
D. Woodruff, a research chemist at the US
Department of Energys National Energy
Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Mor-
gantown, W.Va. I became involved with
a team working on new ignition systems
for natural gas reciprocating engines, and
this was a natural ft.
Woodruffs focus at NETL is on laser
spectroscopic diagnostics in combustion,
and his current projects include develop-
ing a laser spark plug for natural gas-
fueled engines. He also serves as an
adjunct professor in the Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering Department at
West Virginia University, also in Mor-
gantown.
His colleague Dr. Dustin L. McIntyre
wrote his 2007 doctoral dissertation on
a laser spark plug ignition system for
stationary lean-burn natural gas engines.
McIntyre continues to develop intel-
lectual property related to lasers, laser
diagnostics and laser ignition systems,
and has more than 10 years of experience
in ignition-system and high-energy-laser
design.
As a graduate student, I developed
an interest in novel ignition systems and
worked to develop a microwave plasma
ignition system for my masters degree,
McIntyre said. When the opportunity
became available for me to study laser
ignition for my continued graduate work,
I felt that it aligned perfectly with my
interests and prior experience.
There was also the whole coolness
factor, but, primarily, I was interested in
moving a helpful and needed technology
to market, where it could do some good
in improving effciencies and reducing
exhaust emissions.
Feeling the lean burn
Lean-burn operation is vital for low
NOx emissions in natural-gas-fueled
engines, Woodruff noted. Lean burn
means that the air-fuel ratio in an engine
is high, so the engine is using less fuel.
However, lean burn means less fuel
in the cylinder unless you increase the
compression ratio, Woodruff added.
Increasing the compression ratio means
high pressure, and standard spark plugs
then need much more energy to spark.
But laser plugs can do with less. Because
more current passes through standard
spark plugs, the electrodes wear more
quickly, requiring early replacement at
over $100 each.
Laser plugs have no electrodes. As-
suming replacement every 500 hours,
this is $16,000 per year just in spark plug
costs, compared to approximately $10,000
for the laser diode array. The usual ad-
vertised lifetime for laser diodes is over
10,000 hours, and, since the duty factor is
10 to 20 percent, they can potentially last
for much longer.
Removing the electrodes from the
system has a big impact. The impetus
behind the work was spark plug erosion,
emissions reduction through lean-burn
operation and effciency improvement in
large-bore stationary natural gas engines
Every laser jock
wants to run an
engine with laser
ignition.
Dr. Steven D. Woodruff,
National Energy Technology
Laboratory
Lean burn means that the air-fuel ratio in an engine is high,
so the engine can run on less fuel.
Laser car ignition technology could lead to improved energy effciency and reduced auto emissions. Here, a
laser spark is emitted at the end of the National Energy Technology Laboratory laser spark plug.
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912IgnitionFeature.indd 40 8/22/12 10:51 AM
used for pipeline pumping and distributed
electrical power generation, McIntyre
said. A laser ignition system allows for
the spark plug electrodes to be completely
removed from the combustion chamber,
and it optically produces a larger spark
kernel within the fuel/air mixture to initi-
ate combustion.
The engine as a whole also can work
at a higher pressure level with laser igni-
tion. This has two primary advantages,
McIntyre said. The increase in the opera-
ting pressure improves the thermal eff-
ciency by reducing the pumping losses of
the engine, and, secondly, according to
Paschens law, as gas pressure increases,
the voltage potential required to initi-
ate a breakdown between two electrodes
increases signifcantly.
In other words, more and more insula-
tors air and fuel molecules are being
crammed between the electrodes, making
an electrical discharge more diffcult. As
the pressure increases, the voltage and the
spark energy must also increase dramati-
cally, which shortens the spark plug life-
time because the electrodes are basically
being eroded away one spark at a time.
A spark plugs electrodes also steal
a good deal of energy from the ignition
spark, McIntyre added, which means that
the spark must achieve much higher en-
ergy just to maintain normal combustion.
For a laser spark discharge, the optical
breakdown threshold falls dramatically
as the pressure increases because more
optical absorbers air and fuel molecules
are being crammed into the focal vol-
ume, he said. Therefore, laser ignition
becomes much easier as the pressure is
increased.
Laser spark plugs in action
The high laser power needed to create
a laser spark has been a challenge for
laser distribution through optical fbers,
which would be damaged by such high
power, but NETLs laser spark plug met
that challenge by locating a compact
Q-switched laser at the engine cylinder;
this is pumped by a diode laser from one
end through an optical fber. This setup
allows the laser power to be low enough
that it does not damage fber.
Our system delivers low peak power
less than 1 kW to a miniature passively
Q-switched laser that it converts to a high
peak power output of a few megawatts
suitable to be focused down to approxi-
mately 100 GW/cm
2
to create a laser
spark, McIntyre said.
This pump energy excites the laser,
and the output that results is released in
a high-peak-power pulse with a width of
2 to 3 ns. The high-peak-power pulse is
then directed into the combustion cham-
ber so that the focal intensity exceeds
the breakdown threshold of the fuel/air
mixture, McIntyre said.
The team has lab-tested its end-pumped
laser spark plug system on a single-
cylinder engine fueled by natural gas
and also by natural gas with 20 percent
hydrogen by volume. Over three days,
Dr. Steven D. Woodruff makes lab-bench adjustments on the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)
prototype laser spark plug. The team has lab-tested its laser ignition system on a single-cylinder engine.
The NETL prototype laser spark plug is mounted onto a research engine fueled by natural gas
or a natural gas/hydrogen mixture. The laser is pumped via optical fber by a 225-s pulse
from a 200-W diode laser at 810 nm, resulting in a 10 mJ, 2.5-ns Q-switched pulse with 1-s jitter.
N
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n Laser Spark Plugs
the engine ran smoothly through various
conditions as well as multiple shutdowns
and startups.
Our laser spark plug is a passively
Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, 1 in. long,
pumped coaxially by a diode laser source
through a fber optic, Woodruff said.
The laser pulse is aimed through a thick
fused-silica lens that also serves as the
pressure barrier. With diode laser pump-
ing, the energy cost is very similar to an
electric spark system.
We currently hold a patent on the opti-
cal delivery system, which could be used
to reach multiple cylinders on an engine
with the proper timing, McIntyre added.
Multiple approaches
The NETL team collaborated with an
industry-academic consortium from 2002
to 2008, McIntyre said, to produce data
that would validate the idea of laser igni-
tion as an appropriate avenue. Each col-
laborator also developed its own intellec-
tual property over those years, he noted.
Others have investigated using a
high-peak-output laser to simply deliver
the high-peak-power pulse through an
optical fber or other type of waveguide,
McIntyre said. Some have considered
actuated mirrors that swing in and out
of the laser path to redirect it to different
locations.
In the early development phase, most
people in the consortium were using
laboratory-scale high-peak-power lasers
that were either directly connected to a
single cylinder, or they were bouncing the
laser beam across the room and into the
combustion chamber. This was carried
out, he noted, mainly to obtain reliable
data as other methods were being devel-
oped or considered.
A Japanese group is working on
ceramic Nd:YAG lasers, which may help
lower the cost of the YAG component,
Woodruff said, although the real high-
cost component is the diode pump laser.
Hes talking about the work of Dr.
Takunori Taira and colleagues. Taira
is an associate professor at the National
Institutes of Natural Sciences, Institute
for Molecular Science, and at the Depart-
ment of Functional Molecular Science,
The Graduate University for Advanced
Studies (Sokendai), both in Okazaki,
Japan. He also is an invited professor at
Toyohashi University of Technology.
Laser ignition allows us the ideal com-
bustion, Taira said. As you know, the
energy density of oil is two orders higher
than [that of a] Li-ion battery. However,
the conventional combustion is no longer
the ideal situation. It requires [intense]
ignition.
Laser ignition was demonstrated back
in 1974, he pointed out. However, it was
just basic research because the giant pulse
lasers were so large, and [had such] poor
effciency and reliability for a long time.
To make small, powerful lasers that
could focus light to ~100 GW/cm
2
with
short pulses of more than 10 mJ each,
Taira and colleagues at the National
Institutes of Natural Sciences produced
composite lasers from ceramic powders,
heating them to fuse them into optically
transparent solids. They also embedded
metal ions in the lasers for tunability.
Ceramics tune optically more easily than
conventional crystals and are stronger,
more durable and more thermally conduc-
tive, so that they can dissipate an engines
heat without breaking down.
Their laser, which they presented at
CLEO 2011, is built from two yttrium
aluminum gallium segments, one doped
with chromium, the other with neody-
mium; the resulting laser is powerful
despite its small size at only 11 mm long
and 9 mm in diameter. It can produce
two laser beams, which the researchers
say can ignite engine fuel in two places
at once, making a fame wall that grows
more uniformly and quickly than one cre-
ated by a lone beam.
This setup cannot yet ignite the leanest
available fuel mixtures with only a single
pulse, but it can ignite a lean fuel mixture
completely using several 800-ps-long
pulses.
Spark plugs of the future
The technology may be in development
today, but several challenges must be
overcome before laser spark plugs appear
on commercially available vehicles.
Tairas research is supported in part by
Denso Co. of Aichi, Japan, and he be-
lieves strongly that laser spark plugs will
go commercial in the coming years. The
feld is so promising, he said, that he will
chair the frst Laser Ignition Conference
in April 2013 (see box for more details).
Woodruff and McIntyre reported no
current serious interest in their work from
automakers but said that the technology
Call for papers
The frst Laser Ignition Conference will be
collocated with the Optics & Photon-
ics International Congress taking place
from April 23-25, 2013, in Yokohama,
Japan, and is intended to be a forum
for discussion on all aspects of laser-
induced ignition. The scope will include
high-brightness lasers for ignition and di-
agnostics; laser-ignited engines for power
generation and vehicles; and applications
of high-brightness lasers. The deadline for
paper submissions is Dec. 20. For more
information, visit http://opicon.jp.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Natural Sciences have made composite lasers for car ignition
systems from ceramic powders, heating them to fuse into optically transparent solids.
T
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Fermionics
4555 Runway St. Simi Valley, CA 93063
Tel (805) 582-0155 Fax (805) 582-1623
w w w . f e r m i o n i c s . c o m
Opto-Technology
Analog bandwidth to 8 GHz.
FC, SC, and ST receptacles.
Active diameter from 50 m to 5 mm.
Standard and custom ceramic
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all available with low back-reflection
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Communications
Instrumention
Medical
Imaging / Sensing
Fermionics 1/3 Column:Layout 1 9/12/10 2:10 AM Page 1
Laser Spark Plugs n
could appear someday on consumer cars.
At present, McIntyre pointed out, the
technology only offers lean-burn opera-
tion advantages for gasoline powered
engines. The cost of the current technol-
ogy would greatly offset any gains in
emissions or fuel effciency.
That cost-beneft ratio is possibly the
biggest hurdle that laser ignition will have
to overcome. It is diffcult to compete
with a $4 spark plug that will last 100,000
miles, Woodruff said. Current auto-
mobile engines run on liquid fuels at
stoichiometric fuel air ratios and do not
require the very high compression ratios.
And cars might not even be the initial
target for laser spark plugs.
The most likely place for laser ignition
to be employed in commercial applica-
tions would be natural gas-fueled transit
buses, McIntyre said. Stationary natural
gas engines will probably be the frst mar-
ket to adopt any commercial embodiment
of laser ignition, and this will probably be
encouraged by regulations.
Currently, the automotive market is
able to meet their emissions and eff-
ciency goals with stoichiometric combus-
tion in conjunction with exhaust after-
treatment. If automakers begin looking
at lean combustion in a serious manner,
then laser ignition may be an option for
designers.
There are technologies that need to be
proved before laser spark plugs can realis-
tically be adopted, Woodruff said. First,
the diode laser pump must demonstrate
that it can operate continuously for 10,000
hours, he said. Second, will the pressure
barrier window/lens stay clean for 10,000
hours? The window is self-cleaning to
some extent, in that each laser pulse
cleans the window. If it holds up over
the duration, it will then be competitive
with electric spark for natural gas-fueled
engines.
Laser safety interlock systems are
another must, McIntyre said. The laser
output can pose a serious eye safety
hazard, he noted. Installed, the output
is completely shielded and contained
by the engine system.
However, one concern is that an end
user who is unfamiliar with high-peak-
power lasers may tamper with a laser
spark plug during operation. If the output
were to strike someone in the eye, the eye
would focus the high- peak-power pulse
onto the retina, where it would cause ir-
reparable damage. The person would most
likely lose a considerable portion if not
all of the vision in that eye. Therefore,
work is being done to develop appropriate
interlock systems that would disable one
or more lasers if they were removed from
their proper place of operation.
There is still a spark of hope in the
researchers eyes, and both continue to
work on related research. Our primary
experimental work ended about four
years ago, but I have continued to develop
intellectual property as new technolo-
gies and new interests emerge, McIntyre
said. Recently, Ive been working with
industry and academia to secure funding
for further development and testing of
an ignition system.
Meet the author
Laura S. Marshall is managing editor of
Photonics Spectra; email: laura.marshall
@photonics.com
Conventional spark
plugs such as these
could someday be replaced
by laser-based ignition systems,
thanks to ongoing research.
New Smart Cameras
Provide Quality Control in a Box
PC cameras are compact vision systems that can deliver up to 90 gigafops of processing power
to support full image-processing libraries and sensor resolutions of 5 megapixels or more.
BY MAX LARIN
XIMEA GMBH
I
f the manufacturing industry of the 21st
century had a bumper sticker, it would
read: More for less. Manufacturers
are always trying to make more products
from raw materials, get more production
out of fewer workers and experience fewer
product returns with more sales.
And the machine vision industry has
done its best to answer manufacturings
clarion call. Machine vision or the tech-
nique of connecting an industrial camera
to a computer running specialized image
processing software for the purposes of
tracking production, guiding robots and
motion, and/or quality control also is
doing more with less. In fact, starting
in the 1990s, machine vision suppliers
launched a new class of machine-vision-
systems-in-a-box called the smart camera.
Unfortunately, those smart cameras
werent very smart. Slow microproces-
sors limited sensor size, memory, image
processing functions and network options.
The underlying problem wasnt just
silicon-based, but, instead, was and still
is heat. A big selling point for smart
cameras is that, unlike embedded or
PC-host systems, they do not have mov-
ing parts, making them more robust for
industrial applications that require long
lifetimes with little to no maintenance.
Thanks to new classes of ultralow-
power and heterogeneous microproces-
sors, the smart camera is fnally living up
to its name. The latest designs offer most,
if not all, of the functionality of a personal
computer, including a full (and familiar)
operating system (OS), full image-pro-
cessing library (or libraries), multimega-
pixel sensors, low latency for industrial
applications and much more.
When it comes to manufacturing qual-
ity, more for less has fnally arrived.
Back to school
All machine vision systems have four
basic elements: a camera and light to ac-
quire images, software to extract action-
able information about the objects in the
images, and a computer to run the image
processing software.
Smart cameras were the frst product
to include three (and sometimes all four,
including light) of these functions in a
unifed housing. Compared with PC-
host-based machine vision solutions, they
offered smaller sizes and costs. Some
manufacturers also attempted to simplify
programming and operation by moving to
object-oriented programming interfaces,
masking a reduced set of image process-
ing algorithms and functions.
By 2006, microprocessor technology
and compact fash memory had advanced
to the point that smart cameras or PC
cameras such as Sonys XCI-SX1 with
Geode processors could generate 1000
megafops (Mfops) of data processing
speed enough power to run a full Win-
dows operating system and full image-
processing library.
However, megahertz-speed micropro-
cessors meant that smart cameras real-
istically could process VGA-resolution
images only by using the latest, most ef-
fcient algorithms. Thus, either the smart
camera had to have a very small feld of
view, or defects had to be relatively large
to be visible in the VGA images. Also,
because of the low processing power
and high overhead of modern operating
systems, the manufacturing process had
to be relatively slow, running at dozens of
parts per minute rather than at hundreds
or thousands.
Despite these limitations, smart
cameras often appeared to be easier to
set up and install for simple applications.
However, because they were frequently
marketed to users with little or no ma-
chine vision expertise, they often failed
especially those installed by in-house
engineers or nonvision experts. Custom-
ers wanted to do more with less before the
smart camera was really smart enough
to complete the task. This level of smart
camera eventually would be dubbed the
vision sensor and is still used widely
Graphic processing units are specifcally designed for computationally intensive tasks. Adding a GPU core to
a die with a CPU greatly reduces the computational load on the CPU, increasing overall processing speed and
decreasing latency important considerations for industrial-quality control systems such as machine vision
PC cameras.
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today for presence/absence and for
measuring holes and other features, along
with other simple machine vision tasks.
Embedded machine vision systems
such as 4Sight from Matrox in Dorval,
Quebec, or the Embedded Vision System
from National Instruments in Austin,
Texas, seek to bridge the gap between
the vision sensor and PC-host system by
putting a PC in a proprietary box and in
most cases allowing the customer to
choose the camera supplier. Embedded
vision systems are basically industrial
PCs that the vision supplier has optimized
and committed to supporting for several
years. Compare this with a PC-host sys-
tem where internal boards (and software
drivers) can change every few months
creating compatibility conficts with
image processing libraries, OS, plant foor
automation systems and so on and you
can see the benefts of an embedded vi-
sion system when it comes to support.
As with PCs, embedded vision systems
typically have more powerful micropro-
cessors, although they do not include
bleeding edge chip sets. And, in most
cases, they require active cooling. An
embedded system, a two-box solution,
takes up more production foor space than
a smart camera and typically has active
cooling that is, fans and moving parts.
This opens the door to potential mechani-
cal or electronic failures.
Atom, fusion and the big bang
Microprocessors and smart cameras
took a big step toward closing the smart
camera/PC-host gap in 2008 when Intel
announced the new Atom microproces-
sor designed for netbooks and Internet
devices based on 45-nm lithography
technology. By shrinking the size of the
circuits on the microprocessor, Atom
could deliver about half the performance
(2 to 3 Gfops) of a Pentium M class PC,
or an order of magnitude more than the
Geode predecessors used in the frst PC
camera models.
But just as important as performance
are power consumption and associated
heat generation. The Atom microproces-
sor consumes 20 percent less power than a
Pentium M class at full speed and consid-
erably less during idle times, allowing the
unit to cool faster and better than previous
models.
In 2011, Intel upped the ante by adding
a graphic processor unit (GPU) to the x86-
based CPU, while AMD joined the fray
with the Fusion accelerated processing
unit (APU), which, as with the new Atom
E6xx class microprocessor, places a GPU
core on the same die as the CPU. Using
Fusions 40-nm lithography technology,
the latest PC cameras now can deliver up
to 90 Gfops of processing power, more
than enough to challenge any single-core
PC-host vision system.
Of course, microprocessor development
never stops. PC camera users wont have
to wait long for signifcantly improved
performance. Very soon, aggressive PC
camera makers will deliver up to 480
Gfops using AMDs new A-Series APU,
announced in August 2011. Combined
with new or enhanced network protocols
such as Intels Thunderbolt technology,
GigE and 10GigE, and Cam Express
and zero-copy transfers, among others,
PC camera users can slave multiple
cameras to a single PC camera, poten-
tially taking the percentage of machine
vision applications that can be served by
Until now, transistor budget constraints typically mandated a two-chip solution for CPU and GPU functions,
forcing system architects to use a chip-to-chip crossing between the memory controller and either the CPU
or GPU. These transfers affect memory latency and consume system power. The APUs scalar x86 cores and
single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) engines share a common path to system memory to help avoid these
constraints.
A
M
D
Phone 801.225.0930
www.moxtek.com
See the light
Inorganic Absorptive Polarizers are
extremely useful in optical systems where
stray light is a key concern. Designed
specifically for the blue, green, and red
channels, these polarizers help fine-tune
your system to reduce the amount of
reflected light.
Moxtek Inorganic Absorptive Polarizers:
Maximize the power of projected light
Operates in harsh environment
No degradation over the life of the system
n Smart Cameras
PC camera technology from roughly 80
percent to well above 90 percent of all
machine vision applications.

Size matters but not the way
you think
Not only does the PC camera run a full
image-processing library and OS, but its
smaller footprint also means that data
travels from the sensor to the processor
faster than on a comparable PC-host sys-
tem, reducing latency and jitter (disloca-
tions in the image) between image acqui-
sition and processing. The image transfer
speed and data integrity from a remote
camera to a PC or embedded vision are
limited by the cable bandwidth, length
and electromagnetic interference. As
those with an integrated webcam on their
laptop can attest, integrated cameras can
work much better than USB or FireWire
remote-camera-based systems.
Unlike standard PC-host machine vi-
sion systems, which come with consumer-
based operating systems, PC cameras can
run full or embedded OS. Matrox Iris GT
and the BOA PC cameras from Teledyne
Dalsa in Billerica, Mass., for example, run
embedded Windows, while CheckSight
from Leutron in Glattbrugg, Switzerland,
and Ximeas Currera PC cameras can run
on either full or embedded Windows or
Linux OS, giving developers the choice
to develop systems in familiar environ-
ments. Embedded OS use a component
architecture that allows the PC camera
maker to choose only those features nec-
essary for system and network support.
OS modules such as legacy support
for older applications or various applica-
tion programming interfaces (APIs) for
Internet Explorer, Media Center and
other nonessential programs can be
eliminated using an embedded OS. This
reduces latency and demands on the CPU
while increasing the PC cameras overall
processing throughput. An embedded ma-
chine vision system or industrial PC-host
system also may come with an optional
embedded OS; however, an industrial
PC with a multimegapixel camera costs
more than a PC camera machine vision
solution. It also still uses cables and bus
interfaces that slow image transfer speed
between camera and processor, compli-
cate system integration, and increase the
chance of data loss during transfer.
Unfortunately, even an embedded OS is
not a real time operating system, which
means that determinism or the assur-
ance that data will be at a certain point
at a given time varies depending on
computational load and other factors. Al-
though determinism is improved through
a PC camera architecture that puts all
components in proximity to one another
and uses onboard interfaces rather than
cabling and back planes compared with
The Currera-G PC camera from Ximea houses a
single-board computer built around AMDs new
Fusion APU, which combines the power of both
CPU and GPU cores on a single die to deliver up
to 90 Gfops of processing power.
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n Smart Cameras
PC-host systems, the additional process-
ing power of a PC camera allows vendors
to include real-time industrial feld bus in-
terfaces. An onboard programmable logic
controller can guarantee nanosecond-
level determinism when communicating
between the PC camera and downstream
ejectors and other industrial equipment.

No one owns you
The benefts of PC cameras dont
stop with better resolution and usabil-
ity, higher processing speed and lower
latency; PC cameras also change the para-
digm between customer and vendor.
For example, PC camera customers
who buy from Ximea do not have to buy
image processing software from the same
company from which they buy their hard-
ware. An integrator may, for example, be
a proponent of Teledyne Dalsas Sherlock
image processing software. PC-class
processing power and a full or embedded
OS have allowed some PC camera makers
to offer APIs or API design tools to make
their hardware compatible with a cus-
tomers favorite machine vision software.
As an extra beneft, PC cameras built
on x86 microprocessors can run users
existing Windows-based inspection
routines and associated code. Ximea, for
example, offers free APIs to Cognexs
VisionPro, Matroxs Imaging Library
(MIL), National Instruments LabView,
MVTecs Halcon and dozens more. This
step toward greater compatibility for
vision technology is a big deal for custom-
ers because integrators tend to sell the
machine vision hardware and software
they know, which may or may not always
be the best solution.
PC cameras are quickly closing the
support gap between smart cameras and
PC-host vision systems (sorry, embedded
vision system suppliers). As we all know,
industrial customers demand that their
equipment last longer and have better
support than consumer systems, which is
why an industrial PC costs more than a
desktop PC. This is a double-edged sword
when it comes to comparisons between
PC-host systems and PC cameras.
PC cameras, and all machine vision
systems, are designed for industrial prod-
uct lifetime support in excess of seven
years, while consumer PCs hardware and
software confgurations change every
week, creating a potential support night-
mare for machine vision providers.
Although industrial PC cameras will fail
less and perform better than consumer-
based platform solutions because the
software and hardware are better inte-
grated and supported, troubleshooting PC
camera hardware can be more diffcult
because these highly integrated systems
are designed to be disassembled only by
factory personnel.
Fortunately, the full OS capabilities
of a PC camera provide an answer by in-
cluding full-network, encrypted Internet
and browser support that marks a major
improvement over traditional smart cam-
era remote-support solutions.
In todays global economy, improved
remote support is a must for machine
vision providers and customers alike,
with lean operations unable to withstand
unexpected downtime.
In the future, PC camera vendors will
conquer the last beneft of PC-host
systems compared with PC cameras:
hardware support. Its not a stretch to
imagine PC cameras with snap in
modular designs that allow the user to
replace a failed motherboard, to increase
the sensor size or to add a higher-speed
network interface.
Imagine being able to repurpose a PC
camera for a high-resolution operation
simply by snapping out the sensor box
and replacing it with a larger array.
Science fction? Just wait.
Meet the author
Max Larin is CEO of Ximea GmbH of
Mnster, Germany; email: max.larin@
ximea.com.
Ximeas Currera-G uses the AMD Fusion APU, combining both CPU
and GPU on a single die. The Fusions ability to deliver up to 90
Gfops with only 18 W of thermal design power means that a fully
functional industrial PC can be encased in an industrial camera
housing without the need for fans or other moving parts that are
prone to failure over time. The full complement of available I/O
interfaces was designed to accommodate most major image
processing libraries on the market. PLC = programmable logic
controller; FPGA = feld programmable gate array.
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Higher-power and higher-beam-qual-
ity lasers continue to emerge on the mar-
ketplace, and industry continues to fnd
new uses for them. In particular, glass pro-
cessing has garnered much attention in re-
cent years. Common tasks such as cutting,
grooving, milling and drilling are rou-
tinely performed in various types of glass
and with various types of lasers. More ad-
vanced processes such as annealing, weld-
ing and refractive index modifcation for
waveguide and diffractive optical element
fabrication, for example are also being
explored. Markets and applications using
such processes are quite varied, ranging
from the routine to the exotic; and they
will undoubtedly grow and diversify as
industries discover more about what lasers
can do in terms of noncontact structuring
of glass.
Processing glass with lasers is not with-
out challenge. The fact that glass is trans-
parent to the most commonly available
laser wavelengths requires that high peak
intensities are generated to trigger a non-
linear absorption effect. With good beam
quality, high pulse energies and short
pulse durations, such high intensities can
be generated in the glass with relatively
long-focal-length lenses. This, combined
with high pulse repetition frequencies of
hundreds of kilohertz for high throughput,
is helping to make laser glass processing a
feasible solution for a growing number of
industrial applications.
Laser technologies for glass
Various types of lasers are used for dif-
ferent types of glass machining tasks. For
full-cutting long straight lines in thicker
glasses, carbon dioxide (CO
2
) lasers are
commonly used. In one approach, the fo-
cused laser beam heats the glass and is
followed by a cooling gas or liquid, result-
ing in a straight-line fracture of the glass
achieved at relatively high speeds meter
lengths can be cut in a matter of seconds.
This approach, however, is not generally
successful for thinner glasses much below
about half a millimeter in thickness. In ad-
dition, any desire to cut curved contours
cannot be addressed.
Compared with CO
2
lasers, ultrashort-
pulse (USP) lasers with picosecond and
femtosecond pulse widths are at opposite
ends of the spectrum in terms of cost per
watt and technological complexity. But
these lasers also are used for glass pro-
cessing because they can machine various
intricate shapes in glass with very high
quality. The quality is excellent because
nonlinear absorption phenomena allow
small irradiation depths, resulting in con-
trolled material removal and correspond-
ing edge chipping dimensions down to
10 m or less. However, for the same
reason that good quality is achieved, the
processing also is relatively slow, with
centimeter-diameter holes in 1-mm-thick
glass requiring minutes of drilling time.
Industrial laser glass processing holds promise for an increasing range of applications,
including biomedical and solar panel manufacturing.
BY JIM BOVATSEK AND DR. RAJESH S. PATEL, SPECTRA-PHYSICS
DPSS Lasers
Overcome Glass Process Challenges
Figure 1. Nanosecond-pulse Q-switched DPSS lasers can produce high quality in glass processing.
Here, various subsurface micromarkings in glass are made with a 355-nm, nanosecond-pulse Q-switched
laser (Spectra-Physics Tristar series 355-nm 2- to 3-W lasers). Single-character marking times are as low
as 10 ms.
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912DPSSLasers_Newport_TechFeat.indd 50 8/21/12 6:50 PM
This technology is appropriate for value-
added applications, in which the high cost
and low throughput of the laser are ac-
ceptable because of the uniqueness of the
result.
Besides CO
2
and USP lasers, a third
option for glass processing is the nano-
second-pulse, Q-switched diode-pumped
solid state (DPSS) laser, which falls near
the middle of the spectrum in terms of
complexity and dollars per watt. Glass
processing with such lasers inherits quali-
ties of both the fast, crude CO
2
tool and the
slow, fne USP scalpel. Although the speed
is lower than that of the straight-line CO
2
laser cuts, the quality can be better and
whats more, contoured shapes can be cut.
Likewise, compared with USP laser pro-
cessing, the edge chipping formed with
nanosecond-time-scale pulses is larger
often several tens of microns but the
throughput can be signifcantly higher and
at a much lower cost.
Markets for glass processing
Various markets and industries cur-
rently beneft from laser glass processing.
For example, in the fabrication of biomedi-
cal lab-on-chip devices, lasers are used
to machine microgrooves, titration vias
and even embedded waveguides for opti-
cal sensing. For such devices, short nano-
second-pulse Q-switched DPSS lasers can
be used for high-quality, cost-effcient
glass processing. One example application
is fast subsurface micromarking of glass
parts with a short nanosecond-pulse laser
at the 355-nm wavelength. Figure 1 shows
a variety of subsurface glass marks ma-
chined with just such a laser.
These lasers offer good marking power
of 2 W or more at a very reasonable cost;
and with fast pulse trains at 50 to 100
kHz or more, typical write times of a few
tens of milliseconds per character are
achieved, translating to a marking capabil-
ity of several tens of characters per second.
Although the biomedical lab-on-chip mar-
ket is relatively small, it likely will grow
as medical-related industries continue to
see large capital investments. Industrial-
grade, high-throughput and high-quality
lasers such as this can offer cost-effective
solutions for the demands of high-volume
production tasks.
A much larger market for glass process-
ing is fat panel device (FPD) and touch
sensor panel (TSP) manufacturing. Con-
sumers worldwide continue to embrace
and integrate smartphones and tablet
devices into their lives, and this will no
doubt drive a need for tools to manufacture
ever-more complex shapes and structures
in glass. The glass used for these devices
is relatively thin and likely to get thinner.
With the unveiling of various surface-
strengthened glasses such as Corning
Gorilla Glass and Schott Xensation not
to mention the likelihood of further inno-
vation glass thicknesses are expected to
decrease sharply from the current standard
of 0.3 to 1.1 mm to perhaps no more than
several tens of microns.
Although the need for glass process-
ing in the FPD/TSP markets is large and
growing, it is at the same time unclear
exactly which laser technology can meet
the quality and throughput demands. In
some cases, nanosecond-pulse Q-switched
lasers have been used to cut closed-shape
geometric fgures in such strengthened
glasses (Figure 2). Compared with the pre-
viously highlighted marking application,
power requirements are much higher; in
Figure 4. Quality through holes have been drilled in
mere seconds for the requisite diameters of ~4 to
6 mm. Now laser-drilled holes in 1-, 2- and 3-mm-
thick glass substrates can be of high quality as
well, as shown here.
Figure 3. A high-power, high-pulse-repetition-fre-
quency femtosecond-pulse laser offers structuring
of glass materials with good surface and edge qual-
ity. Here, 3-D glass structuring has been performed
with a Spectra-Physics High Q femtosecond laser.
Figure 2. Nanosecond-pulse Q-switched lasers can cut closed-shape geometric fgures in strengthened
glasses. Here, a 5-mm-diameter through hole has been cut in 1.1-mm-thick Gorilla Glass for smartphone
production. Cutting time is ~15 s.
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For more on DPSS lasers, visit www.photonics.com
this case, a Spectra-Physics Pulseo 355-20
laser system that delivers <20-ns pulse du-
rations, pulse energies above 200 J and
100-kHz repetition rates was used.
The high laser power results in reason-
able throughput; however, the as-cut edge
quality can be good but imperfect. Depend-
ing on the exact details of an applications
demands, some postprocessing steps such
as chamfering/polishing may be required.
In some applications, these added steps
are undesirable. Perhaps a more fnesse-
oriented laser for example, a high-power
and high-pulse-repetition-frequency fem-
tosecond-pulse laser could be the right
solution. Indeed, this class of laser offers
high-quality structuring of glass materials
with excellent surface and edge quality for
precision processing (Figure 3).
Glass processing for PV solar panels
Glass also is used extensively in thin-
flm photovoltaic (TFPV) manufacturing.
With up to meter-size sheets of 1- to 3-mm-
thick glass as a substrate, solar panels are
produced with a variety of solar absorber
materials, such as amorphous silicon (a-Si),
cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper
indium gallium (di)selenide (CIGS). A well-
known success story for Q-switched DPSS
lasers in TFPV manufacturing is in scribing
thin flms of material referred to as P1,
P2 and P3 scribing to create the panels
monolithic serial interconnection architec-
ture. But a typical TFPV panel is >99 per-
cent glass by composition (before module
packaging), so it would seem logical that
laser glass processing could have potential
somewhere along the production line.
Such an opportunity does arise in the
fnal packaging of some TFPV panels if
the same glass substrate on which the pho-
tovoltaic device is built becomes part of
the rear side of the encapsulation package.
When the panel is fully sealed which in-
cludes metal framing around the perimeter
a through hole in this glass is needed to
access the devices electrical contacts.
Laser processing offers advantages for
fabricating these conduit through-vias.
Unlike mechanical drilling, the laser en-
ables a noncontact process, which means
low or no vibration is generated that can
potentially weaken the devices thin flms.
Also, laser cutting of glass can be done
as a completely dry process, which is im-
portant for thin-flm materials such as the
moisture-sensitive solar absorber layer.
Processing challenges for glass
Laser processing of glass in general is a
fairly delicate operation because care must
be taken to avoid excessive melting, chip-
ping and cracking. Achieving the proper
quality and throughput compromise re-
quires a signifcant process development
effort. This is particularly true when a
higher-power laser is used for process-
ing. The higher laser power enables faster
processing, but it also increases the ther-
mal loading on the glass, which can result
in melting, cracking and even invisible
weakening of the glass in the form of re-
sidual stress, any of which could cause
product failure in the feld.
To achieve proper thermal manage-
ment in the glass, equipment and methods
for focusing and scanning the laser beam
must be carefully selected. One approach
uses a high-speed two- or three-axis scan-
ning galvanometer system with a fat-feld
f-Theta objective, which allows fast scan-
ning of a tightly focused laser beam over a
stationary glass plate. Todays galvo scan-
ner products allow speeds on the order of
meters per second to be generated with rel-
atively small scanning dimensions, down
to 1 to 2 mm. Such rapid motion of the fo-
cused laser spot goes a long way toward
minimizing heat buildup in the glass.
Very thin glass can be cut with single or
multiple overlapping scans of the focused
beam. As glass thicknesses increase to the
range of hundreds of microns, however,
the laser cutting process becomes self-
limiting. In this case, multiple adjacent
beam scans are required to widen the kerf,
facilitating debris removal and, ultimately,
full cut-through of the thick glass. For
still thicker glasses, it becomes necessary
to translate the focused beam along the
Z-axis through the bulk of the glass. At
this point, the laser cutting process has
clearly transformed into a 3-D laser mill-
ing process.
When applied to thin-flm photovoltaic
panel glass via drilling, the equipment and
techniques detailed above result in quality
through holes drilled in a matter of seconds
for the requisite diameters of ~4 to 6 mm.
The image in Figure 4 shows sample cross
sections of cutouts generated with the
Spectra-Physics Pulseo 532-34 laser sys-
tem on 1-, 2- and 3-mm-thick glass sub-
strates. Rated for 34-W output at 120-kHz
pulse repetition frequency (PRF), the laser
outputs >350 J at 100-kHz PRF; the com-
bination of high pulse energy and fast
pulse output enables rapid processing.
And the <30-ns pulse duration allows con-
trolled heat input into the material.
The cross-section cutaway of the holes
shows near-vertical sidewalls of the cut
and a fne, granular sidewall texture. The
n Glass Processing
Figure 5. Schematic illustration of laser-milled through hole shows how quality (taper) and throughput can be
improved by processing on both surfaces of the glass.
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holes were processed in two stages, with
the laser beam frst incident upon one sur-
face of the glass (stage 1) and next upon the
opposite surface (stage 2). It can be dem-
onstrated that such a processing strategy
offers both quality and throughput advan-
tages as compared with processing from
just one side of the glass.
To improve throughput by reducing the
volume of glass that must be removed, it
is helpful to use two laser beams (either
split from a single laser or from two la-
sers) to simultaneously or serially drill on
opposite glass surfaces. Compared with
the case of a single laser beam on a single
side of glass, a signifcant reduction in
the volume of material to ablate is achieved
(Figure 5). Furthermore, as Figure 5 illus-
trates, two-side processing can reduce the
overall taper of the hole as well because
the difference between the outer and inner
cutting diameters is halved.
Calculations show that only one-quarter
of the volume need be removed for an ideal
two-sided process. This equates to 4-times
throughput improvement if two laser
beams are processing simultaneously.
In laboratory testing, actual demon-
strated throughput improvement is in the
range of 3 to 3.5 times. If, instead, a sin-
gle laser is used and the beam is rapidly
switched to the second surface after pro-
cessing the frst, the advantage is halved,
resulting in 1.5- to 1.75-times throughput
improvement.
The challenges of integrating two la-
sers for simultaneous processing of both
surfaces of a glass plate are not trivial,
and confguring a single laser to process
from both sides is only slightly less com-
plex. But considering the throughput im-
provements that can be realized, it may
be a worthwhile challenge to undertake in
many cases.
Meet the author
Jim Bovatsek is applications lab manager at
Spectra-Physics in Santa Clara, Calif.; email:
jim.bovatsek@spectra-physics.com. Dr. Rajesh
S. Patel is director of strategic marketing,
also in Santa Clara; email: raj.patel@spectra-
physics.com.
n Glass Processing
Glass processing confgurations
There are three processing confgurations to consider, each with an associated process
throughput:
1. One laser that processes from one surface.
2. One laser that processes from two surfaces.
3. Two lasers that process two surfaces.
For 5-mm-diameter holes similar to those in Figure 3, Figure 6 summarizes the drilling
times for each of these three process approaches, clearly demonstrating that signifcant
throughput improvement is gained with processing confgurations 2 and 3.
Figure 6. Drill times for 5-mm-diameter holes in 1-, 2- and 3-mm-thick glasses using various processing
approaches. Using two lasers triples the throughput. Courtesy of Spectra-Physics.
Time, in Seconds, to Cut 5-mm-Diameter Hole in Various Glass Thicknesses
Process Type 1-mm Thick 2-mm Thick 3-mm Thick
One Laser, One Surface 10.2 31.4 60.6
One Laser, Two Surfaces 6.2 18.5 36.4
Two Lasers, Two Surfaces 3.1 9.2 18.2
C
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MY
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In Greek mythology, the hunter
Narcissus was renowned for his beauty,
and exceptionally proud of it: He dis-
dained all who loved him. When Nemesis
saw this, he attracted Narcissus to a pool
where he saw his own refection in the
waters and, not realizing it was merely
an image, fell in love with it. Every time
he tried to drink water from the pool, the
image vanished; unable to leave the beauty
of his refection, Narcissus died of thirst.
In IR cameras, the effect of a detectors
refection on the detector itself is named
after Narcissus. This refection usually is
related to the front surface of the lens as-
sembly and is enhanced if the detector is
cooled. In a fxed-focal-length assembly,
the surface can be designed to eliminate
this effect, but in a zoom-lens assembly,
the effect is hard to eliminate.
Figure 1 shows the ray tracing of a zoom
assembly in medium feld of view (MFOV)
compared with the assembly in wide feld
of view (WFOV) shown in Figure 2. In the
frst case, the aperture used is wide, and
there is a small percentage of rays that are
normal to the front surface. In the WFOV
case, the aperture is much smaller and the
number of rays that are normal to the sur-
face is much greater.
The magnitude of the effect is directly
infuenced by the refectance of the anti-
refection (AR) coating of the front lens.
The front lens usually has to withstand the
harsh environmental requirements of an
external part. The most suitable coating is
a hard carbon (HC) or diamondlike carbon
(DLC) coating.
DLC coatings
The standard DLC coating is a single
layer of carbon atoms with a mixture of
SP
3
(diamond) and SP
2
(graphite) bonds.
The SP
3
bonds are extremely hard, and
the SP
2
bonds are soft. The combination
of these bonds results in an extremely du-
rable layer that adheres well to Si and Ge
substrates. The index of refraction is about
1.9, which is a good optical match to these
high-index substrates.
Refection and tranmittance graphs in
the 3- to 5-m region are shown in Figures
3 and 4. This coating has excellent durabil-
ity, but the average refection of 3.2 to
3.4 percent at the 3- to 5-m region is too
high, resulting in a noticeable Narcissus
effect.
There are many ways to produce DLC
coatings. In chemical vapor deposition
(CVD), a chamber contains two elec-
trodes, one connected to a radio frequency
voltage source and the other grounded.
When argon is introduced, plasma forms
as a result of the high voltage. When a
carbon-rich gas such as methane, butane
or acetylene is introduced, the plasma
process decomposes the gas and acceler-
ates the carbon atoms toward the substrate,
where the DLC layer is formed (see Fig-
ure 5). This is different from the standard
Applying new diamondlike carbon multiple-layer coatings to front-surface
forward-looking infrared lens assemblies drastically reduces the Narcissus effect
without compromising durability.
BY DR. MORDECHAI GILO, OPHIR OPTRONICS LTD.
DLC Coatings Enhance
IR Cameras
Narcissus effect:
the effect of a detectors refection
on the detector itself.
Figure 1. A ray tracing of a zoom assembly in
medium feld of view. The aperture is wide, and a
small percentage of rays are normal to the front
surface. Images courtesy of Ophir Optronics Ltd.
Figure 3. Theoretical refectance of an HC single
layer on Si and Ge substrates: Average refectance
at 3 to 5 m is ~3.2 percent on Ge and ~3.4 per-
cent on Si. This is too high and results in a notice-
able Narcissus effect.
Figure 4. Experimental performance of a single HC
layer on Si substrate: Average transmittance at 3 to
5 m is 94.2 percent.
Figure 2. A ray tracing of a zoom assembly in wide
feld of view. The aperture is much smaller than
that of Figure 1, and the number of rays normal
to the surface is much higher.
912IRCameras_Ophir_TechFeat.indd 56 8/21/12 6:56 PM
physical vapor deposition (PVD) process
of evaporation by direct heating.
A new type of coating low-refection
hard carbon (LRHC) from Ophir Op-
tronics Ltd. is a multilayer coating with a
DLC overcoat layer designed to have a low
refection. The design considerations were
(see Figure 6):
1. A dielectric layer with either a Si or
Ge top layer would be coated in a PVD
coating chamber.
2. The DLC layer would be added in a
plasma-enhanced CVD chamber.
3. The DLC layer thickness had to be min-
imized to reduce internal absorption
but to maintain a minimal thickness to
achieve the required durability.
Experimental results
For the 3- to 5-m region, the preferred
substrate for an external lens is usually
Si, mainly because of its hardness and
low price. With an LRHC coating on Si,
shown in Figure 7, the average refectance
achieved in the 3.5- to 5-m region was
0.26 percent. The average transmittance
achieved was 98.5 percent, shown in Fig-
ure 8.
For the 8- to 12-m region, several coat-
ings on Ge, ZnS and ZnSe substrates were
designed with an HC top layer to with-
stand severe durability requirements. The
theorized performance of similar designs
on these substrates is shown in Figure 9.
Experimental results for a Ge substrate
are shown in Figures 10 and 11. The aver-
age refectance in the 8- to 11.5-m range
was 0.62 percent, with average transmit-
tance of 94 percent in the same region.
Reduction of Narcissus effect
Several AR coatings were applied on
the front Si lens of a 15- to 300-mm zoom
assembly.
A lens with a single-layer DLC and a
typical average refectance of 4.8 percent
in the 3- to 5-m region was compared
with an LRHC coating with a typical aver-
age refectance of 0.5 percent, both in the
WFOV state.
In the frst case, the effect was notice-
able, while in the second case, the effect
was not seen (see Figures 12 and 13).
The above designs show that a mul-
tilayer coating with a DLC top layer has
Figure 5. Radio-frequency (RF)-enhanced CVD process. One electrode is connected to an RF voltage source;
the other is grounded. At the introduction of Argon, the high voltage causes plasma to form. With carbon-rich
gases such as methane, butane or acetylene, the plasma process decomposes the gas and accelerates the
carbon atoms toward the substrate to form the DLC layer.
Figure 6. New coating concept of a multilayer stack
with a DLC upper layer.
Figure 7. Experimental refectance results for an
LRHC design on Si for the 3- to 5-m region. The
average refectance achieved in this region was
0.26 percent;
Figure 8. Experimental transmittance results of a Si
window. The back side is coated with an AR coating
with an average refectance of 0.2 percent. The
average transmittance achieved was 98.5 percent.
Figure 9. Theoretical performance in the 8- to
12-m region of multilayer coatings with a DLC top
layer on Ge, ZnSe and ZnS substrates.
Figure 11. Measured transmittance results of LRHC
coating on Ge. The back side was coated with an
AR coating that had about 0.3 percent average re-
fectance in the 8- to 11.5-m region. The average
transmittance was 94 percent in this region.
Figure 10. Measured refectance results of LRHC
coating on Ge. The average refectance in the 8- to
11.5-m range was 0.62 percent.
www.photonics.com
good potential for external surfaces. Sev-
eral designs were demonstrated for a Si
substrate in the spectral region of 3 to 5
m and for a Ge substrate in the 8- to 11.5-
m spectral range.
Other designs show that this concept
can be applied to ZnSe and ZnS substrates.
All the coatings passed the durability
tests required of a DLC coating (humidity,
severe abrasion, salt immersion, salt vapor
and acid corrosivity), including the 5000
revolutions wiper sand test. They can be
applied on lens assemblies for high exter-
nal durability and low Narcissus effect.
Every system designer knows that in
AR coatings, there is always the trade-
off between the best optical performance
and the highest durability. These coatings
can substitute the system front surface
coatings, while ensuring the required low
refection. They also will provide the high-
est known coating durability and could
be developed for more than one spectral
region for a variety of applications.
Meet the author
Dr. Mordechai Gilo is process development
manager for R&D and engineering at Ophir
Optronics Ltd., a Newport Corp. brand, in
Jerusalem; email: motke.gilo@ophiropt.com.
n Diamondlike Coatings
Figure 12. Lens assembly with a single-layer HC
front lens in wide feld of view. The central circle
and one ring are noise from the Narcissus effect.
Figure 13. Lens assembly with an LRHC coating
having an average refectance of 0.5 percent, with
the same feld of view as in Figure 10. The Narcis-
sus effect is eliminated.
Conferences & Courses
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Laser lab design can be tricky.
Even when lab construction falls to a
project manager, he/she often will rely
on the laser user (many times a postdoc
or grad student) and someone from the
Environmental Health and Safety Divi-
sion for design help. These folks are not
always appreciative of each others needs
and requirements. The postdoc, grad
student or even a senior researcher has a
frm image in mind of the experimental
setup but can fail to consider institutional
building codes; on the other hand, the
EHS representative and construction
manager are not aware of all the fac-
tors that affect laser work. The project
managers chief concern is coming in
under budget and then making the client
happy. The user just wants to get to work.
A simple example of an unintended
confict is when the user selects the
location of the optical tables but fails to
consider the electrical panel clearance
restrictions. Lets highlight a number
of design issues, starting with the
exterior of the room.
Exterior design
On the exterior, my two pet peeves are
location of the illuminated laser warn-
ing sign and door interlocks. For ease of
installation, many signs are placed over
the doorframe. This location is easily
overlooked by staff walking down long
hallways or around corners. The signs
must be at eye level alongside the door.
It would be ideal to place them on the
door, but this will most often change the
fre rating of the door, which must be
considered. Remember, the purpose of the
signs is to alert anyone who might wish to
enter the laser room that the laser is on, or
at least powered up. Positioning it out of
sight above the door defeats its purpose.
Also, the ANSI standards Z136.1 and
Z136.8 allow the use of card readers or
electronic locks that are not slaved to the
laser as a means of access control. With
rare exceptions, few laser labs should
need the traditional door interlock. Laser
safety offcers must involve users in get-
ting beams contained and blocked. If open
beams cannot be contained by perimeter
guards, beam tubes, beam blocks and so
on, then a barrier e.g., a curtain upon
entry may be the solution, establishing
a laser-free zone in the lab area. Of
course, this does take up space, greater
than the curtains interior physical space,
just as the TARDIS (time and relative
dimension in space) on Doctor Who.
Interior design
Laser lab design guides can be useful
but tend to deal only with the labs exte-
rior. They cover items such as interlocks,
warning signs, emergency shutoff, door
hardware and hazard communication
posting. Here are some interior consider-
ations that might not appear in such a
guide:
Start with institutional code require-
ments and recognize that most laser
users have no real knowledge of these.
Youll have to do your research.
These requirements include clear-
ance around electrical panels (National
Electrical Code), although not all panels
require clearance. If there is no button
to push or switch to throw just an
electrical box on the wall, this does
not need a 36-in. clearance space.
Another example is an eyewash
shower, which requires more consider-
ation than its small physical size might
suggest. The following are standard rules
for the eyewash shower: No obstruc-
tions, protrusions or sharp objects may
be located within 16 in. of the center of
the emergency shower facilitys spray
pattern (i.e., a 32-in. clearance zone must
be provided). No electrical apparatus,

Designing a Laser Lab:
What to Do and What Not to Do
LaSErS
I n Use
A veteran laser safety offcer
provides guidance, reminders
and explanations for those
who are establishing or
retroftting a laboratory.
The number of safety considerations involved
in laser lab design can be mind-boggling.
If the illuminated laser in use warning sign
over the labs doorframe is too high,
people entering the room might not see it.
Additional laser safety images
accompany this article online at www.photonics.com.
912LasersInUse.indd 60 8/22/12 2:06 PM
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912BuyersGuide.com_PG61.indd 61 8/22/12 9:22 AM
lasers
I n Use
This next issue is so often missed, its
criminal. The system that pumps in-room
air right on top of your optical table can
be an unobserved problem until air
currents and particulates start to affect
laser experimental work. There is never
suffcient space, so planning storage
just the air temperature in the room, but
also the contribution or heat load from
chillers, pumps and other devices. Can
they be pumped in from an adjoining
room or space? What is the buildings
history of water temperature as the day
progresses or as seasons change?
telephones, thermostats or power recep-
tacles should be located within 6 feet of
either side of the emergency shower or
emergency eyewash facility. If receptacles
are necessary within 6 feet, they should
be equipped with ground fault inter-
rupters. Emergency eyewash facilities
and safety showers must be installed in
unobstructed and accessible locations
that require no more than 10 seconds
for the injured person to reach along an
unobstructed pathway. If both eyewash
and shower are needed, they should be
located so that both can be used at the
same time by one person. Flooring under
safety showers should be slip-resistant.
Depending upon the specifc chemicals
used in the lab, a fammable cabinet may
be required. Pressurized gas cylinders
and/or liquid nitrogen Dewar vessels will
need storage space and storage devices
in your foor plan. Biohazard hoods and
radioactive materials storage and the
rules that go along with them may also
come into play. Do not forget require-
ments for oxygen defciency detectors.
Other interior considerations
The next set of interior factors is a
long list of real-world items. Here are
just a few: The power consumption needs
and outlet placement are never enough.
As the user, you know how important
temperature regulation is, but your
project manager might not. This is not
A funny thing happened on the way to the laser lab
In his decades of laser safety work, Ken Barat has seen his share of funny things.
He shared two anecdotes with Photonics Spectra:
1. An electrician received a work order to wire up an illuminated laser warning sign
for a new laser room, but when he arrived on the job site, no one was there.
Seeing no obvious source of power for the sign and unfamiliar with the fact
that remote interlock connectors are a requirement of Class 4 lasers he hung
the sign and wired it into an isolated power supply. The user returned the next
day to fnd the light installed and on ... with no way to turn it off. The wiring to
the power supply was hidden inside the lab wall.
2. One laser lab had a typical red-mushroom-style emergency off button. But its
location made it very likely that it would be pushed by accident, which, in fact,
happened a few times. Someone in the lab decided to place a plastic guard
over the button, but rather than using a fip-up type, screwed a plastic cover
over the button, which meant that it could not be pushed. This solved the
accidental-strike problem but made the button itself useless.
C
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A laser laboratorys foor plan should account for walkways and standing space.
In this lab, the laser table is so close to the counter that the users chair will not ft.
912LasersInUse.indd 62 8/21/12 6:57 PM
lasers
I n Use
is critical to a well-run lab. Often, the
solution to storage is shelves above the
optical table. These can present two types
of problems from interior design issues
to human factor concerns: Shelf corners
are great to hit your head on and, if
not planned correctly, can be too low,
fghting equipment and chambers on the
table for space. Planning also must go
into how wires and cables will hang.
Human factors
There also are a few human factors
to consider. You and your staff must
have suffcient walkway space around
the lab and equipment. The minimum
aisle clearance is 24 in.; main aisles
used for emergency egress must have
a clearance of 36 in., and a pathway
clearance of 36 in. must be maintained
at the face of any access/exit door.
As optical tables and lab shelves fll
the room, remember that you must be
able to reach these items. Can you reach
optics that have to be moved? Does
the work fow smoothly? Can you see
monitors? Consider the use of stepstools,
platforms and viewing angles. These
days, you can and should consider remote
viewing options, motorized mounts and
automated items as real-world solutions.
Lab space should be physically separate
from personal desk spaces, meeting
areas and eating areas. This sounds nice,
but at times, it can be nearly impossible
to obtain. At the very least, sitting at a
workstation should not put you or the
other lab users at risk. Make sure that
anyone at a workstation is protected
from any direct or stray beams. No one
should have to go through lab space
where hazardous materials are used
in order to exit from nonlab areas.
Ken Barat
lasersafetysolutions@gmail.com
Eyewash shower placement is very important
in a lab. All users must be able to access
the station in an emergency.
The issues presented here
are only some that must be
considered when putting
a laser lab together.
Images courtesy of Ken Barat.
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912LasersInUse.indd 63 8/22/12 11:27 AM
The most detailed images to date
of airborne soot particles, generated with
x-rays from the Linac Coherent Light
Source (LCLS), will have important
implications for climate modeling and
human health, among other areas.
Aerosol particles such as soot are
signifcant in felds ranging from toxicol-
ogy to climate science. Despite their
importance, their properties are diffcult
to measure: Visible light does not provide
adequate resolution, x-ray sources are
typically not bright enough to image
single particles, and, for electron micros-
copy, particles must be collected onto a
substrate, a move that could alter their
structure and encourage agglomeration.
Now, scientists from the Center for
Free-Electron Laser Science a joint
venture of Deutsches Elektronen-Syn-
chrotron DESY, the German Max Planck
Society and the University of Hamburg
have used the LCLS, the worlds most
powerful x-ray laser, at the US Depart-
ment of Energys SLAC National Ac-
celerator Laboratory, operated by Stanford
University, to image a single soot particle
foating through a laser beam.
We now have a richer imaging tool
to explore the connections between their
toxicity and internal structure, said
Duane Loh of SLAC, lead author of the
study.
In the experiment, the team wafted
individual soot particles up to 3.25 m in
diameter into the path of the laser beam.
The laser pulses were so brief that they
captured information about the particles,
only millionths of a meter across, in the
quadrillionths of a second before they
blew apart. The information produced a
characteristic diffraction pattern that was
recorded by a detector. From this pattern,
the scientists reconstructed the structure
of the soot particle.
The structure of soot determines how
it scatters light, which is an important
part of understanding how the energy of
the sun is absorbed by the Earths atmo-
sphere, said Andrew Martin of DESY.
This is a key factor in models of the
Earths climate.
The study focused on particles less
than 2.5 m in diameter, the size range of
particles that effciently transport into the
green
lighT

Laser probes pollution particles
lClS produces x-ray pulses more than a billion times
brighter than synchrotron sources.
A new investigation using x-rays from the Linac Coherent Light Source has helped researchers better
understand the structure of airborne soot particles. These simulated particles, based on previous research
models, illustrate the expected fractal structure of soot particles in the air. The latest research shows that
soot particles produced as aerosols can be noticeably denser than the ones shown here.
human lungs and constitute the second
most important contribution to global
warming.
There also are many links between
airborne particles around two microm-
eters in size and adverse health effects,
Martin said. Using the free-electron
laser, we are now able to measure the
shape and composition of individual
D
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912GreenLight.indd 64 8/22/12 1:56 PM
Expert Briefngs
In-depth presentations and interactive
Q&A featuring top industry experts.
Coming September 27
Current Status of Solar Photovoltaic
Technology Platforms, Manufacturing
Issues and Research
Speaker: Dr. Steven S. Hegedus,
Institute of Energy Conservation,
University of Delaware
Dr. Hegedus, a 30-year solar cell
research veteran, will provide an
overview of the status of todays
solar technology platforms and
manufacturing issues, as well as provide viewers
with his perspective looking three to fve years into
the future. He will discuss CdTe and CIGS thin-flm
technology. He will also provide up-to-date results for
advanced c-Si high-effciency cell technology concepts.
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912WebinarAd_solar_Pg65.indd 65 8/22/12 9:21 AM
airborne particles. This may lead to a
better understanding of how these par-
ticles interfere with the function of cells
in the lungs.
The team recorded patterns from
174 individual soot particles and mea-
sured their compactness using fractal
dimension. They discovered that no two
particles are alike. Soot particles exhibit
similar patterns of complexity at different
scales, which is characteristic of fractals.
There is quite some variation in the
fractal dimension, which implies that a lot
of rearrangement is going on in the air,
said DESY scientist Henry Chapman.
The results have made scientists
wonder what diversity of forms will
be discovered if particles produced in
real-world, messy environments, such
as a cars combustion engine or a candle
fame, are imaged one at a time. The
team is analyzing data from experiments
at the LCLS that examined soot from
diesel emissions as well as other types of
airborne particles.
The primary long-term goal of the
research is to take snapshots of airborne
particles as they change in size, shape and
chemical makeup in response to their en-
vironment, said Michael Bogan of SLAC.
Scientists can now imagine being able
to watch the evolution of soot formation
in combustion engines from their molecu-
lar building blocks, or maybe even view
the frst steps of ice crystal formation in
clouds, Bogan said.
green
light
The structure of soot determines
how it scatters light, which is an
important part of understanding
how the energy of the sun is
absorbed by the Earths atmosphere.
This is a key factor in models
of the Earths climate.
Andrew Martin
Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron
DESY
The image shows the diffraction pattern of a single
soot particle.
Biological samples, like cells and
large proteins, have a similar size to the
soot particles we studied and also lack
fxed reproducible structure, Martin
said. In the future, it may be possible to
extend these techniques beyond aerosols,
to study the structural variations in bio-
logical systems.
The research was published in Nature
(doi: 10.1038/nature11222).
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Coating photovoltaic cells with liquid
silicone could yield more robust, sustain-
able solar cells at a fraction of the cost of
traditional ones.
If solar panels are to exceed life spans
of 25 years, scientists must investigate
various types of protective coatings to
shield the solar cells from harmful envi-
ronmental infuences.
To help protect the fragile silicon solar
cells within a panel, manufacturers have
used expensive ethylene-vinyl acetate
coatings. Now, researchers at Fraunhofer
Center for Sustainable Energy Systems
(CSE) and Dow Corning Corp. are inves-
tigating a cheaper alternative material to
protect solar cells: silicone.
Silicone is a promising material that
has been used to encapsulate solar mod-
ules but, until now, has not been widely
used for laminating them.
Prototypes of silicone-laminated cells
were prepared and tested in a climate
chamber at low temperatures under cyclic
loads. The cells were tested with a light
fasher and electroluminescence imaging
to detect microcracks.
In comparison with traditional solar
modules, the silicone-encased solar
modules were more resistant to cyclic
loading of the type that panels experience
in strong winds, particularly at extremely
low temperatures (240 C).
The study results demonstrate that
silicone lamination is well suited for
certain applications because the silicone
protects the fragile components on the
inside well and, moreover, withstands
severe temperature fuctuations, said
project manager Rafal Mickiewicz.
The fndings, which were published at
the 26th European Photovoltaic Solar En-
ergy Conference, could help improve un-
derstanding of material requirements for
solar modules, particularly with regard
to sustainability and output, said Andy
Goodwin, global science and technology
manager of Dow Corning Solar Solutions.
green
light
Silicone eyed for extending solar cell lives
In this mechanical test stand, a researcher exam-
ines the quality of silicone-encased photovoltaic
modules. Coating solar cells with silicone could
produce stronger, more sustainable solar cells at a
much lower cost than that of other materials.
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(under the logo) to fnd new products almost every day.
When people ask, Whats new? tell them to go to:
Photonics.com/Products.
(413) 499-0514
photonics.com
912Spotlight.indd 68 8/22/12 9:14 AM
Imaging Components & Systems
Compact Uncooled InGaAs Camera
Effective waste sorting and early crack detection inside solar cell wafers
are some of the sensitive tasks the compact uncooled SWIR camera
Bobcat-1.7-320 covers to contribute to green energy. Bobcat-1.7-320
features:
0.9-to1.7-msensitivitywithlownoiseandlowdarkcurrent
Ethernet,CameraLinkoranaloginterfacefor
easy system integration
Fullcontrolviaapowerfulandeasy-to-usesoftware
development framework
+3216389900
sales@xenics.com
www.xenics.com
High-Quality, Power-Hardy Laser-Processing Filters
OurLaserlinefltersandedge-passfltersaremadewithrobust
coatings that withstand high power densities. The optical performance
isofveryhighquality,withhightransmittanceandverygoodout-of-band
isolation.Ourmirrorsare>99.99%refectanceandmadeoutofresistant
dielectric material.
(613) 741-4513
inquiries@iridian.ca
www.iridian.ca
Microdisplays for Structured Light
ForthDimensionDisplayshigh-resolutionrefectivemicrodisplaysareused
globallyforstructuredlightprojectionin3-Dopticalmetrology.Thehigh
fllfactor(>96%)andlineargray-scaledisplaytechnology,coupledwiththe
fexibilityofthe3DMdriverinterface,makethistheperfectchoicefor
3-Dmetrologysystemsbuilders.Theapplication-specifcdriverinterface,
withitssmallsize,confgurabletiming,synchronizationandI/Oports,has
been designed for easy integration into structured light projection systems.
Soifyouwantafast,precise,accurateandcost-effectivesolutionfor
yourAOI,SPIor3-Dinspectionsystem,contactourexpertsnow.
+441383827950
sales@forthdd.com
www.forthdd.com
Top-Hat Laser Beam Shaper
OselaInc.sTop-HatBeamShaperconvertsaGaussianlaserbeamtoa
topproflewithhighuniformityandhigheffciencywithinacompactand
fexiblehousingwithdimensionsassmallas19mmindiameterby30mm
inlength.Itsall-glassdesignisachromaticandofferssmooth,slow
intensity variations with no high-frequency noise.
(514) 426-2262
info@oselainc.com
www.oselainc.com
Make the Smart Camera Choice
IntegratorsandsystembuildersaremakingtheswitchtoMatroxIrisGT
smartcameras.Theyvediscoveredthatthecamerasfull-featuredhardware,
intuitivefowchart-baseddevelopmentenvironmentandfeld-provenvision
toolsareexactlywhattheyarelookingforplus,theIrisGTcomesat
a great price.
(800)804-6243/(514)822-6020
imaging.info@matrox.com
www.matroximaging.com
912Spotlight.indd 69 8/22/12 1:32 PM
new
PRODUCTS

1 2 3
4 5 6
2
4
5
6
Superpolished Mirror Substrates
Edmund Optics has introduced superpol-
ished mirror substrates ready to be coated for use
in laser applications. Available in 1- and 2- surface
roughness options, and in fused silica and Zerodur,
they feature low scatter. During manufacturing, the
superpolishing is applied to the frst surface of the
substrate, and a commercial polishing is applied
to the second surface. The precision substrates
are then ready to be coated to provide innovative
solutions in ultrafast lasers and a diverse range of
laser applications. They are available in 12.5- and
25-mm-diameter sizes.
sales@edmundoptics.com
Image Software
Vision Engineering Ltd.s DimensionOne
menuless and touch-screen image capture and
markup software for its stereo inspection micro-
scopes provides ease of use for image capture
and on-screen dimensioning of component parts.
Captured images can be annotated with a variety
of colors for maximum on-screen contrast. Circles,
lines, points and angles can be measured using the
dimensioning feature. The image, annotations and
dimensions can be adjusted. Anywhere between
0 and 100% can be selected, with 0 showing just
the dimension or annotations, and 100% just the
image, suitable for reporting and communicating
key features and measurements. Once the fle is
complete, it can be emailed, printed or saved in
.png, .jpg and .bmp formats.
generalinfo@visioneng.com
CO
2
Laser Optics
OEM and ISO-10110-compatible CO
2

replacement optics for low-power lasers used in
plastics cutting applications is available from Laser
Research Optics. The CO
2
lenses and mirrors are
drop-in feld replacements for lasers used for cut-
ting and engraving plastics, including Epilog, Kern,
Trotec and Universal. Optimized for use at 10.6
m, the optics are suitable for processing plastic
tubing, polyvinyl chloride pipe, composite fooring
and related products. The lenses are supplied in
- to 1-in. sizes with 1- to 5-in. focal lengths and
are antirefection-coated with dual-band coatings.
Made from silicon, copper and molybdenum, the
laser mirrors are 10 to 12.7 mm thick.
scott@laserresearch.net
Gradient Wheel System
Picard Industries USB-GradientWheel auto-
mates the positioning of a gradient flter disk into a
beam path. Custom application software examples
operate on any PC with Windows XP/Vista/7. The
system is assigned a serial number to allow mul-
tiple units to be controlled from a single PC using
externally powered USB hubs. It holds gradient
wheels up to 100 mm in diameter, and it mounts
on standard optical tables with -20 fasteners on
25-mm centers. Long-life stepper motor operation
provides repeatable positioning. The system is USB
hot-pluggable with autodetection. The Windows-
based user interface can individually control four
USB-FilterWheels.
info@picard-industries.com
1 3
CW Integrated Lasers
Spectra-Physics, a Newport Corp. brand,
has launched the Excelsior One CW lasers. The UV,
VIS and NIR devices are available in free-space and
fber-coupled confgurations. The plug-and-play la-
sers include 11 wavelengths and deliver up to 500
mW of average power. They are suitable for fow cy-
tometry, confocal microscopy, DNA sequencing and
fuorescence-based bioinstrumentation. The line
includes direct-diode and diode-pumped solid-state
(DPSS) technology. All deliver TEM
00
-mode beam
quality, low optical noise and a high signal-to-noise
ratio. The DPSS models are available in single- or
multilongitudinal-mode versions. The direct-diode
models include high-speed modulation plus an
RS-232 interface.
kim.abair@newport.com
1.3-Megapixel Sensor
The 1.3-megapixel EV76C661 sensor from
e2v offers high sensitivity with a quantum effcien-
cy of 80% and a dynamic range in the NIR spectrum
of 40% at 850 nm. Imaging Development Systems
GmbH is the frst manufacturer to integrate the
sensor into its USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and GigE cameras.
The sensor combines extended wavelength sensi-
tivity with enhanced global shutter effciency and is
suitable for applications that capture fast-moving
objects or involve critical light conditions. It delivers
clear and high-quality images at 60 fps at full 1280
3 1024-pixel resolution, or more than 100 fps at
VGA resolution.
sylvie.mattei@e2v.com
912NewProdLeads.indd 70 8/21/12 7:00 PM
Frequency-Stabilized HeNe Lasers
REO Inc.s stabilized helium-neon 632.8-nm lasers
are available with 1 or 1.5 mW of output power and
can be frequency-stabilized to 1 MHz over 1 h, 2
MHz over 8 h, or intensity-stabilized to 0.1% over
1 min or 0.2% over 1 h. The operational mode
is user-selected via a toggle switch on the power
supply front panel. Constructed using a proprietary
cavity design and the companys ultralow-loss op-
tics, the lasers offer long lifetimes and insensitivity
to ambient temperature shifts. The frequency shift
with temperature is typically <2 MHz/C. Their high
stabilization and long coherence length make them
suitable for applications in metrology, instrumenta-
tion and research, including interferometry, dis-
tance measurement, proflometry, scatterometry,
velocimetry, ellipsometry and Raman spectroscopy.
They also are useful as a reference source in wave-
length or frequency measurement applications.
markd@reoinc.com
Gel Imager
UVP LLCs GelMax Imager images precast and mini
gels for illumination, capture and analysis. Gels can
be illuminated with multiple transillumination light
sources for maximizing fuorophore stain excitation.
Midrange 302-nm UV is built into the unit to view
ethidium bromides. The Visi-Blue sample plate
converts the UV to 460- to 470-nm blue light for
viewing stains such as SYBR Green, SYBR Safe and
GelGreen. The white light sample plate enables
white light transillumination. Long-wave 365-nm UV
can be achieved via the long-wave sample plate,
which reduces photonicking of gels. A black sample
plate enables placement of samples not requiring
transillumination. Intuitive work-fow-based soft-
ware controls the color camera. Researchers can
generate quantitative analysis results using mo-
lecular weight, histograms and lane profle graphs.
Data can be exported to Excel for documentation
and publication.
info@uvp.com
1-Megapixel Camera
Vision Research extends its Phantom 1-megapixel
v-Series digital cameras with the v411, which
delivers 4 gigapixels per second. Top speed at full
resolution is 4200 fps. It features a high-defnition
wide-screen 1280 3 800 CMOS sensor and has
20-m pixels that allow shooting in low light. It
is Phantom CineMag-compatible for on-camera
storage and long-record-time applications. It offers
image-based autotrigger, an extreme dynamic
range, and an internal capping shutter for hands-
free and remote black references. Applications
include scientifc research, product development,
ballistics and explosives testing. The white body is
suitable for shooting outside, particularly in deserts
or test ranges, because it refects the sun and
keeps the camera cool. Also included are 8, 16 and
32 GB of internal high-speed memory and a Gigabit
Ethernet interface.
phantom@visionresearch.com
USB Single-Sensor Cameras
VRmagic is extending its portfolio of USB single-
sensor cameras with three new models. The CMOS
sensors CMV2000 and CMV4000 from Cmosis
are light-sensitive and offer high image quality at
fast frame rates. With global shutter, the sensors
capture static and fast-moving objects. The
2
3-in.
CMV2000 sensor used in the VRmFC-22 delivers
44 fps at 2048 3 1088-pixel resolution. The 1-in.
CMV4000 sensor in the VRmFC-42 has a resolution
of 4.2 megapixels and records at up to 24 fps. The
new products
912NewProds.indd 71 8/22/12 2:00 PM

Precision Positioning Solutions
HEXAPODS, PIEZO STAGES & ACTUATORS
Nanopositioning Stages
1 to 6 Axis Stages
Piezo Flexure Design
PI (Physik Instrumente) LP
508.832.3456 info@pi-usa.us

www.pi.ws/pspps
Hexapod 6-Axis Stages

Miniature to High Load
2 to 2000 kg
Piezo Actuators
Piezo Flexure Actuators
High Speed & Precision
PI USA is ITAR compliant and provides
custom design and manufacturing at
its MA, US-HQ. PI Global: 40 years of
experience, 700+ employees, ISO 9001.
VRmC-14 is equipped with the ICX445 CCD sensor
from Sony, which can shoot up to 22 fps at a resolu-
tion of 1296 3 966. The
1
3-in. sensor is character-
ized by increased sensitivity to light, making it suit-
able for measurement and positioning. The sensors
are available in monochrome and color.
info@vrmagic.com
PMF Option on Bandpass Filter
Yenista Optics has added the PMF option to its
manual optical tunable bandpass flter, the WSM-
160 BP. This option offers an optimized wavelength
range over the C-band from 1525 to 1570 nm
and passband adjustment from 0.25 to 45 nm.
The standard WSM-160 was designed to enable
engineers to extract channels with low insertion
loss and no signal distortion, thanks to its fattop
shape. It is well suited for studying new modula-
tion formats, cascaded reconfgurable optical
add/drop multiplexers, high-bit-rate transmission,
pulse shaping and optical parametric amplifcation.
The PMF option addresses specifc needs in new
modulation formats where polarization multiplexing
is used.
sales@yenista.com
Observation/Reconnaissance System
Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbHs BAA II observa-
tion and reconnaissance systems sensor head
facilitates the work of observation and reconnais-
sance units in that troops no longer have to watch
the monitor continuously. The automated motion
detection system informs users when a vehicle
or a potential threat is approaching. Image fusion
facilitates merging of data from the thermal imager
and the day vision camera. These optimized images
render details that initially could not be detected
by the human eye. The system comprises sensors,
a CCD camera, a laser rangefnder, a laser target il-
luminator and a laser target designator. All sensors
are integrated in a single housing, so the system
can be deployed remotely without having to read-
just them. Target localization and rangefnding can
be integrated into the fring system of the relevant
vehicle or into other systems.
optronics@optronics.zeiss.com
LED for Smartphone Camera Flash
Osram Opto Semiconductors has added an
LED to its Oslux series. Designed for camera
fash in smartphones, it provides white light that
illuminates the target area. It has two chips with
1 sq mm of emitting surface each. The light-
emitting area of the rectangular LED is optimized
for the optics of the phone the surface is fat and
blends with the cover so the LED can be installed
inconspicuously. With its symmetrical emission, it
can be installed vertically or horizontally. With UX:3
chip technology, it provides consistent illumination
for photos. At a distance of 1 m, a brightness level
of 150 lx is achieved. The light is evenly distributed
and covers the corners of the rectangular illumi-
nated image, so no hot spot is generated in the
center. The LED is resistant to shock and vibration,
and its energy-effcient design enables multiple
consecutive fashes.
support@osram-os.com
EMCCD Camera
Photometrics Evolve 512 Delta EM (electron mul-
tiplying) CCD 512 3 512-pixel-resolution camera is
equipped with a sensor running at 20 MHz, captur-
ing images at 62.5 fps and producing <1 e
read
noise using EM gain. The camera was designed for
superresolution applications such as stochastic
optical reconstruction, photoactivation localization
and ground state depletion microscopies. It also is
suited for live-cell spinning disk confocal and selec-
tive plane illumination microscopies, intrinsic imag-
ing, total internal refection fuorescence, Frster
resonance energy transfer and fuorescence
recovery after photobleaching. The camera delivers
>90% quantum effciency. The company provides
existing Evolve 512 customers with an option to
upgrade their legacy cameras to the performance
new products
912NewProds.indd 72 8/22/12 11:39 AM

level of the Evolve 512 Delta. The upgrade package
will be available through the companys global
service centers.
info@photometrics.com
HDTV Low-Noise sCMOS Camera
A high-sensitivity HDTV low-noise cooled sCMOS
(scientifc CMOS) camera from Photonic Science
and Defence Vision Systems delivers readout
noise of 1.2 e
at 100-MHz scanning frequency and

a 16-bit dynamic range at 30 fps. It is targeted to
users with low-light-level requirements and delivers
real-time acquisition with an intrascene dynamic
range of >20,000:1. The camera compensates for
fxed-pattern noise, nonuniform response and gain
balance on a parallel bus readout architecture. It
can be triggered with rolling shutter mode at 30
fps, in full area scan or with reduced region-of-inter-
est scan for acquisition rates up to 3000 fps. It is
suitable for fuorescence microscopy, hyperspectral
imaging, online process control and spectroscopy
applications. Supplied with a Gigabit Ethernet or
Camera Link interface, it can be integrated into a
networked instrumentation environment.
info@photonic-science.co.uk
Precision Linear Stages
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. is offering the PI
miCos line of precision linear stages, starting with
miniature translation stages and positioning ranges
of 40 mm to high-load linear translation stages
for travel ranges to 1 m. The motorized position-
ers include open-loop stages with stepper motors
and leadscrew drive, and high-speed models with
linear encoders featuring up to 1-nm resolution.
Most come in vacuum- and cleanroom-compatible
versions. Customers can choose between rotary
servomotors, linear servomotors and stepper
motors. Closed-loop models have optical position
feedback. Offered are single-axis linear stages, X-Y
positioning stages, Z-stages and rotation stages.
Motion controllers with USB and RS-232 interfaces
are available. Applications include semiconductor
alignment, biotechnology, fber optic alignment,
microscopy and optics research.
info@pi-usa.us
Digital Laser Diode Drivers
Portable Power Systems Inc. has expanded its
line of digital laser diode drivers with the introduc-
tion of the PPS series, offered in continuous-wave,
pulsed and CW/pulsed versions. The pulsed models
have rise times of <10 s, and the CW versions
reach maximum current in <100 s. Voltages up to
250 V and currents up to 500 A are available. All
have electrically erasable programmable read-only
memory that allows the user to store and recall up
to 16 sets of parameters such as current, pulse
width and frequency on pulsed units, and current
on CW units. Communications can be from the front
panel, analog, RS-232 or USB. Fault alerts include
open load, overvoltage, overcurrent, laser overtem-
perature, driver overtemperature, remote interlock,
coolant interlock and emergency stop. Some
drivers are equipped with automatic compliance
voltage adjust through PPS proprietary software.
Most units have universal input power supplies that
allow worldwide operation.
sales@pwrsys.com
Negative-Stiffness Optical Table
Minus K Technology has announced an ultralow
natural frequency negative-stiffness optical table
isolation system for Raman spectroscopy, atomic
force microscopy (AFM) and AFM-Raman integra-
tion. The MK52 achieves 0.5 Hz or lower vertical
and horizontal natural frequencies and supports
static loads. When adjusted to a 0.5-Hz natural
frequency, it achieves 93% isolation effciency at
2 Hz, 99% at 5 Hz and 99.7% at 10 Hz. Available
in sizes up to 4 3 8 ft with gloss load capacities
up to 2000 lb, it has a
3
16-in.-thick ferromagnetic
stainless steel top skin,
3
16-in.-thick carbon steel
bottom skin and a plated-steel honeycomb core.
It is suitable for cell injection, confocal and optical
microscopy, wafer probing and laser applications in
medical research.
stevev@minusk.com
new products
912NewProds.indd 73 8/22/12 11:39 AM

6 8 November 2012 Messe Stuttgart
www.vision-fair.de
One VISION
What do brake assist systems and intraoral scanners have in common? Both applications have
only been made possible thanks to machine vision. VISION will be presenting the entire spectrum
of this unique technology from components to turnkey complete systems, from mechanical
engineering to endoscopy. This is where the industry meets and has done for the past 25 years.
One VISION. 25 Years of VISION.
00_VISION_Anz_213x144_photonic_e.indd 1 25.07.12 16:50
Blue Tunable Lasers
New Focus, a Newport Corp. brand, has introduced
Vortex Plus Blue TLB-6802 single-mode fnely tun-
able lasers. The direct-diode blue lasers operate
at 461 nm, the critical wavelength for next-gener-
ation atomic clocks. The lasers replace complex
resonant second-harmonic-generation systems,
making them suitable for molecular and optical
physics applications. Stability is 1% over 1 h, and
the lasers operate in continuous-wave, mode-hop-
free fashion. An industry-standard SMA port for
direct-to-diode high-speed modulation is included.
The compatible TLB-6700-LN controller is available
as part of the system or can be ordered separately.
It features low-noise analog circuits that allow the
user to precisely set operating parameters such
as diode temperature and current. The controller
is designed to automatically recognize the laser
head and to designate the ideal temperature and
maximum current limit. It can be operated manually
or remotely via the USB interface.
X-ray Windows
Moxtek Inc.s DuraBeryllium x-ray windows are
resistant to many solvents, acids and bases, and
DuraBeryllium Plus flm provides maximum cor-
rosion resistance. DuraBeryllium Plus is a low-Z
material that, when applied to beryllium, creates a
hermetic, corrosion-resistant window that is used
for ultrahigh-vacuum applications. The thin-flm win-
dows are leak-tight and have high x-ray transmis-
sion. They are used in microanalysis, energy-disper-
sive x-ray fuorescence, wavelength-dispersive x-ray
fuorescence and x-ray diffraction applications.
moxtek@moxtek.com
Inertial Measurement Unit
KVH Industries Inc. has introduced the Series
1750 inertial measurement unit, a sensor that
integrates into stabilization, pointing and naviga-
tion applications. It combines the ECore ThinFiber
technology of the companys DSP-1750 fber optic
gyro with low-noise, solid-state microelectrome-
chanical systems accelerometers. It is suitable
for unmanned and autonomous systems and
incorporates three axes of the DSP-1750 with
new products

6 8 November 2012 Messe Stuttgart
www.vision-fair.de
One VISION
What do brake assist systems and intraoral scanners have in common? Both applications have
only been made possible thanks to machine vision. VISION will be presenting the entire spectrum
of this unique technology from components to turnkey complete systems, from mechanical
engineering to endoscopy. This is where the industry meets and has done for the past 25 years.
One VISION. 25 Years of VISION.
00_VISION_Anz_213x144_photonic_e.indd 1 25.07.12 16:50
PLAN TO VISIT
The UKs Premier
Event for
Vision & Imaging
WEDNESDAY 17 & THURSDAY 18 OCTOBER 2012
RICOH ARENA COVENTRY
Dont miss the
opportunity to meet
with the exhibiting
companies
Photonex is all about vision &
Imaging for applications in
the following market sectors:
Advanced manufacturing
Biophotonics
Defence
Energy
Environmental
Lasers and opto-electronics
Medical
New materials & devices
Optical sensing
Optical metrology,
radiometry & light sources
Security
Spectroscopy
Technology for laboratory
and eld
Attend in-depth
Conference &
Vision Tutorials
from Leading
Technology Experts
for more details, news items and to register online, visit
www.photonex.org
UK VISION SUPPORTER
MEDIA SPONSOR
CO-LOCATED
FIND US ON
Extensive exhibition
Working demonstrations
View latest applications
for photonics
See optical components,
instruments & tools
Biomedical Sensing
2012
accelerometer technology. Applications include stabilization and pointing of
high-speed gimbals, cameras and lasers; autonomous vehicle control; and
navigation. Features include an RS-422 interface with user-programmable data
outputs. The unit provides 6 of freedom angular rate and acceleration data,
and it delivers bias stability of <0.05/h in a cylindrical package that measures
89 3 74 mm and weighs <0.6 kg. It offers good shock, vibration and thermal
performance.
info@kvh.com
Scientifc-Grade Spectrometer
Ocean Optics Inc.s QE65
Pro scientifc-grade modular
spectrometer features high
sensitivity and low stray light
for fuorescence, Raman and
DNA sequencing spectroscopy.
A thermally robust design pro-
motes spectrometer wavelength
stability over a wide tempera-
ture range, and ultralow jitter
triggering synchronizes timing
with other devices. New gratings optimize wavelength range and stray light
performance. Replaceable slits can be reconfgured by the user in the feld. By
changing the slit, users can precisely balance optical resolution and throughput
to achieve accurate results. The Hamamatsu FFT-CCD back-thinned detector
produces 90% maximum quantum effciency, low etalon characteristics, a
>1000:1 signal-to-noise ratio and high signal processing speeds. The spec-
trometer performs low-light-level detection and offers integration times from 8
ms to 15 min, with virtually no spectral distortion.
info@oceanoptics.com
new products

Since 1984 Howard Rudzinsky has
specialized in talent search, recruit-
ment, placement, consulting & career
services to leading organizations and
professionals in Photonics & Optics and
related disciplines nationwide.
Organizations should contact Howard
Rudzinsky today for help with your
most urgent, critical talent acquisi-
tion needs. Howard offers client
firms the most ethical, discreet,
professional services. From techs to
C level Sr. Managers located
globally, Howards track record with
the most difficult talent needs is
unparalleled.
Professionals contact and connect with
Howard for honest, helpful and
pointed career advice.
781.862.6727
HowardR@LRA.com
www.linkedin.com/in/howardrudzinky

www.LRA.com
Confocal Imager
Leica Microsystems GmbH has introduced the
TCS SP8 confocal imager for superresolution
and supersensitivity imaging, single-molecule
detection, coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering
microscopy, high-content screening, electrophysiol-
ogy and deep-tissue imaging. The scanner options
can be confgured for resolution, speed or feld
of view. Speeds of 428 fps are reached with the
12-kHz tandem scanner and the large feld-of-view
scanner. All scanners work with either the acousto-
optical beamsplitter or the low-incident-angle LIAc-
roic beamsplitters. The spectral detectors equal
dispersion of randomly polarized light, fuorophore-
adapted true gain setting, and a proprietary and
patented HyD detection system ensures that each
fuorophores wavelength is separated. Proprietary
gated STED and LightGate gated technology that
suppress refected light offer superresolution for
live-cell imaging with resolution of <50 nm.
news@leica-microsystems.com
Green Laser
Monocrom has expanded its X-series with the
X532CW500, a compact diode-pumped solid-state
laser module with an optical power output >500
mW at 532 nm. The robust and reliable green laser
has a planar design, a narrow linewidth and inte-
grated electronics. It is intended mainly for lighting
applications and can operate in extreme environ-
ments, making it suitable for use as a dazzler for
defense applications, and for the aeronautics,
space and automotive industries.
info@monocrom.com
Brushless Flat Motor
The ultraslim design of Maxon Precision Motors
Inc.s EC 90 fat motor is now equipped with MILE
(Maxons Inductive Little Encoder). A small induc-
tive rotary encoder, its operating principle is based
on detection of high-frequency inductivity, which
generates eddy current in an electrically conducting
target. Advantages of a high-frequency inductive
method of measurement include high speed, high
robustness toward dust or oil vapor, and insensitiv-
ity to interference pulses. The brushless motor
new products

Presented by:
www. l aser event . or g
Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel
Schaumburg, Illinois USA
October 23-24, 2012
ATTEND North Americas One-of-a-Kind
Lasers for Manufacturing Event!
You get the pulse of the industry, see what everybodys doing
Roger Burg, senior eld sales engineer, Aerotech, Pinckney, MI
Its a good opportunity for everybody to learn about

all laser technology in the same place
Octavio Islas, product engineer, Magna/Cosma, Mexico
We came to let people know

were serious about laser processing
Todd Rockstroh, aviation consultant engineer, GE
Use code PHOTONICSMEDIA
for Free Registration ($50 value)
new products
is precise and delivers resolutions of up to 3200

impulses per turn and a high nominal torque of 517
mNm, making it suitable for applications such as
solar trackers, door drives and logistic robots. The
motor is distinguished by optimal integration of
the MILE encoder, fange pattern, fxation and pin
assignment.
info@maxonmotorusa.com
Integrated Vertical and Rotation Stage
Newport Corp. has launched the ZVR integrated
vertical and rotation stage for semiconductor wafer
positioning, metrology, inspection and repair, and
for LED production, 3-D scanning, digitizing models
and validation applications. It features improved
cantilevered load capacity, lower crosstalk and
higher dynamic system performance than earlier
designs offered. With a low-profle footprint, low
mass and a high natural frequency, it accommo-
dates rapid step-and-settle positioning applica-
SAME PLACE, SAME DATES
23
|
24
|
25
OCTOBER 2012
Paris expo Porte de Versailles - Hall 1
www.optoexpo.com
SEE
4 TIMES
LARGER
Pup Opto 117x125h GB 05/06/12 09:39 Page1
tions. The vertical platform has a three-point base
with a stepper-motor-driven 10-mm Z-stage. The
integrated rotation stage uses stainless steel ball
bearings for smooth operation. It is available in two
models: the ZVR-PP with a stepper motor and the
ZVR-PC with a servo-driven DC motor. Both provide
continuous 360 rotation for angular travel. An
optional linear encoder is available for the Z-stage,
which also is available without the rotation stage.
LED Machine Vision Lighting
FSI Technologies Inc. has expanded its line of
machine vision services and components with
its new LE line of LED light sources. The series
includes LED backlights, bar lights, ringlights and
square ringlights as well as accessories, cables
and power supplies. Proper lighting systems are
crucial in machine vision. When used correctly,
lighting can be a key component in highlighting the
difference between a good product and a faulty
one. The LED lights are available in various colors
and dimensions, and can be ordered separately or
as part of a complete machine-vision solution. For
a complete listing of the LE series products, visit
www.machinevisionlighting.com.
kim@fsinet.com
new products
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+1.201.343.8983 main@masterbond.com
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Showcase or in the Spotlight section
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Reach all of our readers in these low-cost,
lead-generating features.
Call Kristina Laurin at (413) 499-0514,
or e-mail advertising@Photonics.com.
ANOTHER BRIGHT IDEA
Happenings
OCTOBER
2012 IEEE Third International Conference
on Photonics (ICP) (Oct. 1-3) Pulau Pinang,
Malaysia. Contact ICP2012 Secretariat, Multimedia
University, +1 603 8318 3029; info.icp2012@
gmail.com; www.icp2012.org.
FOAN 2012 (Fiber Optics in Access Networks)
(Oct. 3-5) St. Petersburg, Russia. Contact Edvin
kaljo, BH Telecom d.d. Sarajevo, skaljo@bhtele
com.ba; www.foan2012.com.ba.
23rd IEEE International Semiconductor Laser
Conference (ISLC) (Oct. 7-10) San Diego.
Contact Rose Ann Bankowski, IEEE Photonics
Society, +1 (732) 562-3898; r.bankowski@ieee.org;
www.islc-ieee.org.
NLO 50: 50 Years of Nonlinear Optics
International Symposium (Oct. 7-10) Barcelona,
Spain. Contact: ICFO-The Institute of Photonic
Sciences, nlo50@icfo.es; www.nlo50.icfo.es.
2012 International Workshop on
Metamaterials (Meta 12) (Oct. 8-10) Nanjing,
China. Contact Wei Xiang Jiang, Southeast
University, +86 25 8379 5330; wxjiang@seu.edu.
cn; www.ieee.org.
International Congress on Space Optics
(ICSO) and International Conference on Space
Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS)
(Oct. 9-12) Ajaccio, France. Contact Carte
Blanche, +33 5 63 72 30 68; contact@icso2012.
com; www.icso2012.com.
LEDs 2012 (Oct. 10-12) San Diego. Contact
Erin Morton, Smithers Apex, +1 (207) 781-9633;
emorton@smithers.com; www.ledsconference.com.
IONS-12 Naples Conference (Oct. 10-12)
Naples, Italy. An event of IONS, the International
OSA (Optical Society) Network of Students.
Contact IONS Committee, ions@fsica.unina.it;
www.ions-project.org.
ElectronicAsia 2012 (Oct. 13-16) Hong Kong.
Contact MMI Asia Pte Ltd., +65 6236 0988;
mmi_sg@mmiasia.com.sg; electronicasia.com.
l Neuroscience 2012 (Oct. 13-17) New Orleans.
Contact Society for Neuroscience, +1 (202) 962-
4000; info@sfn.org; www.sfn.org.
2012 Student Leadership Conference (Oct. 14)
Rochester, N.Y. Contact The Optical Society,
+1 (202) 223-8130; info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
Conference on Coherent Raman Scattering
Microscopy (microCARS2012) (Oct. 14-16)
Wiesbaden, Germany. Contact Andreas Volkmer,
andreas.volkmer@physics.org; www.pi3.
uni-stuttgart.de/microCARS2012.
l Frontiers in Optics 2012/Laser Science
XXVIII (Oct. 14-18) Rochester, N.Y. Annual
meetings of OSA and American Physical Society/
Division of Laser Science, respectively. Contact
The Optical Society, +1 (202) 416-1907; custserv@
osa.org; www.frontiersinoptics.com.
2012 IEEE Visualization Conference
(VisWeek 2012) (Oct. 14-19) Seattle.
Contact Maria C. Velez-Rojas, +1 (732) 535-1523;
mariacv@gmail.com; visweek.org.
22nd International Conference on Optical Fiber
Sensors (OFS-22) (Oct. 15-19) Beijing. Contact
general@ofs-22.org; www.ofs-22.org.
l Photonex 2012 (Oct. 17-18) Coventry, UK.
Contact Clare Roberts, XMark Media Ltd., +44
1372 750 555; info@enlightenmeetings.com;
www.photonex.org.
2012 International Workshop on Optical
Wireless Communications (IWOW) (Oct. 22)
Pisa, Italy. Contact Raffaele Corsini, +39 050 549
211; r.corsini@sssup.it; www.ieee.org.
l LIAs Lasers for Manufacturing Event
(LME 2012) (Oct. 23-24) Schaumburg, Ill.
Contact Laser Institute of America, +1 (407) 380-
1553; lme@lia.org; www.lia.org/lmesd.
l OPTO (Oct. 23-25) Paris. Contact Nadege
Venet, GL Events Exhibitions, +33 1 44 31 82 57;
nadege.venet@gl-events.com; www.optoexpo.com.
2012 IEEE Fourth International Conference on
Adaptive Science and Technology (ICAST) (Oct.
25-27) Kumasi, Ghana. Contact Amoakoh Gyasi-
Agyei, Pentecost University College, +23 324 793
5179; gyasi-agyei@ieee.org; icast-conference.org.
2012 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium
and Medical Imaging Conference
(2012 NSS/MIC) (Oct. 27-Nov. 3) Anaheim, Calif.
Contact Tom Lewellen, Imaging Research
Laboratory, University of Washington, +1 (206)
543-2365; tkldog@u.washington.edu.
www.nss-mic.org.
IEEE Sensors 2012 (Oct. 28-31) Taipei, Taiwan.
Contact Chris Dyer, Conference Catalysts LLC,
+1 (785) 341-3583; cdyer@conferencecatalysts.
com; www.ieee-sensors.org.
SPIE Asia-Pacifc Remote Sensing (Oct. 29-
Nov. 1) Kyoto, Japan. Contact SPIE, +1 (360)
676-3290; customerservice@spie.org; spie.org.
NOVEMBER
Fifth International Photonics and
OptoElectronics Meetings (POEM 2012)
(Nov. 1-2) Wuhan, China. Contact Wuhan National
Laboratory for Optoelectronics, +86 27 877 92
227; poem@mail.hust.edu.cn; poem.wnlo.cn.
SPIE/COS Photonics Asia (Nov. 4-7) Beijing.
Sponsored by SPIE and the Chinese Optical Society.
Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-3290; customer
service@spie.org; spie.org.
PAPERS
OFC/NFOEC (March 17-21) Anaheim, California
Deadline: submissions, October 9, noon EDT (16:00 GMT)
Researchers are encouraged to submit papers for review to the 2013 combined meeting of
the Conference on Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) and the National Fiber Optic Engineers
Conference (NFOEC). Areas to be covered include optical network applications and services,
fber-to-the-x technologies and deployment, fbers and optical propagation effects, fber and
waveguide-based devices, and optical processing and analog subsystems. Contact Dan
McDonald, The Optical Society, +1 (202) 416-1984; cstech@osa.org; www.ofcnfoec.org.
SPIE Defense, Security + Sensing (April 29-May 3) Baltimore
Deadline: abstracts, October 22
SPIE invites papers for Defense, Security + Sensing 2013, which will include 62 conferences
on current optics, imaging and sensing technology. In the areas of defense and security, topics
such as infrared systems, lidar and radar, laser technology, and image processing and data
analysis will be considered. Industry and environmental topics will include biosensors; fber
optic sensing; sensing for agriculture and food quality; and hyperspectral, multispectral and
ultraspectral imaging. Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-3290; help@spie.org; spie.org/dsscall.
2013 Microtechnologies (April 24-26) Grenoble, France
Deadline: November 5
Organizers encourage papers for the Sixth SPIE Microtechnologies event. Managed by SPIE
Europe Ltd., the conference will address nanotechnology; bio-microelectromechancial systems
(bio-MEMS) and medical devices; smart sensors, actuators and MEMS; very large scale integra-
tion circuits and systems; and integrated photonics: materials, devices and applications. Topics
to be discussed include microfuidics and lab-on-a-chip technology, silicon and nanophotonics,
quantum communication and bioinspired vision chips. Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-3290;
help@spie.org; www.spie.org/mtcall.
l Indicates shows Photonics Media will be attending.
Complete listings at: www.photonics.com/calendar.
912Happenings.indd 79 8/21/12 7:05 PM
Ninth International Conference and
Expo on Emerging Technologies for a
Smarter World (CEWIT2012) (Nov. 5-6)
Songdo, South Korea. Contact Rong Zhao,
+1 (631) 632-4633; conference@cewit.stonybrook.
edu; cewit.org/conference2012.
MiCom 2012 Third International Conference
on Microbial Communication (Nov. 5-8)
Jena, Germany. Contact micom@uni-jena.de;
www.micom-conference.de.
l Vision: International Trade Fair for
Machine Vision (Nov. 6-8) Stuttgart, Germany.
Contact Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH, +49 711
18560; info@messe-stuttgart.de; www.vision-
messe.de.
2012 Sixth International Symposium on
Telecommunications (IST) (Nov. 6-8)
Tehran, Iran. Contact Ms. Homeira Moghadami,
Research Institute for ICT, +98 21 88 630 077;
ist2012@itrc.as.ir; ist2012.itrc.ac.ir.
Asia Communications and Photonics
Conference (ACP) (Nov. 7-10) Guangzhou, China.
Contact The Optical Society, +1 (202) 223-8130;
info@osa.org; www.acp-conf.org.
Laser Florence 2012 (Nov. 9-10)
Florence, Italy. Contact IALMS International
Academy for Laser Medicine and Surgery,
+39 055 2342330; info@laserforence.org;
www.laserforence.org.
2012 International Conference on Image
Analysis and Signal Processing (IASP)
(Nov. 9-11) Hangzhou, China. Contact Linda
Sun, +1 (770) 973-8732; asppress@yahoo,com;
iasp2012.zjicm.edu.cn.
2012 IEEE 14th International Conference
on Communication Technology (ICCT)
(Nov. 9-11) Chengdu, China. Contact Mengqi Zhou,
+86 10 68 160 825; zhoumq@public3.bta.net.cn;
www.icctconf.org.
Latin America Optics and Photonics
Conference (LAOP) (Nov. 10-13) So Sebastio,
Brazil. Contact The Optical Society, +1 (202)
223-8130; info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
l Renewable Energy and the Environment:
OSA Optics and Photonics Congress
(Nov. 11-15) Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Includes Optical Instrumentation for Energy
and Environmental Applications (E2); Optical
Nanostructures and Advanced Materials for
Photovoltaics (PV); Optics for Solar Energy
(SOLAR); and Solid State and Organic Lighting
(SOLED). Contact The Optical Society, +1 (202)
223-8130; info@osa.org; www.osa.org.
LANE 2012, Seventh International Conference
and Exhibition on Photonic Technologies
(Nov. 12-15) Frth, Germany. Contact
Bayerisches Laserzentrum GmbH, +49 9131
977 900; info@blz.org; www.lane-conference.
org.
Quantum Optics VI (Nov. 12-16) Piripolis,
Uruguay. Contact Facultad de Ingeniera,
Universidad de la Repblica Uruguay,
qopticsvi@fng.edu.uy; www.fng.edu.uy/if/qoptics6.
2012 IEEE International Conference on
Technologies for Homeland Security
(HST 12) (Nov. 13-15) Waltham, Mass.
Contact IEEE, +1 (732) 981-0060; contactcenter
@ieee.org; www.ieee-hst.org.
SPIE Optical Systems Design (Nov. 26-29)
Barcelona, Spain. Contact SPIE, +1 (360) 676-
3290; customerservice@spie.org; spie.org.
Seventh International Colloquium
on Optics (Nov. 27-28) Aachen, Germany.
Contact Reik Krappig, Fraunhofer IPT, Fraunhofer
ILT, +49 241 8904 327; www.optik-kolloquium.de.
DECEMBER
International Conference on Fiber Optics
and Photonics (Photonics 2012) (Dec. 9-12)
Chennai, India. Contact The Optical Society,
+1 (202) 223-8130; info@osa.org; www.
photonics2012.in.
Conference on Optoelectronic and
Microelectronic Materials and Devices
(COMMAD 2012) (Dec. 12-14) Melbourne,
Australia. Contact Jeffrey McCallum, University of
Melbourne, +61 3 8344 8072; jeffreym@unimelb.
edu.au; commad2012.physics.unimelb.edu.au.
Happenings
Contact your sales representative at
(413) 499-0514 or sales@photonics.com
Advertise in Photonics Spectra
Outer space called. Leading-edge photonics
technologies like yours are needed now.
Ignite your sales with advertising in Photonics Spectra.
November Features: Imaging the Universe, Space Lasers,
Polishing Telescope Optics
Spotlight: Lasers, Laser Accessories and
Light Sources
Photonics Showcase
Webinar: Space
Ad close: September 26, 2012
December Features: CMOS Sensors, Polymer Optics,
VCSELs and more
Spotlight: Imaging Components & Systems
Special Insert: Photonics Spectrum Reference
Wall Chart
Ad close: October 25, 2012
COMING FALL 2012!
Completely redesigned Buyers Guide website with more speed,
more searchable content and more user-friendly features.
DONT BE LEFT OUT! Advertise today.
l Indicates shows Photonics Media will be attending.
For complete listings, go to: www.photonics.com/calendar.
912Happenings.indd 80 8/21/12 7:05 PM
Advertiser Index
Photonics Media Advertising Contacts
Please visit our website
Photonics.com/mediakit for all
our marketing opportunities.
Ken Tyburski
Director of Sales
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 101
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
ken.tyburski@photonics.com
New England, Southeastern US, FL,
Midwest, Rocky Mountains, AZ & NM
Rebecca L. Pontier
Associate Director
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 112
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
becky.pontier@photonics.com
NY, NJ & PA
Timothy A. Dupree
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 111
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
tim.dupree@photonics.com
Northern CA, AK, NV, Pacifc Northwest,
Yukon & British Columbia
Joanne C. Gagnon
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 226
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
joanne.gagnon@photonics.com
Central CA, Southern CA & HI
Tracy L. Reynolds
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 104
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
tracy.reynolds@photonics.com
Eastern Canada
Maureen Riley Moriarty
Regional Manager
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514, Ext. 229
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
riley.moriarty@photonics.com
Europe, Israel & South Central US
Owen Broch
Regional Manager
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Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
owen.broch@photonics.com
Austria, Germany & Liechtenstein
Olaf Kortenhoff
Voice: +49 2241 1684777
Fax: +49 2241 1684776
olaf.kortenhoff@photonics.com
Asia (except Japan)
Hans Zhong
Voice: +86 755 2872 6973
Fax: +86 755 8474 4362
hans.zhong@yahoo.com.cn
Japan
Scott Shibasaki
Voice: +81 3 5225 6614
Fax: +81 3 5229 7253
s_shiba@optronics.co.jp
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Mailing addresses:
Send all contracts, insertion orders
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Pittsfeld, MA 01201
Voice: +1 (413) 499-0514
Fax: +1 (413) 443-0472
Andor Technology plc ............... 68
www.andor.com
Applied Scientifc
Instrumentation Inc. .............. 75
www.asiimaging.com
Argyle International Inc. ............ 78
www.argyleoptics.com
Automated Imaging
Association ............................ 53
www.automate2013.com
Bristol Instruments Inc. ............ 14
www.bristol-inst.com
Cambridge Technology Inc. ...... 25
www.cambridgetechnology.com
Castech Inc. .............................. 76
www.castech.com
China Daheng Group Inc. ......... 30
www.cdhcorp.com
Coherent Inc. ................... CV2, 34
www.coherent.com
CVI Melles Griot ........................ 27
DataRay Inc. ............................. 12
www.dataray.com
DILAS Diode Laser Inc. ............ 11
www.dilas.com
DiMaxx Technologies ............... 68
www.dimaxxtech.com
Directed Energy Inc. ................. 67
www.ixyscolorado.com
Dora Texas Corporation ........... 68
www.doratexas.com
Edmund Optics ........................... 7
www.edmundoptics.com
Electro-Optical
Products Corp. . ...................... 54
www.eopc.com
EMD Millipore Corporation ...... 31
www.emd4photonics.com
Fermionics Opto-Technology .... 43
www.fermionics.com
FLIR Systems Inc. ..................... 29
www.fir.com
Forth Dimension
Displays Ltd. .......................... 69
www.forthdd.com
GL events Exhibitions ............... 78
www.optoexpo.com
Gooch & Housego ..................... 71
www.goochandhousego.com
HORIBA Scientifc ..................... 33
www.picocomponents.com
Iridian Spectral
Technologies Ltd. .................. 69
www.iridian.ca
ISP Optics .................................. 19
www.ispoptics.com
Lake Shore
Cryotronics Inc. . ..................... 76
www.lakeshore.com
Laser Institute
of America .............................. 77
www.laserevent.org
LightMachinery Inc. . .......... 18, 28
www.lightmachinery.com
LightWorks
Optics Inc. ................................ 9
www.lwoptics.com
Master Bond Inc. ...................... 78
www.masterbond.com
Matrox Imaging ......................... 69
www.matroximaging.com
Messe Mnchen
International .......................... 55
www.photonicschina.net
Messe Stuttgart ........................ 74
www.vision-fair.de
Moxtek Inc. ............................... 46
www.moxtek.com
Newport
Corporation ........................6, 23
www.newport.com
Nova Sensors,
a Teledyne Majority
Owned Company ................... 26
www.novasensors.com
Novotech Inc. ............................ 77
www.novotech.net
Nufern ....................................... 13
www.nufern.com
Osela Inc. .................................. 69
www.oselainc.com
PCO-TECH Inc. ........................... 15
www.pco-tech.com
Photonics
Media .......... 58, 61, 65, 68, 80
www.photonics.com
PI
(Physik Instrumente) L.P. ...... 72
www.pi.ws
Pico Electronics Inc. ................. 63
www.picoelectronics.com
piezosystem
Jena GmbH ............................ 80
www.piezojena.com
Power Technology Inc. .............. 39
www.powertechnology.com
Quantum Scientifc
Imaging Inc. ........................... 68
www.qsimaging.com
Research
Electro-Optics Inc. . ..............CV3
www.reoinc.com
Ross Optical
Industries ............................... 66
www.rossoptical.com
Rudzinsky
Associates Inc. ....................... 76
www.lra.com
SCANLAB AG ............................... 8
www.scanlab.de
Sensors Unlimited Inc.
Goodrich ISR Systems ........... 24
www.sensorsinc.com
Siskiyou Corporation ................ 73
www.siskiyou.com
Spectra-Physics,
A Newport Corporation
Brand ...................................CV4
www.newport.com
SPIE International
Society for Optical
Engineering ............................ 59
www.spie.org/aboutdss
Stanford Research
Systems Inc. ............................ 3
www.thinksrs.com
Tohkai Sangyo Co. Ltd. ............. 74
www.peak.co.jp
TRUMPF Inc. ............................. 47
www.us.trumpf.com
Veeco Instruments Inc. ............ 32
www.veeco.com
Xmark Media Ltd. ..................... 75
www.photonex.org
Xenics ........................................ 69
www.xenics.com
Zygo Corp. ................................. 49
www.zygo.com
912AdIndex.indd 81 8/22/12 2:58 PM
To win races through wind, waves
and inclement weather, sailors need
nerves of steel. But it turns out that
their boats need nerves of glass.
A new fber optic sensor system for
racing yachts could alert crew mem-
bers when a craft reaches its structural
limits. Such a system is designed to
measure in real time the oceanic forces
that act on hulls, masts and sails.
The process for optimizing the yachts
for high speed on the open seas has been
ongoing. Still, yacht racers see the need
for improvement: Only one of the six
teams in the 2012 Volvo Ocean Race
from New Zealand to Brazil reached
its destination; the others were side-
lined with technical problems.
These boats are very well con-
structed, said Ian Walker, skipper of
the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team.
I just think we put too much strain
on them, and since they are so rigid
and so light, its hard not to believe
that they ultimately must break.
The sensor system is in development
by Wolfgang Schade and his team in the
Project Group for Fiber Optical Sensor
Systems at the Fraunhofer Institute for
Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz
Institute in Munich. The technology is
based on integrating fber Bragg grat-
ings into glass fber at defned inter-
vals to alter the refractive index.
With fber optic sensors, we can
detect delaminations and even cracks
at any early stage long before a part
breaks or fails, Schade said. All you
need is a fber optic cable, in which
dozens of sensors can be ftted. The
equipment includes the sensors, an
LED, a spectrometer and electronics.
Sailors will be able to access crucial
structural data in real time with spe-
cially developed apps on their smart-
phones from any point on the vessel.
To demonstrate the system, sail manu-
facturer Dimension-Polyant ftted a web
of glass fbers containing 45 measuring
points to a mainsail and genoa on a boat
in the sailing workshop of Jens Nickel,
whom Schade met at a boat fair. A test
journey revealed that tension in the head,
at the top of the sail, was greater than
had been assumed and that the strain on
some other parts of the sail was lower
than expected. The sail maker adjusted
the production process accordingly.
Schades next objective is to adapt
the technology to competitive racing.
We have now ftted sail battens with
fber optic sensors, which will help
competitors in the future to fnd the
optimal trim, he said.
Caren B. Les
caren.les@photonics.com
lighter
SIDE

Fiber optic sensors set sail
With fber optic sensors,
we can detect delaminations
and even cracks at an early stage
long before a part breaks or fails.
Wolfgang Schade
A fber optic system ftted to a racing yacht could
warn sailors of structural weak points and let them
know if their vessel is in imminent danger of break-
ing apart.
Photo Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute.
912LighterSide.indd 82 8/21/12 7:05 PM
912_ResElectroOptics_PgCVR3.indd 3 8/22/12 9:30 AM
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