Applied Research and Photonics wins 2011 CLEO/Laser Focus World Innovation Award

Washington, DC and Nashua, NH--The CLEO: 2011 co-sponsors (APS, IEEE Photonics Society, and OSA) and Laser Focus World announced Applied Research and Photonics (Harrisburg, PA) as the winner of this year's CLEO/Laser Focus World Innovation Award. The award recognizes the company "for the development of a highly sensitive, low-power terahertz scanning reflectometer capable of directly measuring both the concentration gradient and kinetics of permeation of an ingredient across the thickness of a substrate in real time and in a non-invasive fashion." Applied Research and Photonics will accept the award at the CLEO Plenary Session on Monday, May 2 at 6 p.m. at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Currently, non-invasive measurement of the interior of various surfaces is a complex, multi-technique process. No direct method to obtain two critical factors--the concentration gradient of a permeating ingredient across the thickness of a substrate (e.g. skin) and the kinetics (i.e. rate) of such permeation--is thought to have previously existed.

The device will have applications in many areas of life sciences and physical sciences, including front-cell characterization of skin and other biological tissues, transdermal drug delivery, personal care products, and other substrate/active characterizations where the effect of an active ingredient on a substrate is important. In addition, the reflectometer will have uses in the optics and semiconductor industries, where interior substrate measurements are important.

"This invention, a terahertz scanning reflectometer, is capable of measuring both the concentration gradient and the kinetics of diffusion in real time," said Anis Rahman, CEO of Applied Research and Photonics. "We are excited about the impact this product will have in the industry and honored to be recognized by CLEO, Laser Focus World and the laser science community for this breakthrough in the world of lasers and optics."

"This year, we received a number of potential award-winning submissions presenting significant advances in the field of lasers and electro-optics," said Stephen Anderson, associate publisher and editor-in-chief, Laser Focus World. "Every year we continue to be amazed by the level of innovative technology advances being made by CLEO exhibitors. We are honored to recognize Applied Research and Photonics, Inc. and the two honorable mention companies for their significant impact on the optics industry."

In addition to Applied Research and Photonics' winning entry, two other products will be recognized during the CLEO Plenary Session with honorable mentions:

AdValue Photonics (Tucson, AZ)
2-Micron Q-Switched Fiber Laser
For the development of a 2 micron Q-switched fiber laser enabling novel applications in LIDAR, mid-IR wavelength generation, sensing, materials processing and more.

ID Quantique (Geneva, Switzerland)
Advanced System for Single Photon Detection
For the development of an InGaAs/InP-based photon counter for telecom wavelengths that will enable further developments in applications such as cryptography, single-photon source characterization, and eye-safe LIDAR.

Each year, the CLEO/Laser Focus World Innovation Awards Program honors the most timely, ground-breaking products in the field of laser science. Designed to showcase some of the most significant new products in the field, Innovation Award entries are evaluated on criteria critical to product success: impact, functionality, life expectancy, effect on the optics industry, innovation, and patents or trademarks.

For more information on the CLEO/Laser Focus World Innovation Awards, go to www.cleoconference.org/exhibit_hall/CLEOLFWinnovationawards.aspx.

About CLEO
With a distinguished history as the industry’s leading event on laser science, the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) and the Quantum Electronics Laser Science Conference (QELS) is where laser technology was first introduced. CLEO: 2011 will unite the field of lasers and electro-optics by bringing together all aspects of laser technology, with content stemming from basic research to industry application. Sponsored by the American Physical Society’s (APS) Laser Science Division, the Institute of Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Photonics Society and the Optical Society (OSA), CLEO: 2011 provides the full range of critical developments in the field, showcasing the most significant milestones from laboratory to marketplace. For more information, visit the conference's website at www.cleoconference.org.

About Laser Focus World
Published since 1965, Laser Focus World is a global media franchise for engineers, researchers, scientists, and technical professionals that provides comprehensive global coverage of optoelectronic and photonic technologies, applications, and markets. The magazine and its related web site (www.laserfocusworld.com) reports on and analyzes the latest developments and trends in technology and business in the worldwide optoelectronic and photonics industry.

About PennWell Corporation
The publisher of Laser Focus World, PennWell Corporation is a diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following global industries: oil and gas, electric power, water, electronics, semiconductor, contamination control, optoelectronics, fiber optics, computer graphics, enterprise storage, information technology, fire, emergency services and dental. Founded in 1910, PennWell publishes 75 print and online magazines and newsletters, conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents, and has an extensive offering of books, maps, directories, web sites, research, and database services. In addition to PennWell’s headquarters in Tulsa, OK, the company has offices in Nashua, NH; Houston, TX; London, England and other locations worldwide.

SOURCE: OSA; www.osa.org/About_Osa/Newsroom/News_Releases/Releases/04.2011/CLEO-Innovation-Award-Winner.aspx