Tracks of heavy ions 'imprinted' in lithium fluoride crystals. At the top, spot tracks observed under a fluorescence microscope in plates perpendicular to the heavy ion beam. At the bottom, the ion tracks in the parallel oriented plate (the blurring at both ends of the trace is an artifact of the depth of focus of the microscope). False colors.
Detectors & Imaging
Lithium fluoride fluorescent crystals track high-energy heavy ions such as iron

In comparison to previous crystals such as aluminum oxide, LiF crystals also require a less expensive microscope for analysis.

John Wallace
Aug 19th, 2019
Several rotationally symmetric cavities are etched into a silicon wafer for glassblowing of 0.9-mm-diameter (left) and 1.8 mm (right) axicons.
Optics
Optical Fabrication: Glassblowing technique creates arrays of axicon lenses
John Wallace
Aug 13th, 2019
Shown are tuning curves for three quantum dots positioned on the waveguide at the locations shown in the inset, to achieve identical emission (a). High-resolution Fabry-Perot interferometer measurements show all three quantum dots simultaneously from an output coupler with identical emission wavelength (b).
Lasers & Sources
Quantum Sources: Squeezed quantum dots create coherent streams of quantum-ready photons
Gail Overton
Aug 13th, 2019
FIGURE 1. In the scalable setting of a spatial photonic Ising machine, binary spins are encoded in the phase of a laser beam (green) by spatial modulation. Tailoring of the beam’s amplitude fixes spin-spin interaction. To find the ground-state spin configuration, the machine recurrently evolves according to a feedback signal from the camera plane. By design, maximizing the intensity in a target region (blue square) corresponds to a spin state with minimum energy.
Software
Photonics Modeling: Optical Ising machines solve complex engineering, science, and even business problems
Aug 13th, 2019
FIGURE 1. The tip of a 30,000-core optical fiber bundle is shown next to an Australian 5 cent coin for scale (left) and a zoomed-in image (right) reveals a small region of the fiber bundle facet (dashed red box in left). Each core is roughly 2 µm in diameter and separated from its neighbors by an average of 3.3 µm.
Fiber Optics
Fiber-optic Components: Fiber-optic bundles provide 3D stereo imaging
Aug 13th, 2019
FIGURE 1. Broad clinical applications of photobiomodulation therapy aim at reducing pain and inflammation while promoting healing and regeneration.
Lasers & Sources
Phototherapy: Photobiomodulation therapy—easy to do, but difficult to get right
Aug 13th, 2019
FIGURE 1. Two laser resonators are depicted here: a linear resonator with output coupling at an end mirror, and a unidirectional ring laser.
Lasers & Sources
Laser Design: Understanding and optimizing laser resonator designs: An overview
Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta
Aug 13th, 2019
FIGURE 1. A diagram of rigid-body motions shows the six possible degrees of freedom. For rotationally symmetric parts, the axis of symmetry is assumed to be along the Z axis.
Optics
Aspheres: Removing alignment errors from measurements of spherical, aspheric, and freeform optics
Aug 13th, 2019
FIGURE 1. This 905 nm four-channel surface-mount laser provides >480 W peak power.
Lasers & Sources
Lasers for Lidar: Monolithic multichannel laser moves automotive lidar toward practical use
Aug 13th, 2019
FIGURE 1. The mode of operation of a DCFC for extraction of fluorescence emission is shown.
Detectors & Imaging
Optical Coherence Tomography/Fluorescence Imaging: Fiber assembly enables efficient multimodal endoscopy
Aug 13th, 2019
The Thorlabs acquisition of Coda Devices will include Coda’s portable Raman spectroscopy products, such as this analyzer that can detect heroin and fentanyl inside clear baggies, protecting the lives of first responders who can avoid direct contact with unknown substances.
Test & Measurement
Thorlabs ramps Raman spectroscopy expertise through Coda Devices acquisition
Aug 13th, 2019