This issue is typical of most from Laser Focus World—it contains feature articles that provide in-depth, technical discussions of specific photonics-related technologies and applications. For this month, we look at topics including OLED manufacturing (see article), functional superresolution microscopy (see article), and laser-induced damage threshold (see article). As often, we also have a staff-written technical feature—this time from senior editor John Wallace on visible fiber lasers, which are impacting markets from industrial processing to bioimaging (see article).
Rather than dwell on these features, however, I would like to direct your attention to another group of technical articles of which I am especially proud—articles in the World News section. Every time that I review these shorter articles, I’m impressed by both the breadth of recent developments covered and the skill of our staff in explaining them. So, kudos go to both of our senior editors, John Wallace and Gail Overton, and the chief editor of BioOptics World, Barbara Gefvert.
My case is easily made by the World News story (and cover image) about a new all-optical cryogenic cooler, which is an exciting development for the cooling of focal-plane infrared sensors, atomic clocks, some types of microscopy, and many more potential applications (see article). The University of New Mexico team that developed the cooler is working hard to support commercialization. In addition, there are well-crafted stories about a major milestone in the adoption of OCT for angiography, about a new room-temperature yellow laser diode, about a novel design for an optical fiber temperature sensor, and about an all-sky thermal infrared cloud imager.
Every technical news story we publish (including many more on our website) reflects the curiosity and knowledge of our writers, and our relationships with the scientists and engineers making the advances—and that makes for really good news.
Conard Holton
Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.