April 2000 Issue
Feature Articles
History of the Optical Society: Origins and Roots Do Matter
A historical sketch of contributions The Optical Society and its members made to programs in the defense industry which depend on optical technology.
by F. Dow SmithProtecting the War Fighter's Vision In a Laser-Rich, Battlefield Environment
A look at the passive nonlinear optical limiter, which offers the best hope for visual protection against the threat of laser systems on the battlefield.
by James S. ShirkOptical Technology in Naval Applications
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), as the U.S. Navy's corporate laboratory, conducts a broad R&D effort. Described in this article are a selection of NRL projects that represent the importance of optical technology in naval applications and illustrate why optics has a key role in the naval arena.
by T.G. GiallorenziDepartments and Columns
Research and Industry News
Mazur Helps Discover Mysterious Black Silicon / Coalition for Photonics and Optics Holds Federal Funding Forum / New Electro-Optics Center To Be Created in Southwestern Pennsylvania / High-Tech Incubator Opens in Orlando / Spectromicroscopy Findings Hold Promise For the Development of Improved Magnetic Devices / Adaptive Optics System Captures Infrared Images Of Neptune and Titan / Laser 40th Reunion and Hughes Research Lab Open House / Historic “Uniform Color Scales” Donated to OSA
Riding the Range
A look over the science and technology terrain in Washington, D.C., USA
The American Inventors Protection Act of 1999
A discussion of the patent legislation signed into law on November 29, 1999.
Selecting An Advisor: Twenty-Five Questions to Ask
To help new students select a good advisor, a group of physics graduate students at Harvard University, USA, prepared a list of questions to ask about potential advisors.
Setting the Pace for Laser and Electro-Optics Technology
CLEO/QELS 2000 Technical Preview
OSA 1999 Annual Program Report
A brief discussion of OSA’s 10 key results for 1999 and the status of each. Also included is a report on OSA Board of Directors’ actions and a list of award recipients.
Ellipsometry
A look at different ellipsometers, which are used to determine the optical and structural constants of thin films and flat surfaces based on the measurements of the ellipse of polarization in reflected or transmitted light.
Zoom Lens for a Digital Camera
This month’s design is a 2.8:1 zoom lens intended for a 1/4-inch (4.5mm diagonal) sensor.
The Optics InfoBase is Coming Soon!
An introduction to the Optics InfoBase, an internet-based repository designed to provide optics professionals with easy access to the quality optics information they need and desire.
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Also in this Issue
From the President
2000 OSA President Erich Ippen provides a recap of the 2000 OSA Leadership Conference.
Letters to the Editor
An author responds to an OPN Book Review of his work; and a correction to a post-deadline paper, summarized in the “Recent Research” column of the January 2000 OPN.
Book Reviews
Reviews of Fiber Bragg Gratings by Yakov Sidorin / Nonlinear Fitters for Image Processing by Barry R. Masters / Ferroelectric Phenomena in Crystals: Physical Foundations by D. Perlov
