Feature Articles
Newton, Prisms, and the "Opticks" of Tunable Lasers
This article focuses on how Newton's original prismatic configurations laid the foundations for some of the principles applied today in the optics of tunable lasers.
by F. J. DuarteDesigning Cost-Effective Precision Optical Mounts
A look at what issues an engineer faces in the production of opto-mechanical mounts, including performance, materials, site and the manufacturing process itself.
by Sherwin Cabatic and Kathryn D. Li DessauDispersion Managed Solitons: The Key to Terabit Per Second Optical Fiber Communication Systems
An update on the dispersion managed solitons that can resolve the technical problems that have prevented the use of the soliton transmission format in optical fiber communication systems.
by Wladek Forysiak, Jeroen H. B. Nijhof and Nick J. DoranDepartments and Columns
Research and Industry News
Jurgen R. Meyer-Arendt: In Memoriam / Lamb Elected Honorary Member of OSA / National Academy of Engineers Elects Three OSA Members to Membership / Possible Power Source Found for Fiber Optic Lasers / Imaging the Far Side of the Sun / Launching Mishap Lays Waste to Astro-E Satellite / Optical Switching: Shakeup in Electronics / Aurora Borealis Mimicked at Subway Station / Optical Sensors to Control Windshield Wipers
A Microscope Without a Lens
A snapshot of early 20th century American history in the form of an article from The Boy Mechanic: 700 Things for Boys to Do.
Eyes on the States
Examining the evolution of the states as active players in promoting science and technology.
Inventorship
In this month’s column, we take a look at the related issue of how the term “inventor” is defined for purposes of obtaining a patent.
Corporate Connections
Executive Forum at OFC 2000 / New Corporate Associates / New Forum on Manpower Issues Scheduled for June 2000! / Breakfast Briefing Series Update
OSA 2000 Awards and Fellows
OSA is proud to announce the award winners selected at the February 2000 meeting of the Board of Directors.
OFC Technical Review
A review of the 25th annual Optical Fiber Communications (OFC) Conference.
CLEO Exhibit Preview
A preview of exhibitors that will attend CLEO 2000.
A Next Generation Internet Demonstration
A discussion of the demonstrations in the Next Generation Internet (NGI) tent at OFC 2000.
Fourier Optics, Part 1
How decomposition into, and subsequent superposition of, plane waves can lead straightforwardly to the near-field (Fresnel) and far-field (Fraunhofer) formulas, elucidate the Fourier transforming properties of a lens, and capture the essence of Abbe’s theory of image formation.
Plasmat Objective for Large-Format Photography
This month’s design is a plasmat type, which is the most common type of lens used in large format.
Post Deadline Papers from OFC 2000
A 10 Gb/S, 160 Gchips/S Ocdma coding/decoding system based on superstructure fiber / Record 1 watt fiber-coupled-power 1,480-Nm diode laser pump for Raman and Erbium-doped fiber Amplification / Ultra-dense terabit capacity WDM transmission in L-band / 10x10 Gb/S cross-phase Modulation suppressor using WDM narrow band Fiber Bragg grating / A flexible metro WDM ring using wavelength-independent subscriber equipment to share bandwidth / 2,410 Km all-optical network field trial with 10 Gb/S DWDM transmission / Field demonstration of distributed Raman amplification with 3.8 Db Q-improvement for 5x120 Km transmission / 10 Gb/S PMD compensation field experiment over 452 Km using principal state transmission method / All-optical time-slot-interchange and wavelength conversion using difference-frequency-generation and FBGS
E-Trade Show Launched!
An introduction to the “virtual tradeshow” meeting technology that was launched at the OFC 2000.
Engineering & Laboratory Notes
Normalized Parameter Relating the Spherical Aberration of a Thin Lens to the Diffraction Limit and Fiber Coupling Efficiency / Measurements of ∂n/∂T in Solid-State Dye-Laser Gain Media / An Optical Method to Measure Time Response in Scanning Spectrophotometers
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Also in this Issue
From the President
A look ahead at CLEO/QELS 2000, and a look back at the highlights of OFC 2000.
Book Reviews
Reviews of Advances in Lasers and Applications by M.F. Mahmood / Laser Ablation and Desorption Volume 30, Experimental Methods in the Physical Science by David Doerr / Nonlinear Optics in Metals by Ibrahim Abdulhalim
![An artist’s rendering of a pulse of circularly polarized light hitting a 2D semiconductor. [Illustration by S. Alvey / University of Michigan]](https://opnmedia.blob.core.windows.net/$web/opn/media/images/articles/2025/0125/departments/202501-cover-web.jpg?ext=.jpg)
