October 2003 Issue
- Organic Dye Lasers: Brief History and Recent Developments
- Extremely Large Sparse Aperture Telescopes
- Some Thoughts on Journal Publishing in the 21st Century
- Use Tomorrow’s Photonics Devices Today
- A New Federal Institute Focuses on Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
- OPN Trends—The Nature of Light: What Is a Photon?
- Browse all Issues
Feature Articles
Organic Dye Lasers: Brief History and Recent Developments
The organic dye laser has the distinction of being the first broadly tunable laser. It is capable of providing a wide variety of output forms that range from ultrashort to high energy pulses, and from highly stable continuous wave narrow linewidth oscillation to high average power emission. Current application areas include medicine, laser isotope separation and fundamental physics research.
by Frank J. DuarteExtremely Large Sparse Aperture Telescopes
Concepts for the next generation of extremely large telescopes are being studied by national and international consortia. The reality of diminishing fiscal resources presents new challenges. What about a sparse or almost-filled aperture telescope? Could it meet the requirements of scientists at lower cost?
by Aden and Marjorie MeinelSome Thoughts on Journal Publishing in the 21st Century
The journals published by non-profit professional societies are easier on library budgets than those produced by the profit-driven sector, but the fact that OSA and other non-profit societies price their non-member subscriptions to support non-publishing efforts raises a thorny question. Why, and to what degree, should universities subsidize the general operation of professional societies?
by Dennis G. HallUse Tomorrow’s Photonics Devices Today
A new program offers U.S. universities engaged in applications research an opportunity to acquire, free of charge, advanced photonics devices from national laboratories and industry.
by Marko SlusarczukA New Federal Institute Focuses on Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Advances in bioimaging and bioengineering are changing our views on everything from how the brain develops to how to treat cancer. The U.S. Congress created the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering to serve as a base for researchers in a number of related cutting-edge fields.
by Donna J. Dean and Brenda J. KorteOPN Trends—The Nature of Light: What Is a Photon?
This issue of OPN Trends was conceived to bring together different views regarding a question that was first posed in ancient times but remains unanswered today. What, indeed, is “the nature of light”? Many of us still feel perplexed when asked by a student to answer the seemingly simple question, “What is a photon?”
by Chandrasekhar Roychoudhuri and Rajarshi RoyDepartments and Columns
TeX2Word Software Imports TeX Documents into MS Word
TeX2Word, a program written by Chikrii Softlab, converts TeX documents into native Word format with translation of all mathematical expressions into fully functional MathType equations so that you can double-click on the equations and edit them as if they had been created manually in MathType.
Who’s Who on OSA’s Board of Directors
OPN talks to Jim Fujimoto.
Anecdotes From My Association with John D. Strong
John D. Strong was one of the great experimental physicists of his time. He was at Johns Hopkins University from 1945 to 1967. The author worked with him 12 years, and he shares his memories in this article.
