Feature Articles

Optics in South Africa

The rainbow nation is betting on the optical sciences to support its economic growth and skills development.

by Jean-Noel Maran, Erich G. Rohwer, Johan P. Burger and Lourens R. Botha
Solid-State Lighting: A Systems Engineering Approach

Solid-state lighting is more than just another light source. It is a lighting system that involves optics, thermal management, electrical power conversion, electronic drive circuitry and network control.

by Ian Ashdown
Meet the Metamaterials

Among optics and electromagnetics researchers today, the term “metamaterials” is often taken to be synonymous with materials that have a negative refractive index, but there is much more to metamaterials than that. As research evolves, these unique composite materials will be fabricated with new, multifunctional architectures that will enable applications in sensing, security, transportation and other areas.

by Akhlesh Lakhtakia and Tom G. Mackay
Report from FiO: Global Issues, Optics Solutions

For its 90th annual meeting, OSA returned home to its birthplace of Rochester, N.Y. Speakers challenged the optics community to work toward solving society’s most urgent problems, including the need to find alternative energy sources and halt the progress of Alzheimer’s disease.

by Patricia Daukantas

Departments and Columns

Optics Innovations
Headwall Photonics Inc.: Scaling New Heights in Spectral Equipment

This venture-backed company focuses on imaging spectrometers and high-efficiency optics. It combines the energy of a start-up with the experience, infrastructure and OEM customer base that come with 30 years of experience.

Scatterings
Hearing One Cancer Cell in a Million

A fast, simple, laser-based blood test that allows doctors to “hear” cancer cells could one day become a tool for cancer screening as well as evaluating how well therapy is working.

The History of OSA
OSA’s Financial History: The 1960s and 1970s

A look at the Society’s financial ups and downs in the years following the founding of the executive office.

Scatterings
Did You Know?

QD Vision Inc., a start-up company in Watertown, Mass., has announced the first electrically powered quantum-dot display prototype.

Conversations
OPN Talks with Nicholas Negroponte

Our conversation with Nicholas Negroponte, Co-Founder of MIT’s Media Lab and Keynote Speaker at OFC/NFOEC 2007

Conversations
OPN Talks with Chongcheng Fan

Our conversation with Chongcheng Fan, Telecom Expert and Keynote Speaker at OFC/NFOEC 2007

Scatterings
Tiny Bubbles Direct Light

Researchers at Harvard University recently demonstrated that tiny arrays of bubbles in a microfluidic device could act as tunable self-assembled diffraction gratings.

Conversations
OPN Talks with Mark Wegleitner

Our conversation with Mark Wegleitner, Verizon's Chief Technology Officer and Keynote Speaker at OFC/NFOEC 2007


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Also in this Issue

Book Reviews
Book Reviews

Letters
Letters

After Image
After Image

OSA Today
OSA Today

President's Message
President’s Message