November 2010 Issue
Feature Articles
Optofluidics: A Light Stream Interface
Through the burgeoning field of optofluidics, researchers are using fluids to create adaptive optical systems at the microscopic scale, with applications in biophotonics, information processing and sensing.
by Carlos López-MariscalWireless-Over-Fiber Technology—Bringing the Wireless World Indoors
The explosive growth of the Internet would not have been possible without optical fiber, which enables the movement of enormous amounts of data over thousands of kilometers. In an increasingly important application of wireless technology, fiber is being used to transport radio frequency signals and enhance coverage in buildings.
by Chin-Pang Liu and Alwyn SeedsHow the Laser Launched Nonlinear Optics
If the laser was a solution, nonlinear optics was one of the problems it was seeking. Intense pulses of coherent, monochromatic light were just what was needed to produce nonlinear effects. Once physicists got their first lasers, nonlinear optics blossomed in a golden age of discovery.
by Jeff HechtDepartments and Columns
Peer Review 101: Building a Reputation as a Reviewer
Taking part in the review process is critical to developing a scientific career. Here’s what you need to know to get started.
Along Came a Spider
How arachnids made their way into global legend— and optics history.
And the Winners Are ...
Results from OPN's fifth annual After Image photo contest.
Medical Laser Applications—From Manufacturing to Diagnostics
Lasers are a key manufacturing technology for molded interconnect devices, which are helping to create portable medical equipment with higher-level functionality.
Zygo Corp. Measures 40 Years
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Zygo Corp., a worldwide supplier of optical metrology instruments and precision optical components. One of the company’s founders refl ects on the company’s past and the factors that have contributed to its success.
Broadband Becomes Global Priority
Many countries are developing broadband plans as they look to provide faster Internet connections that will strengthen productivity, enhance health and education, and improve their citizens’ way of life.
Controlling Gas Flow with Light
A "smart" membrane, developed by graduate student Eric Glowacki and his advisor Kenneth Marshall at the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics, blocks gas when illuminated by ultraviolet light, but permits gas to flow when lit by purple light.
Laser Controls the Pace of a Beating Heart
Michael W. Jenkins and others at Case Western Reserve University and Vanderbilt University demonstrated that pulsed infrared light can control the pace of a quail heart.
Carbon-Nanotube Coating Improves Thermal Detector
A very black carbon-nanotube coating, combined with an innovative fabrication process, makes a new infrared detector with nearly ideal performance over a wide range of wavelengths.
Chemistry for Harvesting Sunlight
Researchers reported advances in molecular systems for efficient solar energy conversion and storage at the recent American Chemical Society meeting in Boston (Massachusetts, U.S.A.).
