Today’s blog post is sponsored by Horiba – a leading supplier of analytical and measurement systems. We often like to employ optics and optical systems to see imperfections we normally cannot. Sometimes, ...

Why are insects attracted to light? We often see insects buzzing around light fixtures outside, or find their remains in light fixtures when replacing a lightbulb. However, seldom we wonder why they are so ...

Fibers lasers are a very commonly used type of laser. Whether they are being used for communication purposes, materials processing, or medicine, they have come a long way from their humble beginning. This ...

The Beginnings of Virtual Reality The definition of virtual reality (VR) has changed throughout history. In 1929, the first iteration of a flight simulator was invented. This allowed pilots to train, ...

Optical trapping is a way of cooling atoms to the point where they are no longer in motion—or are trapped. One may instantly think of optical tweezers when hearing the mention of optical trapping. While ...

Today’s post on thermal imaging cameras is prepared by a guest blogger – Amanda Wilson – a technical blogger specializing in the electrical and electronic test equipment and measurement ...

History of Telescopes When students begin to learn about space, astronomy, and the telescope in school, one of the first names that stands out is Galileo’s. Galileo Galilei was the first to point a ...

Having the proper detector is just as important (if not more so) as having the proper laser source. Determining which type of detector best suits one’s needs is essential to successfully report the most ...

What’s Organic about Organic LEDs? Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLED) are similar to LEDs, but have organic layers between the conducting layers. These organic layers are the emitting layer.  The thin ...

Optical networking and the use of optical fiber have been omnipresent for decades. From the usage of fiber optics in communications in the 1970s for transmitting telephone traffic to the implosion of the ...