Introduction to Plasma Light Sources Moore’s Law states that the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits has and will continue to double every year. This trend alludes to exponential ...

Introduction to Optical Parametric Oscillators In 1961, Peter Franken and his group at the University of Michigan were the first to use  nonlinear materials to produce optical harmonics. This method ...

Basics of Operation There are many different types of lasers available in todays photonics market, however, Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) laser systems are a reliable and widely-used technology. Simply ...

Forensic science has come a long way since the 700s, when the Chinese first established the concept of utilizing fingerprints as means of identification. Since then, technology in photonics and optics ...

How do lasers work? This blog spends much time discussing the use and the applications of lasers, but how do they work? Lasers emit a coherent light beam from a cavity. The term “laser” is actually an ...

Introduction A single human hair is approximately 80,000-100,000 nanometers wide. Now, imagine a distance that measures several hundred times smaller than a human hair. Such small distances are often ...

Introduction to Elemental Analysis All matter on Earth is composed of an assortment of 118 elements. The possible combinations are endless, with varying quantities of molecules and components in a ...

Introduction: Acousto-Optic Modulator Optical setups require extreme precision, and researchers must often implement modulators to adjust the frequency, amplitude, wavelength, and direction of their laser ...

What is Hyperspectral Imaging? Imagine an iPhone app that could help you choose the best produce, the ripest fruit, or determine if the vegetables you are about to buy are truly organic. Well, it turns out ...

Introduction to Raman Microscopy Raman microscopy is a laser-based spectroscopic technique used to observe molecular vibrations. It is frequently utilized in chemistry to provide a “fingerprint” ...