Photonics/Optics
Optics

Latest Stories

Articles
RF & Microwave Electronics

How Laser Communications Innovation is Finally Coming of Age and Driving Innovation in Defense

Though laser technology has advantages over radio, and those advantages are growing as innovation accelerates, what is essential to realize is that they need not be in competition.

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Briefs
Photonics/Optics

Spatial Calibration for Accurate Long Distance Measurement Using Infrared Cameras

All commercially available camera systems have lenses (and internal geometries) that cannot perfectly refract light waves and refocus them onto a two-dimensional (2D) image sensor. This means that all digital images contain elements of distortion and thus are not a true representation of the real world.

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Briefs
Photonics/Optics

Towards Greater Sensitivity: A Brief FTIR and Infrared-Based Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy Comparative Study

Cavity Ring-Down spectroscopy (CRDS) is a newer IR absorption-based technique made possible by the use of tunable pulsed lasers. Rather than using a broadband (blackbody) emitter as is done with traditional IR techniques, a pulsed laser is tuned across wavelengths into an optical cavity.

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Briefs
Photonics/Optics

Determining Optical Material Parameters With Motion in Structured Illumination

Ellipsometry measures the amplitude ratio and the phase difference between polarized light reflected from the surface of a film and determines the refractive index or thickness by fitting the experimental data to an optical model that represents an approximated sample structure.

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Briefs
Photonics/Optics

Deep Image Prior Amplitude SAR Image Anonymization

Synthetic Aperture Radar images are a powerful tool for studying the Earth’s surface. They are radar signals generated by an imaging system mounted on a platform such as an aircraft or satellite. As the platform moves, the system emits sequentially high-power electromagnetic waves through its antenna.

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Briefs
Photonics/Optics

Free-Space Quantum Communications in Harsh Environments

The project aims to explore the possibility of all-weather secure quantum communication using macroscopic quantum states of light.

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INSIDER
Propulsion

Filtered Rayleigh Scattering Enables Laser-Optical Measurement of Turbofan Thrust

Pratt & Whitney and Virginia Tech announced a pioneering new technology for calculating thrust using lasers to enable high-fidelity measurement of key...

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News
Software

Making Sense of Next-Gen ADAS Sensing

“I don’t expect [SAE] Level 3-capable vehicles to ship in significant numbers until 2030,” asserted Rudy Burger, of Woodside Capital Partners, during May’s AutoSens 2023 conference in...

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Briefs
Photonics/Optics

Overcoming Performance Limitations of Distributed Brillouin Fiber Laser Sensors

Distributed fiber sensors are a powerful tool for structural health monitoring and environmental sensing due to their ability to remotely monitor the strain at 1,000s of locations using low-cost optical fiber.

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Briefs
Materials

Electro-Optic Materials Research

Here, a summary of the main lines of effort for the Electro-Optics Materials Research program including its goals and major accomplishments of the past five years.

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Articles
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Lidar Vs. Everybody in the Onboard Sensor Race

Despite the industrywide realization that SAE driving automation Levels 4 and 5 are not imminent and instead long-term goals, development continues on the sensors that power current and...

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Technology Report
RF & Microwave Electronics

Lumotive’s New LCM Underpins Next-Gen Lidar

“The future happened yesterday” is an appropriate description of the rapid pace of development in automated-driving technology. The expression may be most accurate in sensor tech where,...

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INSIDER
Photonics/Optics

AFTC Gains New Test Capability

As weapon system designers continue to innovate for the defense of the nation, the Air Force Test Center must advance the test capabilities available to develop and prove the superiority of those systems...

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Articles
Photonics/Optics

Designing Multi-Channel Microwave Radio Systems Using Optical Interconnects

Imagine if it was possible to build multi-channel microwave radio systems leveraging optical rather than copper interconnects.

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News
Software

Keeping Your Silicon Cool

Onboard electronics continue to evolve rapidly. Components are smaller. Systems are more complex. The sophisticated electronics components that make up modern vehicles require precision heat dissipation for...

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Briefs
Photonics/Optics

Modeling Optical Time and Frequency Generation and Transfer Systems

The research was closely tied to work that was led by Nathan Newbury at NIST, and the principal goal was to support the development of advanced laser sources.

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News
Software

SAE International Extends Call for Abstracts, Seeks Submissions for AeroTech Conference

Engineering Events staff at SAE International in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, have extended the call for abstracts through September 21 for the...

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Articles
Aerospace

Designing A/D Converters for the James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has four infrared cameras to view the stars.

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Articles
Electronics & Computers

The Next Generation of Mission-Critical Communications Infrastructure is Here

The critical role of spectrum superiority in the success of battlefield campaigns is evidenced by the enormous investments being made in electronic warfare (EW)...

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INSIDER
Photonics/Optics

Optical Flow Visualization Applied to Jet Engine Testing

Working together with a local business and academic professionals at the University of Tennessee Space Institute, Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) team members at...

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Application Briefs
Unmanned Systems

Armed Drone System

The SMART SHOOTER system successfully completed live firing tests and is currently under advanced stages of development.

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Briefs
Test & Measurement

Multimode Optical Fiber Sensing

Although a vast majority of fiber optic strain sensors use single mode fiber, multimode fiber has a higher nonlinear threshold that enables higher light levels and lower noise.

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News
Imaging

Single-chip digital imaging radar heads for 2022 production

The Jeep Grand Cherokee fitted with new single-chip digital imaging radar technology is cruising a residential street in metro Detroit in February. Recent heavy snowfall has...

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News
Sensors/Data Acquisition

Expanding ADAS Roles for Radar and Cameras

Cameras and radar have become so widely used in advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) that it’d be easy to label them as commodities. The well-known technologies, in use in the automotive...

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News
Sensors/Data Acquisition

Uhnder and Spartan to Partner on Hi-rez Radar

Two new players on the hardware and software side of advanced high-resolution automotive radars have announced a partnership. Austin, Texas-based Uhnder, which lays claim to the first...

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INSIDER
Aerospace

Research Could Lead to Noise Reduction in Aircraft Engines

Through a Small Business Innovative Research contract awarded to MetroLaser, Inc., by the U.S. Navy, a system is being developed to measure the gas velocity of engine exhaust to...

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INSIDER
Imaging

Mounted Troops to Get High-Tech Situational Awareness Tools

Mounted armored vehicles such as the Bradley have long been used as heavy weapons platforms with long range sensors to hunt targets and provide armored transportation to...

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Products
Test & Measurement

New Products

CAD software, torque sensors, HD lenses, and more.

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News
Power

Valeo Debuts New Lidars, EV Tech at CES 2022

The breadth of Valeo’s news announcements during CES 2022 effectively showcased just how much the show has turned into an automotive tech event. From autonomous driving technologies to...

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