None

Optical Lithography in the Extreme UV

Stephen P. Renwick, David Williamson, Kazuaki Suzuki and Katsuhiko Murakami

As the number of transistors on a chip continues to increase, the industry’s shrinking feature size is outstripping even the best efforts of optical engineers. Extreme ultraviolet lithography can lead to a more-than-tenfold decrease in wavelength, translating to a startling leap in performance. more>>

None

Using Lidar to Measure the Ozone Layer: South American scientists are using lidar technology to measure stratospheric ozone, water vapor and aerosols in Argentine Patagonia.

Eduardo Quel, Elian Wolfram, Lidia Otero, Jacobo Salvador, Juan Pallotta, Raúl D´Elía and Marcelo Raponi

South American scientists are using lidar technology to measure stratospheric ozone, water vapor and aerosols in Argentine Patagonia. Their work is helping to monitor global climate change, and has led to the development of a method for alerting local populations to the presence of the ozone hole. more>>

Lasers Sort Crops from Weeds

Patricia Daukantas

An Australian research group is developing a laser-driven sensor and spraying system that can distinguish the good plants from the undesirables. more>>

Did You Know?

Patricia Daukantas

Portable sky-brightness meters from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. more>>

Polymer Opal Films Could Have Colorful Applications

Patricia Daukantas

Colorful applications for polymer opal films; lasers sort crops from weeds; portable sky-brightness meters. more>>

Global Optics

Arab Origins of the Discovery of the Refraction of Light

Sameen Ahmed Khan

You’ve heard of DaVinci, Descartes and Newton, but what about Ibn Sahl and Ibn al-Haytham? These Arab scientists were describing the fundamental properties of light centuries before their European counterparts. more>>

Light Touch

Playing With Light

Stephen R. Wilk

A history of Games that incorporate the photon. more>>

Optical Engineering

Surface Finishing of Complex Optics

Aric B. Shorey, Don Golini and William Kordonski

Advanced optical designs require shapes and materials that are challenging to finish. As designs become more intricate, new fabrication tools are needed. We discuss advanced surface-finishing methods, particularly methods that rely on the magnetorheological finishing process, a stable polishing technology that enables precision fabrication of flats and spheres as well as increasingly complex optics, such as aspheres and freeform shapes. more>>

Optics Innovations

Technology Transfer at the University of Central Florida

Joseph E. Gortych

UCF is home to two optics-based research centers. Both enjoy robust government and industrial funding, and have faculty with significant industry experience and an entrepreneurial spirit. more>>

The History of OSA

Reminiscences: From the Files of {Arthur Hardy}

John N. Howard

Arthur Hardy pioneered the rapid automatic recording of absorption spectra. He was widely recognized for his invention of a recording spectrophotometer to measure refl ected and transmitted light. more>>