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A Pre-History of Computer-Generated Holography

Adolf W. Lohmann

This month’s edition of the journal Applied Optics is a special issue devoted to the contributions of the late Emmett Leith. As a tribute to his dear friend, the author discusses the significance of Emmett’s work and his own role in inventing computer-generated holography. more>>

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Chalcogenide Glass Photonic Chips

Steve J. Madden, Duk-Yong Choi, Michael R.E. Lamont, Vahid G. Ta’eed, Neil J. Baker, Mark D. Pelusi, Barry Luther-Davies and Benjamin J. Eggleton

Signal processing for the next generation of the Internet more>>

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Laguerre Mathematics in Optical Communications

Mario Martinelli and Paolo Martelli

The mathematical studies done by Edmond Nicolas Laguerre in the 19th century laid the foundation for contemporary optical communications. more>>

"Airy" Beams Are Nearly Diffraction-Free

Patricia Daukantas

An interesting type of accelerating wave packet—a theoretical prediction made nearly three decades ago—has now shown up in laboratory experiments. more>>

Retinal Device Helps Study Blood Flow in Mice

Patricia Daukantas

A group of researchers from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine built a flow cytometer that can trace fluorescently tagged cells through the blood vessels of a mouse retina. more>>

Did You Know?

Patricia Daukantas

Carnivorous plant inspires microlens array. more>>

Light Touch

Mystic Cameras

Stephen R. Wilk

Mysterious photos taken by lightning. Perfectly preserved images captured on the retina of a dead man’s eye. Are these bizarre phenomena grounded in fact or examples of science fiction? more>>

Optics Innovations

Stefan Sydor Optics: A Legacy in Optics Craftsmanship

Carol Corey

Stefan Sydor Optics was founded in 1964 as a small manufacturer of all types of optics. Since then, it has grown in size but narrowed in scope to become a leading producer of precision, flat-surfaced, parallel and wedged optics. more>>

Policy Matters

America COMPETES in Science: A Conversation with Rep. Bart Gordon

Angela Stark

Our conversation with Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) more>>

The History of OSA

OSA Politics Get Local

John N. Howard

Local sections have always been an important part of the Optical Society. In fact, OSA itself began as a local section. more>>