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C.V. Raman and the Raman Effect

Barry R. Masters

Barry Masters describes the life and legacy of one of the most important optical scientists of the 20th century. more>>

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Optical Fiber High-Temperature Sensors

Anbo Wang, Yizheng Zhu and Gary Pickrell

Optical fiber sensors allow researchers and engineers to make accurate, reliable measurements under high-temperature conditions. more>>

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The Professional World of Amateur Astronomy

Patricia Daukantas

The work of today’s amateur astronomers goes far beyond peering through a telescope on a lonely mountaintop. Thanks to advances in solid-state imaging, software and inexpensive optics, they are collecting professional-quality data and making their own discoveries. more>>

Nanoscopy Uncovers Cells’ Secrets

Yvonne Carts-Powell

Fluorescent optical microscopy is allowing researchers to image features much smaller than the diffraction limit of visible light. more>>

Lasing Mechanism Depends on Electron Momentum

Yvonne Carts-Powell

A new lasing mechanism was recently reported from a quantum cascade laser that appears to depend on non-equilibrium electrons with high momenta. more>>

Did You Know?

A powerful light source for X-ray microscopy more>>

Light Touch

The Yellow Sun Paradox

Stephen R. Wilk

There are a few things you can count on in this world: The sky is blue; grass is green; and the Sun is yellow ... right? more>>

Optics Innovations

CREOL’s Tech-Transfer Success Stories

Jenna Reiser and James Pearson

The Center for Research in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) at the University of Central Florida prides itself on its strong focus on technology transfer--and it has the multi-million-dollar success stories to show for it. more>>

The History of OSA

George Ellery Hale and the Yerkes Observatory

John N. Howard

How OSA’s first vice president “licked the Lick.” more>>

Viewpoint

Risk and Research: Maintaining a Diverse Portfolio

Ken Baldwin

How can funding agencies strike the right balance between financing “high-risk, high-reward” research—work that is initially uncertain but that could translate into major breakthroughs—and more modest studies that will likely produce solid, incremental results? more>>

Conversations in Optics