1st Place: Optical Möbius Strip: A string recorded under colored illumination right before realizing a standing wave. This photograph was then transformated into polar coordinates. Dan Curticapean, University of Applied Sciences Offenburg, Germany.

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2nd Place: Refraction by the sap of an aloe flower helps create an image of the eye of the photographer, large and blurry behind the flower. Brian P. Anderson, University of Arizona, U.S.A.

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3rd Place: Unexpected beautiful diffraction pattern from femtosecond laser written structure. Martynas Beresna, University of Southampton, U.K.

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Honorable Mention: Sol-gel silica film after being spin-coated onto a silicon substrate. Simin Mehrabani, University of Southern California, U.S.A.

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Honorable Mention: Old faithful geyser at midnight with Milky Way galaxy. John T. Bone, Drew University, U.S.A.

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Honorable Mention: Refraction and diffraction: Water drop on the back of a compact disc. Anthony T. Clutter, University of Arizona, U.S.A.

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Green laser light scattering through a photonic crystal fiber cladding. Thibaut Sylvestre, Universite de Franche-Comte, France.

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Cascaded Raman generation in a photonic crystal fiber. Thibaut Sylvestre, Universite de Franche-Comte, France.

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Large F/# means a narrow depth of field, from Optics, third edition, Hecht. Anthony T. Clutter, University of Arizona, U.S.A.

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A large sphere acting as a singlet, located in the College of Optical Sciences, 3rd floor lobby. Anthony T. Clutter, University of Arizona, U.S.A.

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Glass sphere in the lobby of the College of Optical Sciences enables a unique photo of the Bose-Einstein Condensation group. Pascal Mickelson and Brian P. Anderson, University of Arizona, U.S.A.

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A small ball lens closes in the center of the image, but it is not in contact with a tapered fiber that carries HeNe light. Sergio Calixto, Centro de Investigaciones en Optica, Guanajuato, Mexico.

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In this photo, a tapered fiber slightly touches the ball lens and light is fed into it. Sergio Calixto, Centro de Investigaciones en Optica, Guanajuato, Mexico.

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Plastic cookie tray between crossed polarizers. Samuel F. Pelicori, Pellicori Optical Consulting, U.S.A.

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Scatter in thin film layers. Samuel F. Pelicori, Pellicori Optical Consulting, U.S.A.

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Diffraction from 6 µm pixels on CMOS array at 45 degree incidence. Samuel F. Pelicori, Pellicori Optical Consulting, U.S.A.

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Light from a 658 nm laser is coupled into a curved silica-on-silicon integrated waveguide from a lensed fiber (left). Nano-scale defects in the waveguide result in light scattering and leakage. Audrey N. Harker, University of Southern California, U.S.A.

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Light from a 658 nm laser is coupled to a curved silica-on-silicon integrated waveguide. Nano-scale defects in the waveguide result in light scattering and poor confinement. Audrey N. Harker, University of Southern California, U.S.A.

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SEM image of a curved silica-on-silicon integrated waveguide. The structure, although reminiscent of the Nile, is actually more similar to the size of a human hair. Audrey N. Harker, University of Southern California, U.S.A.

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Tea bag diffraction. A green laser shining on a tea bag gives this 2-D grating-like diffraction pattern. Juan Carlos Barreiro and Amparo Pons-Marti, University of Valencia, Spain.

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Put Young, Airy and Fraunhofer together and guess the aperture that gives this diffraction pattern. Juan Carlos Barreiro and Amparo Pons-Marti, University of Valencia, Spain.

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Four layers of thin sol-gel silica films spun coated onto a silicon substrate after being subjected to thermal annealing. Simin Mehrabani, University of Southern California, U.S.A.

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A network of cracks on the surface of sol-gel silica film after thermal annealing. Simin Mehrabani, University of Southern California, U.S.A.

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Assortment of lenses on black velvet. John T. Bone, Drew University, U.S.A.

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HeNe Laser on an optic table; beam brought out by index card on 30 s exposure. John T. Bone, Drew University, U.S.A.

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Image of a full moon taken on 22 September 2010 with a simple transmission grating in front of a camera lens. Jupiter is apparent below the moon and slightly to the right.
 Robert Schalck, Hardin Optical Co., U.S.A.

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LED Christmas lighting Shore Acres State Park, Ore.,U.S.A. Robert Schalck, Hardin Optical Co., U.S.A.

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Sun halo. Robert Schalck, Hardin Optical Co., U.S.A.

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Modified chemical vapor deposition for lightguide fiber preform preparation. Sven Döring, Institute of Applied Physics, Germany.

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Raman microscopic investigation of acetamidophenol using an excitation wavelength of 488 nm. Sven Döring, Institute of Applied Physics, Germany.

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Developing of a chrome photo mask. Sven Döring, Institute of Applied Physics, Germany.

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Colorful speckle generated by focusing supercontinuum light on Scotch tape. Yaron Bromberg and Simon Schlachter, Harvard University, U.S.A.

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Colorful speckle generated by focusing supercontinuum light on Scotch tape. Yaron Bromberg and Simon Schlachter, Harvard University, U.S.A.

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Colorful speckle generated by focusing supercontinuum light on Scotch tape. Yaron Bromberg and Simon Schlachter, Harvard University, U.S.A.

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Kids observe the optical spectra of gas emission lamps at a Montana State University celebration of the 50th anniversary of the laser. Joseph A. Shaw, Montana State University, U.S.A.

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Balls of paper, thrown on command to represent stimulated emission, fluoresce as they pass a black light during a public laser 50th anniversary celebration. Joseph A. Shaw, Montana State University, U.S.A.

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A lens made entirely of ice focuses sunlight to burn plywood. Joseph A. Shaw, Montana State University, U.S.A.

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Profile of high-order vector beam, generated with birefringent optical element, passed through linear polarizer. Mindaugas Gecevicius, University of Southampton, U.K.

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Beautiful structures produced with femtosecond laser inside alumosilicate glass. Martynas Beresna, University of Southampton, U.K.

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Polarization microscope image of microstructures produced with femtosecond laser inside alumosilicate glass. Martynas Beresna, University of Southampton, U.K.

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