Image of the Week

The Evolution Of Electric Light Bulbs: An X-Ray View

Celebrate World Radiography Day! X-rays were discovered on November 8th, 1895. X-ray image depicting the evolution of electric light bulbs (left: incandescent light bulb, center: fluorescent light bulb, right: LED light bulb). Light bulbs play a vital role in the daily life of a 'World of Light'. Image obtained with a Nikon XTH225 ST X-ray machine.

—Herminso Villarraga-Gómez, Nikon Metrology, Brighton, MI, USA

08 Nov 2019

Dispersing Rhombus

Integrity exposed.

—Karen L. Bridges

04 Nov 2019

Fiery Jack-O’-Lantern

On October 8, 2014, active regions on the sun gave it the appearance of a jack-o'-lantern. This image is a blend of 171- and 193-angstrom light as captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory.

—NASA/GSFC/SDO

30 Oct 2019

Optical Interference Effect

Residual photoresist during a failed nanofabrication process encased between two metallic mirrors creates an optical interference effect. Image taken in transmission under the optical microscope.

—Calum Williams, University of Cambridge

28 Oct 2019

Radial Carpet Beam

The picture shows intensity pattern of a radial carpet beam, produced in the diffraction of a plane wave from a phase radial grating with binary profile having 35 spokes. The pattern is shape invariant under propagation.

—Saifollah Rasouli, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Iran

21 Oct 2019

Emission Spectrum

The emission spectrum of a helium lamp.

—Cindy-Johanna Valencia-Caicedo, CICESE

14 Oct 2019

$Fresnel diffraction patterns$

Fresnel diffraction patterns

The picture shows Fresnel diffraction patterns of a radial spoke mask with 4 degree period. The three patterns are photographed at different distances from the mask. They have a natural explanation in terms of the Talbot re-imaging phenomenon, and might be called “Talbot Rugs.”

—Stephen G. Lipson, Physics Dept., Technion, Haifa, Israel

07 Oct 2019

Reflection of operator

Reflection of operator during metal sputtering. Thin-film interference effects, along with the inside of the chamber, can be seen on the observation window.

—Calum Williams, University of Cambridge

30 Sep 2019

Patterns

Patterns in an art-glass bowl trans-illuminated by an LED array.

—Samuel F. Pellicori, OSA Senior Member

23 Sep 2019

Axicon Lenses

Two floating bubbles on water act as axicon lenses and produce same-size, sharp, real and inverted images of an "F"-light source placed above the scene.

—Markus Selmke, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF

16 Sep 2019

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