Articles by Abby Proch

31. Bright Ideas — NASA Launches Laser Comms, LiDAR Explores Caves & Assesses Forest Health 12/15/2021

    Bright Ideas presents the most captivating news and innovations in photonics. This week, a new sensing platform enables core body temperature measurements, NASA launches a laser to speed up space communications, and LiDAR sees new uses in mapping caves and assessing forest health. 

32. Bright Ideas — New Photonic Chip Yields Higher-Contrast Microscopy, OCT Imaging Goes Deeper Into Skin 12/8/2021

    Bright Ideas presents the most captivating news and innovations in photonics. This week, Chinese researchers presented a new planar photonic chip that doesn’t require a "bulky" condenser or special objective to conduct darkfield or total image reflection (TIR) microscopy. A new DARPA Young Faculty Award recipient is exploring a ne way to control the propagation of light that would enhance power efficiency and thereby improve communications technologies.  And, biomedical engineers have found a way to increase optical coherence tomography (OCT) depth through the skin by 50 percent.

33. Bright Ideas — Fluids Viable For Freeform Optics, Visible Light Modulators See Improved SWaP 12/1/2021

    Bright Ideas presents the most captivating news and innovations in photonics. This week, novel approaches are explored in freeform optics and fluorescence imaging, NASA nails down a new date for the James Webb Space Telescope launch, and Optica names its photo contest winners and honorary member award recipient.

34. Bright Ideas — Defense Contractors Tasked With Taking Down Hypersonic Missiles, Record-Breaking Quantum Computer Tops 256 Qubits 11/24/2021

    Bright Ideas presents the most captivating news and innovations in photonics. This week, the Military Defense Agency picked three contractors to design a Glide Phase Interceptor prototype, a startup claimed its quantum computer has the most qubits (and the best platform), and an electro-topics grad student developed an optical filter that allows sensors and cameras to operate seamlessly in low and bright light situations. 

35. Bright Ideas — Solar Power Creates Sustainable Aircraft Fuel, Webb Telescope Camera Ready For Launch 11/17/2021

    Bright Ideas presents the most captivating news and innovations in photonics. This week, teams with the James Webb Space Telescope confirm its camera and spectrograph are ready for launch, a floating-solar and hydro-power plant hybrid is producing electricity near a dam in Thailand, and sustainable aircraft fuel is made from only sunlight and ambient air.

36. Bright Ideas — U.S. & Russia Pursue HEL Technology, Fiber Optics "Father" Honored With Google Doodle 11/10/2021

    Bright Ideas presents the most captivating news and innovations in photonics. This week, high energy lasers (HEL) are the hot topic among academicians and world leaders alike, the "father" of fiber optics is honored by Google, and plenty of photonics firms are making gains with mergers and acquisitions. 

37. 6 Emerging Military Technologies — And Who Has the Upper Hand In Each 11/3/2021

    Artificial intelligence, directed energy, lethal autonomous weapons — explore the top trends in military technology that will revolutionize how the world approaches war. Plus, understand how the United States compares to its most motivated military competitors. 

38. Bright Ideas — NASA Sends Space Coms With Lasers, Lidar Reveals Hidden Mesoamerican Ruins 11/3/2021

    Bright Ideas presents the most captivating news and innovations in photonics. This week, Apple joins an awareness group aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of semiconductor fabrication, and several optical imaging techniques are looking to unseat X-rays as the go-to dental image.

39. Bright Ideas: Rubin Observatory Telescope Has World's Highest Resolution Camera, Low-Cost Underwater Microscope Could Save Seaweed 10/26/2021

    Bright Ideas presents the most captivating news and innovations in photonics. In this week's edition, acquisitions by Ouster and Jenoptik are expanding each's portfolio, the University of Arkansas is pursuing low-cost, high-performance IR camera development, and imec is introducing a breathalyzer to test for COVID-19.

40. Bright Ideas: 10/20/21 — NIR/MWIR Advance Medical Imaging Of Tumors, Deep Tissue 10/19/2021

    Bright Ideas presents the most captivating news and innovations in photonics. In this week's edition, technicians no longer have to wait until nighttime to detect defects in solar panels, MOE lenses are making their case for replacement of refractive lenses, and robots with RF antennas and machine vision are finding lost things.