Photonics Career Development White Papers and Application Notes
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Intro To Laser Management: Laser Profiling 101
1/25/2017
Traditionally, laser operators only verify a laser’s average power or energy to improve efficiency and, if everything is in order, put their laser back into service. This article discusses steps required to identify and use a camera profiling system (arrayed camera, attenuator, and beam dump) for laser management.
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Thermal Imaging: How It Works
8/18/2016
Thermal imaging is simply made up of a thermal scene, a lens, a sensor, and a display. But how do you focus heat? What kind of sensor detects heat, and how do you display it? This article offers a short Infrared 101 overview, and covers fundamental terms and concepts of thermal imaging.
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Introduction to Polarization
7/10/2015
Understanding and manipulating the polarization of light is crucial for many optical applications. Optical design frequently focuses on the wavelength and intensity of light, while neglecting its polarization. Polarization, however, is an important property of light that affects even those optical systems that do not explicitly measure it. The polarization of light affects the focus of laser beams, influences the cut-off wavelengths of filters, and can be important to prevent unwanted back reflections. It is essential for many metrology applications, such as stress analysis in glass or plastic, pharmaceutical ingredient analysis, and biological microscopy.