The #Pockels effect occurs in specific materials known as electro-optic #crystals. When an electric field is applied to these crystals, their refractive index changes proportionally. This change alters the #polarization state of light passing through the crystal, allowing for precise control over #laser parameters such as intensity and pulse duration. Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/how-pockels-cells-assist-high-precision-laser-operations/

Terrestrial and #Satellite Free Space Optical #Communication system success is predicated on the Pointing, Acquisition, and Tracking (#PAT) mechanisms to align multiple nodes in dynamic spatial/temporal systems. Successful PAT operation in point-to-point transmission is realized through the beacon channel #InGaAs quadrant #photodiodes. Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/optical-communications-with-ingaas-quadrant-photodiodes/

#Lasers now measured in #petawatts (one quadrillion watts) are now commonly used for high-energy research. Some researchers are planning #exawatt power systems. As lasers become ever more powerful, the demands placed on optical components grow in complexity and scale. The higher the power, the greater the laser damage threshold (#LDT) needed. To some extent new challenges can be mitigated by using large #optics. Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/what-changes-when-manufacturing-and-using-large-vs-small-optics/

Laser-welded screw joints are gaining traction, but guaranteeing their reliability remains a key challenge. A fully automated system for real-time, 100% inspection of laser-welded screws has been developed. By combining LTB’s laser and acoustic technologies with AI-based signal analysis. The team aims to detect defects like pores or cracks immediately after welding — thus ensuring maximum safety and quality. Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/developing-ai-based-testing-of-laser-welded-screws/

Infrared technology has been used for millennia in noncontact #temperature measurements. For example, fire was the target and the eye was the detector, observing how the color emitted by a flame varied based on temperature. Today, #pyrometry is the primary technique of noncontact temperature #measurement. Pyrometry is a method of calculating the temperature of an item remotely, using measurements of a target’s thermal radiation (infrared light). Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/introduction-to-ingaas-over-ingaas-ratio-pyrometry/

A case study shows how a build-up of debris on optical chamber windows and debris shields was undermining the efficiency and output quality of a client’s #AdditiveManufacturing for aerospace operation. Worse still, ineffective #cleaning techniques were actually making the problem worse. Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/are-dirty-windows-impairing-your-additive-manufacturing-operation/

A newly developed multiplane structured illumination #microscopy (#SIM) system achieves an 8× increase in volumetric imaging speed, capturing rapid interactions within live cells. Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/live-cell-super-resolution-imaging-with-fast-3d-sim/

Wildfires are a growing global problem. The application of Earth observation (#EO) for early remote detection of #wildfires typically offers two key approaches. First, observers can attempt to identify chemical absorption bands of interest, such as potassium, that can be indicative as precursors to wildfire. More common is the use of #ThermalImaging to look for hot spots, or specific heat profiles, in long-wavelength infrared (#LWIR) bands. Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/fire-detectors-in-orbit/

Xiton Photonics is developing a deep ultraviolet (#DUV), solid-state #laser designed to replace conventional, frequency-doubled, argon-ion gas lasers currently used in fiber Bragg grating (#FBG) inscription. The new system is expected to reduce energy consumption by up to a factor of 100, enabling annual CO₂ savings of approximately 180 tons per system, operated in two-shift mode. Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/advancing-ultraviolet-laser-technology-project-fels-244/

Today’s infrastructure wasn’t built to withstand the looming threat of #QuantumComputing. With fragmented #cryptography and vendor sprawl, staying ahead is harder than ever — especially when time is of the essence. Gain full control of your key exchange plane, while integrating seamlessly across your existing encryption stack. Prepare for tomorrow’s quantum computing challenges. Learn more: https://ilphotonics.com/clarion-kx-addresses-growing-quantum-computing-threats/