”With this additional certification, FISBA AG in St.Gallen confirms a sustainable service level based on the highest international quality standards in medical devices. The entire organization has worked together to achieve this,” said Bernd Reiss, Director of Quality & EHS at FISBA AG. ”For our current and future customers in the medical device industry, we see ourselves as an important strategic and qualified partner and therefore proactively fulfill the corresponding internationally recognized requirements and regulatory frameworks. These are required from our customers for the marketing of their final medical devices, which must ensure a high level of patient safety/functional reliability during use.”

As an internationally recognized standard in the medical device industry, ISO13485:2016 defines guidelines for management responsibility, resource management, overall product realization, and continuous measurement, analysis, and improvement. In particular, the certification places high demands on the capabilities as well as compliance of all processes, to the qualification of employees, to the constant consideration of quality risks in the event of changes, and finally to a consistent assurance and complete traceability of the product quality based on its documentation throughout the entire value chain.

About FISBA
FISBA is a global company dedicated to shaping light through excellence in optical design, system engineering, high precision volume production and advanced optical coating. Specialties include aspherical/spherical microlenses, complex flat optics, precise/complex optical assemblies, sophisticated optical systems and compact laser modules. In the broad field of photonics, FISBA focuses on solutions for Life Sciences, Industrial Applications and Aerospace and Defense – always with the mission of empowering customers to exceed their goals. FISBA operates from its headquarters in Switzerland with subsidiaries in Germany, the US and China. The company is privately owned and employs over 360 people from 30 nations worldwide.

Media Contact
Silke Nielsen
Marketing and Communications
silke.nielsen(at)fisba.com
www.fisba.com | www.fisba.us

The acquisition of Gray Optics fits into FISBA’s strategy to provide unique photonic solutions directed at improving Health, Productivity and Security. By purchasing Gray Optics, FISBA expands engineering and development skills in North America. This furthers FISBA’s global goals and provides customers with highly skilled local development resources, reducing the distance, time, and cultural impacts of programs. “We expect this acquisition to have an immediate impact on our customers, offering vertically integrated product development and manufacturing capabilities (including AS9100 and ISO13485 production sites) and advanced production technologies to produce the highest quality and highest performance solutions available.” Said Wallace Latimer, President of FISBA North America.

“The combined capabilities of FISBA and Gray Optics along with the existing synergies between the companies, offer fantastic value to our customers. This acquisition completes the product development and manufacturing capabilities that we have been building for the past 5 years in the USA. I’m excited for the future of our team at Gray Optics and the success of the combined companies” said Dan Gray, Founder and President of Gray Optics.

About FISBA
The FISBA Group has a wholly owned subsidiary in North America focused on developing and supporting North American customers with our unique combination of engineering and high-volume production of micro-photonic assemblies and modules. FISBA is one of the world's leading suppliers in the optics industry and stands for excellence from optical design and system engineering to high-precision volume production and advanced optical coating since 1957. The company manufactures micro lenses down to 0.3 mm, complex flat optics, precise optical assemblies, advanced optical systems and compact laser modules, all from one source. FISBA focuses on solutions for Life Sciences, Industrial Applications and Aerospace & Defense. FISBA operates from its headquarters in Switzerland and subsidiaries in Germany, the USA and China. The company is privately owned.

About Gray Optics
Founded in 2018, Gray Optics, located in Portland Maine, has become a leader in developing precision optical systems and early-stage product development for biomedical and industrial applications. Our team consists of highly skilled engineers, program managers, and technicians with years of dedicated product development experience. Together, we provide world-class designs and product solutions for our customers. www.grayoptics.com

Media Contact
Silke Nielsen
Marketing and Communications
silke.nielsen(at)fisba.com
www.fisba.com | www.fisba.us

Contact:
Instrument Systems GmbH
Kastenbauerstr. 2
81677 München
E-Mail: info(at)instrumensystems.com
Internet: www.instrument-systems.com

Contact:
SphereOptics GmbH
Gewerbestrasse 13
82211 Herrsching
E-Mail: info(at)sphereoptics.de
Internet: www.sphereoptics.de

Learn more about the company’s history and the current situation here and get some exciting insights on the last 20 years and the company’s plans for the future in the interview with the CEO Jörg Muchametow.

More Information

Short list of key features in Version 11.3

Sorting of DSP algorithms – Improved sorting order of built-in
DSP algorithms, with updated categories for easy access and
implementation
• Pilot Symbols for DSP – New modules add/remove arbitrary
sequences of pilot symbols for pilot-aided DSP algorithms
• Pilot-aided DSP algorithms – New algorithms for frequency
offset compensation and maximum likelihood based carrier
phase recovery that exploit pilot symbols for single- and
multicarrier signals
• RS-based FEC – Enhanced FEC encoder/decoder to support
Reed-Solomon codes of user-definable codeword lengths
• PAM4 analysis – Direct calculation and display of signal metrics
for PAM4 signals in the Analyzer
• FSO channel – Enhanced model to simulate Gaussian beam
propagation through a turbulent atmospheric channel in a
satellite uplink and downlink
• PPM encoding – New M-ary pulse position modulator with any
number of bits per symbol using Gaussian-shaped pulses and
corresponding demodulator
• Raman pump optimizer – Enhanced module to support multiple
optimization wavelength ranges and pumps within them
• Interface to ZOS – New module interfacing to Zemax OpticStudio
to calculate the light coupling between two multimode
waveguides via an optical imaging system
• S-Matrix without phase – Extended PIC Elements modules to
support passive device modeling with absent or wrapped phase
information in device S-Matrix files
• Grating Coupler – New passive grating coupler with a measured
and behavioral model supporting various spectral transfer
functions
• SOA – Measured SOA with length independent model definition
and support of a chain of subsections to accurately calculate
device properties
• Parameter browser – New dialog to overview parameter usage,
search for a parameter, change parameter values in multiple
schematics at once
• Copy traces in Analyzers – Enhanced support to copy signals
between different Analyzer frames and Analyzer windows using
different axis units
• Python Debugging – New approach to debugging Python
cosimulation, simulation scripts, or initialization scripts based
on Microsoft Visual Studio Code
• Resource Replacement – Greatly simplified update of obsolete
module versions with redesigned Resource Replacement Wizard
Version 11.3 provides access to more than 900 ready-to-run
simulation setups. We added new and improved demo examples to
illustrate the application of the new features and modules.

Design Example – 800G FR-4 WDM for Ethernet Applications

This simulation setup demonstrates the transmission of 4*200G
FR-4 WDM channels with 112.5 Gbaud as specified by the 800G
Pluggable MSA technical specification [1]. Four wavelengthseparated
transmitters in the O-band emit a PAM4 signal each. The
outer FEC encoder utilizes Reed-Solomon RS(544,514) coding.
The setup shows the impact of bandwidth limitations on the system
performance and the capability of the RS-based FEC. BER pre-FEC
and post-FEC are used to evaluate the system performance.

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he latest development of Fraunhofer IPMS is a CMOS-integrated micro mirror array with two tilting axes per mirror and associated technology platform.

In addition to its use in the semiconductor industry, the innovation enables novel methods of imaging in microscopy, especially for biomedical applications. The latter are realized in cooperation with the “Fraunhofer center for Microelectronic and Optical Systems for Biomedicine" MEOS within the Fraunhofer IPMS.

At the 25th world's leading trade fair for photonics components, systems and applications - LASER - World of PHOTONICS - in Munich from April 26 to 29, visitors can find out about the latest developments at Fraunhofer IPMS. "One of our exhibits is the 2-axis tilting mirror demonstrator, which can be applied in optical beam steering, among other applications. In general, the micro mirrors of the IPMS spatial light modulators are individually tilted or deflected vertically, depending on the application, so that optical patterns are projected and thereby for example surface structures are formed," explains Dr. Michael Wagner, head of the Spatial Light Modulators (SLM) business unit at Fraunhofer IPMS. "Using the tilting mirror macromodels, visitors can also move the micro mirrors of the spatial light modulators themselves using a large model and gain an impression of the deflection functionalities that are possible," continues Dr. Wagner.

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The Mini-ECL is a single frequency laser diode with a super fine linewidth of typical 100 kHz. A stable performance is ensured by the integrated cavity in the hermetically sealed butterfly package. Moreover, wavelengths between 650 – 1100 nm are customizable upon request, opening more freedom across the spectrum. The standard product at 780 nm will mainly be used for spectroscopy (Rb D2 line), metrology and atomic clocks.

 
Product Highlights:
•    80 mW @ 780 nm
•    Small linewidth of typ. 100 kHz
•    Very good SMSR (typ. 50 dB)
•    Integrated beam collimation
•    Thermal management by integrated thermoelectric cooler and thermistor

The advantages of the Mini-ECL become very obvious when looking at the reduced complexity based on the integration of the cavity. Due to the ease of use, the robustness of the package and therefore scalability, not only research applications will benefit from this innovation but commercial and industry requirements are more easily fulfilled than with already available solutions. This will lead to outstanding results and applications along the value chain.  
The new 400 mW SM Laser Diode benefits from all mentioned advantages of the hermetically sealed butterfly packages as well. With its introduction, TOPTICA eagleyard highlights again its thrive for innovation as this unique product is the first single mode laser diode with a 400 mW output power from fiber at a wavelengths of 808 nm on the market. It is focused on power delivery with a center wavelength around the absorption peak 808 nm (a tighter tolerance can be achieved with FBG upon request). A brilliant polarization is achievable for higher efficiency.

The 400 mW SM Laser Diode will mainly be used as pump for fiber lasers, for optical tweezers and in optical communication.

Product Highlights:
•    400 mW single mode output ex-fiber @ 808 nm
•    CW operation
•    PM fiber output, plug and play with fiber pigtail
•    Thermal management by integrated thermoelectric cooler and thermistor

Four new products being launched within four months are not the only news from TOPTICA eagleyard: The company will present a new, modern logo at the LASER World of PHOTONICS along with several surprises at their booth #B5.331. 

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Whether you grow lettuce, peppers or cannabis, you need light. Dependency on sunlight and the seasons has been one of the main constraints of agriculture and horticulture for thousands of years. But one Berlin startup aims to change that.

Today we are interviewing Dr. Prashanth Makaram, founder of Crocus Labs, who with the support of HTGF, seed investor for innovative technologies and business, aim to revolutionize farming.

So Prash, congratulations on your successful financing round. What does Crocus Labs do?

We bring sunlight into indoor spaces in order to enable the farming of a wide variety of crops while utilizing as little resources as possible.

Did you discover an interest in gardening as a child, or why are you intent on changing how we grow stuff?

No, it was more that as an adult I became interested in the impact of agriculture on biodiversity. On trips to Costa Rica and to Madagascar I noticed the beauty and fragility of undisturbed nature. I started to look for ways to protect what is left of it. So much of today’s form of agriculture has a harmful impact on rainforests through deforestation and consequent biodiversity losses. So I wanted to do something in that area, and since I come from a technology background I wanted to do something with a technical angle to it.

So the question I was asking myself was, how can we change today’s agriculture practices? At that time I began to look at indoor farming, which as a market was starting to catch up. And I saw that maybe this could be a solution, if we can make it widely adoptable. So with Crocus Labs we basically try to enable vertical farms so that they can provide an alternative to today’s farms and in that way we can stop biodiversity losses. That is my main drive behind it all.

What are “vertical farms”?

Well, in a generic way you can say indoor farms can be either greenhouses or vertical farms. Vertical farms are what we call “controlled environment agriculture”. So you basically grow everything in a very controlled manner inside a building. The crops are stacked on top of each other. This means that the resources you are using, from land, water, to pesticides etc., are much lower. So you can grow a lot more in a smaller area and produce food where most people live, inside cities, to keep transportation short.

And your solution to make these vertical farms more efficient has to do with light. So how is your artificial light better than sunlight?

Well actually, we try to remake the sunlight indoors. So the problem with sunlight is on the one hand that we don’t get enough of it in big parts of Europe. In the Netherlands growers already use artificial lights in greenhouses. Vertical farms rely even heavier on artificial lights, because the plants are stacked. In vertical farms you cannot bring the light uniformly to all the plants all the way down the stack. If you have five or ten storeys of plants that you’re growing, sunlight usually hits only the top two and by the time you get to the bottom you don’t have any light. Actually most vertical farms do not even have glass ceilings.

So basically our idea is to recreate the sunlight using proprietary lighting technologies so that you get the same amount of light across all the plants but without creating a huge burden on electricity consumption.

One of the biggest problems at the moment for vertical farms is that although the idea is nice, they may grow a handful of crops but they also have a huge carbon footprint, because of how much electricity is being consumed. We want to reduce this footprint so that vertical farms can become more meaningful and competitive with other agriculture.

Taste is also a big challenge because the lighting solutions currently available are too far away from the sun’s spectrum.

How far are you on the way to achieving all that?

We had a pre-seed round last year and now we just closed a big round with the High-tech Gründerfonds. We have two major customers who are ready to pilot with us. One of them is a big strawberry producer in northern Germany, the other is a big Berlin company. So this year we will grow the team, and yeah, we’re actively recruiting at the moment!
Fruits growing on indoor plants taste just as good when provided with light that recreates sunlight’s natural spectrum.
A far cry from grandad’s greenhouse at the bottom of the garden – high-tech light recreates sunlight’s natural spectrum – © Crocus Labs

Now, you’re already claiming that your solution will be a lot more cost-effective than the competition. How so?

We talk about costs in terms of the whole thing, capital expenses plus operational expenses. So if for the same price we can give you lights that are much more efficient than the competition’s, then over the course of four or five years your total expenses are a lot less. So you get a lot more light output on the amount of Euros you spend, which means that your production costs are much lower. This is particularly interesting as you start growing higher value crops like berries.

So what is the core difference in the technology?

The core difference in technology is that we are the only company at the moment building lights from the ground up for this specific use case. We build our own LE diodes and our smart lighting systems make use of not only our proprietary LED technologies, but also sensor systems and advanced algorithms. And this goes back to our semiconductor know-how. We have been able to get a lot of light output with very little current.

This is one part of it. The second part is that we have been able to recreate the effects of real sunlight, which is crucial for taste. So these are the major advantages that we bring.

So there are surely more use cases for this new technology, right?

Yeah, there are. I think one of the biggest topics coming up is what is called “human-centric lighting”. In houses and office spaces they want to bring light that acts more like sunlight. If you look at many of today’s lights they mostly have a big blue peak, which means that is not very good for your sleep. So if you have white light on at night and then you try to go to sleep it affects your circadian rhythms. So human-centric lighting and lighting that matches the circadian rhythm is about getting people to sleep better and have better work schedules.

Your experience is in semiconductors. How much new stuff did you have to learn in the last couple of years?

A lot! Because this is the first time I am carrying my technical knowledge to farming. I don’t have anybody in the family with a farming background. So I had to learn a lot about indoor farming.

And lighting is not a space I was in before. I was in a lot of consumer sensors and medical devices, so lighting and how indoor lighting affects plants is something I had to learn over time. And also the whole complexity of light in the context of greenhouses and vertical farms. Not to mention how the lighting industry works.

Why did you choose Berlin as a base for Crocus Labs?

Berlin is my favorite European city. I did my PhD in the United States in Boston. I first came to Europe in Spain for my first startup, through which I had my initial introduction to Berlin because it was incorporated with Bayer pharmaceuticals. So I was here working with Bayer. And then I just fell in love with Berlin. It’s very cosmopolitan, it has a lot of energy, in terms of people it is a very human-centric city. It has this drive, creative as well as entrepreneurial.

My wife and I spent two years in Munich, but we very much prefer Berlin and desperately wanted to come back here. The one part is the human aspect, the second part is that there are very nice networks in Berlin, the universities and also the entrepreneurial startup networks. Berlin is a very welcoming city.

Where did the name Crocus Labs come from?

Back then we wanted to grow saffron, because saffron is a high-value crop, and crocus is basically the flower that gives you saffron. So that’s how we started Crocus Labs. We don’t do anything in saffron at the moment, so maybe we’ll re-brand at some point. Or we’ll keep it. It’s a nice name!

So this is, what, your third startup now?

Yeah.

So third time lucky?

I hope so!

2022 is going to be an exciting year for you. We wish you the best of luck!

Berlin, as one of Europe’s most exciting metropoli, may seem far removed from the countryside but could well be where the next revolution in farming technology originates.

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Major performance indicators are:
•    1064 nm
•    High output power (2 W)
•    Small spectral width (typ. 3 pm)
•    14 pin butterfly package
•    Very good SMSR (typ. > 50 dB)
•    Integrated beam collimation
•    Low residual divergence
•    Integrated thermal management by thermoelectric cooler and thermistor

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Prof. Martin Schell (Fraunhofer HHI) | Peter Krause (insenso GmbH) | Dr. Adrian Mahlkow (OUT e.V.) | Prof. Martin Roth (Leibniz- Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam) | De. Henning Schröder (Fraunhofer IZM) | Gerrit Rössler (Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH) | Ricarda Kafka (TRIOPTICS Berlin GmbH) | Jörg Muchametow (eagleyard Photonics GmbH) | David Mory (LLA Instruments GmbH & Co. KG)

• How it works:

As the centrepiece of the optical measurement lab, the SNOM uses optical spectroscopy to scan the surfaces of nanophotonic components. To do so, it focuses an incredibly narrow laser beam, with a smaller diameter than a waveguide, in the immediate proximity of the sample. Highly reliable measurements are also possible by using the evanescent field that is created around a surface when a light wave fades.   

• What it brings:

The SNOM gives researchers the ability to characterize nano-photonic components with extreme precision, at a resolution far below the diffraction limit for distortion-free imaging. The plans include the eponymous scanning near-field optical microscope for exploring the evanescent field of glass-embedded waveguides and optical nanofibers to optimize the interaction between light and matter as well as fluorescence microscopes for nanostructures (e.g. individual molecules, nitrogen-vacancy defects in diamonds, quantum dots, or nanocarbons).

Waveguide coupler

• How it works:

This large automated unit uses an integrated camera and search and optimization algorithms to couple several waveguides with a fibre array. The coupled light can then be detected at the waveguide’s output side.

• What it brings:

For glass-embedded waveguides to become usable in quantum technology, their production process has to be adjusted for the visible and IR light spectrum, with single-mode light guiding and minimal propagation losses. This has already been possible with a custom system built at Fraunhofer IZM, but the researchers hope to make the measuring processes much faster and more precise with the new facilities.

3D Glass Printer

• How it works:

The 3D glass printer uses ultrashort light impulses to model glass structures. Its surfaces can then be modified by etching. The printer unit is expected to be particularly useful for laser direct writing, that is, the use of a laser to create waveguides and other photonic structures like diffraction gratings directly in the glass. The system will also be able to drill microcavities or weld glass by heating up only the immediate target area to create transparent, but hermetically sealed glass-on-glass joints.

• What it brings:

The 3D glass printer opens up a world of possibilities: Level or curved optical surfaces can be created directly on the waveguides e.g. to activate quantum emitters. The novel weld joints will be crucial for thermally insulating quantum sensors or for producing miniature spectroscopy cells. The researchers expect a tenfold improvement over conventional technology in the roughness, precision, and reproducibility of glass structures created with this system.

Micro Ultra-High Vacuum Bonder

• How it works:

The new bonder will be used for laser soldering and other hermetic joining processes for glass in a vacuum. The highly focused laser beam is absorbed by the glass solder, heating it up to the melting temperature and creating a joint between two glass surfaces.

• What it brings:

The micro ultra-high vacuum bonder will be particularly useful for testing new ways to join glass surfaces. The key is to create joints that are hermetically sealed on the microlevel to allow the development of micro vacuum or micro gas cells or other thermally insulated designs.

Ultra-High Vacuum Vapor Deposition Unit

Highly Precise Vacuum Metalizing

• How it works:

In the ultra-high vacuum vapor deposition system, glass surfaces can be metallized with extremely fine coats of only a few nanometres, applied with a record precision of a single nanometre. This process is used to create semi-transparent metalized mirrors or to turn the metalized surfaces themselves into plasmonic guides.

• What it brings:

The system is taking the capabilities of conventional sputtering to the quantum technology domain. It can be used to create parallel or confocal gold coats with microscopically tiny cavities along the waveguide. When quantum emitters enter these cavities, the emission patterns change, and light particles are far more likely to be emitted in the direction of the waveguide.

Fraunhofer IZM is looking for research partners to tread new ground in application-driven system integration, especially assembly and packaging technologies, for quantum communication and quantum sensors.

The QuantumPackagingLab is supported by the State of Berlin with EFRE co-funding at an amount of €3,392,000.

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The full press release can be found here.

Lasermodule für Satelliten: von Kommunikation bis Klimaschutz

Weitere Lasermodule entwickelt das FBH für Satellitenanwendungen. Laserdiodenbänke (LDB) des Instituts werden seit vielen Jahren erfolgreich als Pumplaser in Laserkommunikationsterminals (LCT) der Firma Tesat-Spacecom eingesetzt. Damit werden unter anderem hohe Datenmengen der Erdbeobachtung besonders schnell zwischen Satelliten und zur Erde übertragen. Die LDBs werden nach den Standards der Europäischen Weltraumorganisation (ESA) für Weltraumanwendungen entwickelt und qualifiziert. Deren Wellenlänge wird so auf das Pump-Übergangsband eines Nd:YAG-Lasers stabilisiert, dass der Laserstrahl des Pumplasers die stabile LCT-Leistung gewährleistet. Hinzu kommt die exzellente Zuverlässigkeit über die gesamte 15-jährige Lebensdauer der Mission.

Das FBH zeigt auch ein DBR-Laserarray-Modul, das dank eines auf Chipebene integrierten, die Wellenlänge stabilisierenden Bragg-Reflektors sowohl ein geringes Rauschen als auch eine hohe Zuverlässigkeit bietet. Die Eignung derartiger Module wurde für einen Dauerbetrieb von mehr als 15 Jahren nachgewiesen. Damit qualifizieren sie sich als Flughardware für die nächsten LCT-Weltraummissionen. Ein weiterer Pumplaser soll künftig auf dem Klimasatelliten MERLIN eingesetzt werden, der die Methankonzentration in der Atmosphäre messen soll. Dafür hat das FBH Lasermodule entwickelt, qualifiziert und geliefert, die jeweils mit zwei Hochleistungslaser-Halbbarren ausgestattet sind. Diese Module liefern 130 W gepulste Emission bei 808 nm und pumpen einen Nd:YAG-Laser. Die Leistungsfähigkeit und Zuverlässigkeit über die gesamte Missionsdauer wurde anhand umfangreicher Qualifikationen der Technologie nachgewiesen und vom ESA-Technologiezentrum ESTEC bestätigt. So degradiert die Leistung selbst bei einer langen Betriebsdauer von über vier Milliarden Pulsen nur unwesentlich.

Energieeffiziente Komponenten für Satellitenkommunikation und -sensorik

Wegen ihrer hohen Strahlungshärte und der möglichen hohen Schaltfrequenzen eignen sich Galliumnitrid (GaN)-Schalttransistoren besonders für das Power Conditioning in Satelliten. Der vom FBH neu entwickelte 10 A/400 V Aluminiumnitrid Power Core mit GaN-Leistungstransistoren in Halbbrücken-Konfiguration minimiert Streuinduktivitäten und Kapazitäten der Schaltzelle. Dabei werden Leistungsschalter, Gatetreiber und DC-Link-Kondensatoren extrem kompakt heterointegriert und die Wärme wird effizient durch das Aluminiumnitrid-Substrat abgeführt. So konnten die Schaltzeiten der Leistungszelle gegenüber einem traditionellen Aufbau mit diskreten Bauelementen halbiert werden. Hohe Schaltfrequenzen bei gleichzeitig hohem Konverter-Wirkungsgrad sind die Voraussetzung für Leistungskonverter mit besonders hoher Leistungsdichte. Ein zentraler Aspekt, da jedes Gramm im Weltraum zählt.

Stromverbrauch und Verlustleistung sind weitere kritische Punkte beim Betrieb von Leistungsverstärkern im Weltraum. Daher entwickelt das FBH Konzepte zum Envelope Tracking – eine bekannte Technik, um die Effizienz von Hochfrequenz-Leistungsverstärkern zu steigern.

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Professor Martin Roth from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) is being honoured with the Instrument Development Award for his significant work on the development of 3D spectroscopy, his outstanding contributions to the research and development of astrophotonics, to the teaching and training of young scientists in astronomical instrumentation, and to the resulting advances in the astrophysical study of resolved stellar populations. Under his leadership, the PMAS instrument was a breakthrough in the observational technique of integral field spectroscopy, crowned by the successes of MUSE and VIRUS, producing internationally visible science results. He also been a pioneer in multi-disciplinary research, and transfer of knowledge and technology, e.g., the use of astronomical instrumentation for medicine and life science. His achievements include the establishment of the interdisciplinary centre innoFSPEC, which is dedicated to the development of astrophotonic technologies and is unique in Germany.

With the Ludwig-Biermann-Award, the AG honours Fabian Schneider, junior group leader at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS), for his work on the study of the evolution of massive stars, binary stars and supernovae. His research achievements led to numerous and highly cited publications. He is considered an internationally recognized expert in his field. Fabian Schneider received his PhD at the University of Bonn in 2015. He then moved to Oxford University as a Hintze Fellow. In 2018 he became a Gliese Fellow at the Center for Astronomy at Heidelberg University. In 2020, he received an ERC Starting Grant, and started to establish a research group focused on stellar evolution theory and the turbulent and explosive lives of massive stars at HITS in January 2021.

For her spectacular results on the chemical composition and dynamics of stars in the inner regions of our Milky Way, the AG awards the Doctoral Thesis Prize to Anke Arentsen. She received her PhD from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) and is currently a postdoc at the astronomical observatory in Strasbourg. Her PhD thesis was dedicated to Galactic Archeology and the oldest stars in our home galaxy. Anke Arentsen made important contributions to the understanding of the Milky Way and what it looked like at its infancy. She published the scientific results of her dissertation in several publications and successfully presented them at international conferences and public lectures.

The AG awards the Bruno H. Bürgel Prize to Uwe Reichert, for excellent popular representations of the latest astronomy results in the German media. As editor-in-chief of the astronomy magazine Sterne und Weltraum, Uwe Reichert played a leading role in determining the development and content of the magazine for over 13 years, and was extremely adept at adapting the editorial and technical practices to the new challenges of the digital media world. Sterne und Weltraum is the leading German language publication for generally accessible astronomy. It is a globally unique cooperation between active professional astronomers, the amateur astronomy community, and science journalists. It is characterised by outstanding quality, educational materials, an internet platform with daily astronomy news, and a very successful Twitter and Youtube channel.

Lukas Weghs, from the Städtisches Gymnasium Kempen, receives a special price from the AG for the best work in the field of astronomy in the national competition "Jugend forscht" (youth's research). With his work "Photometric search for Exomoons by using deep learning and a convolutional neuronal network", which he developed at the Institute of Planetary Research at DLR in Berlin, he was also the national winner in the field of space and earth sciences. Lukas developed a self-learning program for a high-performance computer that supports the search for moons around exoplanets. The program systematically analyses deviations in the light curve of transit events that cannot be explained by the transiting planet alone. It thus provides clues to the possible existence of exomoons.

The award ceremonies will take place during the virtual annual meeting of the German Astronomical Society from September 13-17, 2021.

 

Photos and Credits:

Jocelyn Bell Burnell: Courtesy Royal Society of Edinburgh
Martin Roth: BMBF
Fabian Schneider: Annette Mück / HITS
Anke Arentsen: private
Uwe Reichert: private

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>> more information

Kontakt:
TOPTICA Photonics AG
Lochhammer Schlag 19
82166 Graefelfing
E-Mail: info(at)toptica.com
Internet: www.toptica.com

• Agriculture (scanning technology and infrared imaging to monitor food production and quality, and sensor systems for planting and irrigation)
• Green Energy Sources (LED lighting and Photovoltaic devices used for solar electric panels)
• Information Communications Technology (optics for data storage, transmission across fibre-optic networks and displays)
• Life Sciences (testing and analysis devices such as non-invasive glucose monitors and point-of-care and wearable diagnostics)
• Medical Technology (lasers for surgery, photodynamic therapy, smart surgical instruments).

Europe is a global leader in the development of photonics technologies, with much of this innovation generated through research funded by the European Commission. The new academy will allow European workforces access to state-of-the-art photonics technologies and advanced methods of photonics manufacturing through structured training and education. To-date, 40 training centres across Europe have been selected for funding, with 10 more to be announced later this year. Critically all regions of Europe will have access to training, including those with little or no expertise in photonics, with centres as far apart as Ireland, Spain, Finland and Greece.

Three types of training courses are available:

• Online Training, geared towards new entrants to the photonics sector providing a half-day introduction to photonics and an overview of the key enabling power of photonics technologies for wide-ranging applications.
• Demo Centres, offering one-day training courses on-site with a focus on particular photonics technology applications.
• Experience Centres, offering in-depth three-day or five-day training courses with a strong focus on lab-based activities and hands-on working using state-of-the-art equipment and application demonstrator tools.

People wishing to attend any of the Online Training, or either of the Demo or Experience Centre training courses, can browse the training catalogue via the PhotonHub website and register for the particular course of interest to them.

Further details about PhotonHub’s extensive Online Training, and Demo and Experience Centre training courses, can be found in the HERE.

SOURCE

Collectively, more than 20 papers in different areas of astrophotonics, and their applications in instruments for astronomy, are being published from research communities worldwide. Dr Kalaga Madhav, head of the research group Astrophotonics at AIP, summarises the publications: “The articles from research groups around the world cover a broad range of astrophotonic topics, such as interferometric beam combiners to create extremely sharp images, e.g. of stellar surfaces or the environment of black holes, miniaturized spectrographs “on-a-chip” for next generation space telescopes, high precision frequency combs for the detection of exoplanets, and many more. The activities of the Astrophotonics group at AIP are prominently reflected in as many as six publications, after all a quarter of the papers in the feature issue”.

The launch of this feature issue celebrates the ongoing progress in astrophotonics and its incorporation into instrument designs: Fibre-based spectroscopy, which started with novel designs at the onset of innoFSPEC, is now an established and trusted technology and is included in instruments such as the future telescope 4MOST. The same development is foreseen for astrophotonics at innoFSPEC, and the researchers are already establishing collaborations and testing their components at telescopes and in astronomical instruments. With reference to the future of astrophotonics, section head of innoFSPEC professor Martin Roth states enthusiastically, ”The emerging area of astrophotonics has already supported important discoveries in astronomy, e.g. the ground breaking work of Nobel laureate Reinhard Genzel about the black hole in the Galactic Center. Given the level of maturity and reliability that this technology has now reached, we expect that innoFSPEC, in collaboration with international partners such as the European Southern Observatory (ESO), will launch more exciting innovations”.

The excellence centers innoFSPEC in Germany and CUDOS in Australia were the first research groups to focus on exploring the diverse research areas under astrophotonics. However, the publication of this feature issue indicates that the emerging area of astrophotonics has now gathered momentum in many countries. The agreement for a joint astrophotonics research collaboration, signed between AIP and ESO in 2020, is another indication for the growing importance of the field. The editorial team of the feature issue consisted of nine members in total, with Professor Joss Bland-Hawthorn, an ARC Laureate Fellow Professor of Physics and Director of the Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIFA) as the lead editor.

“As researchers in astrophotonics, we see how fast the field advances. With the feature issue, we wanted to provide a platform to showcase the progress and highlight this relatively young topic to scientists from other research fields. As experimental physicists, being guest editors for a journal was new to us. It was an exciting experience to be engaged in every level of the entire publication process, especially in the exchange with authors, journal staff, and the community. Accompanying the manuscript from submission through peer review, finally leading to a high-quality publication, is very rewarding”, say Aline Dinkelaker and Aashia Rahman, who since 2019 have been focusing on bringing the idea of this feature issue from conception to fruition.

Source

Source

Kontakt:
Instrument Systems Optische Messtechnik GmbH
Kastenbauerstr. 2
81677 München
E-Mail: info(at)instrumensystems.com
Internet: www.instrument-systems.com

SOURCE

Source

The ISLC is dedicated to latest developments in semiconductor lasers, amplifiers and LEDs. Itrepresentsexcellence from all global regions and in all areas of currently active semiconductor laser research. The program committee has selected the top 100 papers for oral and poster presentations  from  the  conference submissions.  An  extensive  program  complementsthe conference, including renowned speakers and workshops on topics such as automotive LiDAR and photodetection.

The program with all contributions will soon be available on the conference website, which will be   continuously   updated –among  other   things, a   post-deadline  session   is   planned: www.islc2021.org.

Register now for the ISLC

Registration for participation is now open on the conference website –until July30at the Early Bird price.For more information, please click here: https://www.islc2021.org/registration

More about ISLC

The ISLC has more than 50years of tradition, attended by a highly international audience and with  locations  cycling  between  the  Americas,  Asia/Australia  and  Europe/Mid-East/Africa regions every two years. Since its founding, many new and ground-breaking semiconductor devices have been first presented at this conference. The ISLC was last in Germany in 2002. ISLC 2021and the associated exhibition areorganized by the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Berlin and supported by IEEE Photonics Society as technical sponsor.

Topics include: semiconductor optical amplifiers, silicon compatible lasers, VCSELs, photonic band-gap  and  microcavity  lasers,  grating  controlled  lasers,  multi-segment  and  ring  lasers, quantum  cascade  and  interband  laser,  sub-wavelength  scale  nanolasers,  mid  IR  and  THz sources,  InP,  GaAs  and  Sb  materials,  quantum  dot  lasers,  high  power  and  high-brightness lasers,  GaN  and  ZnSe  based  UV  to  visible lasers  and LEDs,  communications  lasers, semiconductor integrated optoelectronics.

SOURCE

Espoo, Finland; and Itzehoe, Germany, May 25, 2021 - Dispelix, the world leader in Waveguide Displays for Augmented Reality Eyewear, and OQmented, the global leader in developing high performance MEMS mirror-based ultracompact projectors, have entered a strategic partnership to collaborate on the development and commercialization of MEMS-based laser beam scanning (LBS) technology. OQmented LBS MEMS technology contributes unmatched performance and is noted to be exceptionally compatible with Dispelix’s LBS waveguides for top-notch AR applications.

The full press release can be found here.

The LaSAR Alliance was established to create an ecosystem to enable the efficient design and manufacture of augmented reality (AR) wearable devices, including smart glasses and headmounted displays. The alliance aims to facilitate the exchange and sharing of information, to create, build and grow effective and compelling LBS (Laser Beam Scanning) -based solutions and to help drive the growth of the market for AR wearables in general.

“LaSAR welcomes OQmented to the Alliance and looks forward to their contributions to building the solid foundation on which we can all drive the growth of augmented reality wearable devices through laser beam scanning solutions,” said Dr. Bharath Rajagopalan, Chair of the LaSAR Alliance and Director, Strategy Marketing at STMicroelectronics. “OQmented offers 25 years of experience in the development of customized, ultracompact, resonant 1D and bi-resonant 2D MEMS scanners, and we expect their participation to further fuel the technology and grow this dynamic market.”

The use cases for augmented reality technology are manifold: remote collaboration in theworkplace, training situations, education, manufacturing or entertainment are among them. PwC estimates that by 2030, virtual and augmented reality will boost the global GDP by USD 1.5 trillion.1 OQmented is developing technology that is a key enabler for AR mobile and stationary devices. The company has a strong background in electronics, drive and sync, combined with software expertise. Their unique Lissajous scan pattern and the vacuum encapsulation Bubble MEMS® technology2 enable highest resolution, lowest energy consumption and smallest chip size, at the same time guaranteeing long-term reliability for the hermetically sealed micro mirrors.

“We are excited about the forum that LaSAR provides to exchange with the other members and potential partners and strongly believe that the creation of a dynamic network is a crucial step for the advancement of AR wearables,” said Dr. Ulrich Hofmann, CEO/CTO and co-founder of OQmented. “With our unique Lissajous scan pattern and the Bubble MEMS® technology, OQmented can contribute complementary solutions to the alliance which did not exist this way before, providing new possibilities for the potential customers. Numerous applications can profit from this key enabling technology,” he added.

For more information about the LaSAR Alliance visit lasaralliance.org

Contact:
OptoSigma Europe SAS
Fuerstenrieder Str. 279a
81377 Munich
E-Mail: a.haunholter(at)optosigma-europe.com
Internet: www.optosigma.com

The official press release can be found here.

 » More information

Contact:
LASER COMPONENTS GmbH
Werner-von-Siemens-Str. 15
82140 Olching
E-Mail: info(at)lasercomponents.com
Internet: www.lasercomponents.com

About VI Systems GmbH
VI Systems GmbH, based in Berlin, Germany, is a fabless developer and manufacturer of components for optical communication and sensing. More information about VI Systems is available at www.v-i-systems.com

 
Press Contact:
George Schaefer
VI Systems GmbH
Hardenbergstrasse 7
10623 Berlin, Germany
phone: +49 30 30 831 43 41
fax:    +49 30 30 831 43 59
email:  George.Schaefer(at)v-i-systems.com

The next photonics start-up graduate seminar will be organized by OpTecBB in the next winter semester starting in late October 2021 in Berlin (questions/suggestions/inquiries are very welcome optecbb(at)optecbb.de). 

In the precursor project “Insect Laser”, supported by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food and partners, a solution was developed at Fraunhofer IZM to protect the agricultural stock from contamination by grain weevils and Indian meal moths. Though barely four millimeters long, these pests can cause significant economic damage and carry diseases.

It is common practice to fumigate storage spaces with chemicals only after an infestation with harmful insects. These chemicals, such as hydrogen phosphide, are deadly to the insects but can be used only sparingly. When used more frequently, residues on the stock can cause health hazards to humans and, above all, environmental pollution.

To reduce the use of chemical protective agents, the researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Integration IZM set out to combine laser technology and automated image recognition to reliably ensure the safety of agricultural products. The project was coordinated by the Julius Kühn Institute in Berlin.

The researchers detect the moment of infestation before the pests can spread throughout the stocks. Using an image-processing method developed by the BTU Cottbus (Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus), the small pests are detected on the surface of the supplies or on walls. An AI system then analyzes and classifies the insects and compares them against reference images. Such algorithms for image recognition are already established in countless applications. In this project, however, the wide variety of dimensions was especially challenging, since harmful insects that are only a few millimeters in size need to be reliably detected in the warehouses. This had to be taken into account in the design and production of the IZM laser system.

Once the position of a pest is known, a fine laser beam is directed to the relevant coordinates via radio by a scanner, rendering the corn weevil or Indian meal moth harmless. Because of the low temperature and intensity of the laser, the grains located underneath are unaffected.  By using a laser system, direct primary infestation is prevented, so that insects harmful to supplies do not spread in the first place.

The Fraunhofer IZM researchers in Berlin examined how different wavelengths and light beam intensities influenced the movement behavior of the pests and found that the infrared light had the lowest effect on the characteristic movement behavior used to identify the animals. The researchers were also significantly involved in developing the laser system, and initially created a laboratory setup. Following successful testing, they transferred this set-up into a compact insect laser system consisting of several units for use in test cells.

They also developed the interfaces for software and hardware between camera, laser, and scanner.

With these activities, Fraunhofer IZM is opening up to projects that will increase digitalization and automation in agriculture. In doing so, the researchers integrate optical sensors and electronic controls into unique systems and ensure that these can be manufactured efficiently and used sustainably.

(Text: Olga Putsykina)

PR-Contact:

Susann Thoma
Tel.: +49 30 46403-745
Email: susann.thoma(at)izm.fraunhofer.de 

Contact:
Instrument Systems Optische Messtechnik GmbH
Kastenbauerstr. 2
81677 München
E-Mail: info(at)instrumensystems.com
Internet: www.instrument-systems.com

“Partnering with ASE Optics gives us the unique chance to provide a closer, more personal and still experienced support of our products to our customers in the Spanish Market.
We trust ASE Optics’ great experience and knowledge in the photonics market to perfectly complement our desire to have a more global reach of our services. This partnership opens even more possibilities for industries and researchers in Spain, from OEM projects to special products in addition to off the shelf components. We are ready to take on your challenges, “says Guy EAR, CEO of OptoSigma Europe S.A.S

"Photonics product development and research require having an access to quality products with the possibility for customized solutions. OptoSigma brings this balance to the market, coupled with a solid team with global experience, and with a clear dedication to customer satisfaction, which we have witnessed first-hand.  This partnership with OptoSigma perfectly complements ASE’s capabilities for optical and photonics systems engineering, allowing us to bring solutions to the Spanish photonics market.  This enables new opportunities in advancing innovations, quality products, customization, all the way through full integration capabilities, from unique products to series production “, says Andrés Cifuentes, CEO of ASE Optics Europe.

 » More information

Contact:
OptoSigma Europe SAS
Fuerstenrieder Str. 279a
81377 Munich
E-Mail: sales(at)optosigma-europe.com
Internet: www.optosigma.com

Further information

Contact:
CSEM SA
Rue Jaquet-Droz 1
2002 Neuchâtel
Schweiz
Email: info(at)csem.ch
Internet:www.csem.ch

Further Information

Contact:
GIGAHERTZ Optik Vertriebsgesellschaft für technische Optik mbH
An der Kälberweide 12
82299 Türkenfeld
E-Mail: info(at)gigahertz-optik.de
Internet: www.gigahertz-optik.de

Contact:
SphereOptics GmbH
Gewerbestrasse 13  
82211 Herrsching
E-Mail: info@sphereoptics.de
Internet: www.sphereoptics.de

Contact:
Multiphoton Optics GmbH
Friedrich-Bergius-Ring 15
D-97076 Würzburg
E-Mail: press(at)multiphoton.de
Internet: https://multiphoton.net

For more information visit the TOPTICA Difference Frequency Comb webpage

Contact:
TOPTICA Photonics AG
Lochhammer Schlag 19
82166 Graefelfing
E-Mail: info(at)toptica.com
Internet: www.toptica.com

With the innovative SphereSpectro 150H spectrometer system from Gigahertz-Optik the absolute absorption coefficient can now also be determined for scattering media independent of the scattering properties of the turbid medium. At the same time, the effective scattering coefficient of the sample is determined, which provides additional information about the microstructure of the sample. This is a unique feature, which is not otherwise available on the market. The determined absorption coefficient is identical with the absorption coefficient determined conventionally for clear media and can be used for content determinations, for example. The SphereSpectro 150H uses an integrating sphere to measure the total reflected and transmitted light of an illuminated sample. From these two quantities, the absorption coefficient and the effective scattering coefficient are calculated based on the radiative transfer equation.

The SphereSpectro 150H covers the wavelength range between 200 nm and 2150 nm. Modular versions are also available for sub-ranges within this entire spectral range. The unique measuring system is also characterized by simple operation, short measurement times and a large sample chamber with optimized sample holder whilst keeping overall size to a minimum.

Further information

Contact:
GIGAHERTZ Optik Vertriebsgesellschaft für technische Optik mbH
An der Kälberweide 12
82299 Türkenfeld
E-Mail: info(at)gigahertz-optik.de
Internet: www.gigahertz-optik.de

@Axel Haunholter, MS in Photonics and BS in Physics, has over 6 years’ experiences in the field of Photonics since he graduated from the Munich University of Applied Science. Axel’s success is due to his involvement and passion in his work.  He is always willing and pleased to support requirements and challenges from customers.
@Andreas Bichler, BS in Engineering, since he graduated from the Munich University of Applied Science, Andreas has always kept growing his experience in the Photonics and Engineering field. His attitude is always “Ready to help” customers. A highly customer-orientated mind-set which fits very well into OptoSigma’s company culture.

Contact:
www.optosigma.com

Right in the picture:
Axel Haunholter
+49 151 1230148
a.haunholter(at)optsigma-europe.com 

Left in the picture
Herr Andreas Bichle
+49 151 12309305
a.bichler(at)optosigma-europe.com

Kontakt:
TOPTICA Photonics AG
Lochhammer Schlag 19
82166 Graefelfing
E-Mail: info(at)toptica.com
Internet: www.toptica.com

Contact:
SphereOptics GmbH
Gewerbestr. 13
82211 Herrsching am Ammersee
E-Mail: info@sphereoptics.de
Internet: www.sphereoptics.de

Furthermore, this enhancement does not only apply to brand-new devices: By applying the latest firmware and software updates, this new feature also becomes available for devices that have been out in the field for many years. Updates are offered on request. 

Further information

Contact:
GIGAHERTZ Optik Vertriebsgesellschaft für technische Optik mbH
An der Kälberweide 12
82299 Türkenfeld
E-Mail: info(at)gigahertz-optik.de
Internet: www.gigahertz-optik.de

The X-1-1-UV-3726 radiometer measures UV-C irradiance over a very wide dynamic range to beyond 100 mW / cm² with a resolution of 0.0001 µW / cm².  It is calibrated for its spectral responsivity from 250 nm to 300 nm. Wavelength dependent calibration factors given in 5 nm increments are incorporated for measuring UV LEDs with known nominal wavelength. Additionally, a 254 nm calibration is included for Hg lamps as well as a general purpose 260 nm to 290 nm calibration for non-specific UV-C LEDs.

The X1-1-UV-3726 offers sufficient sensitivity to check for safety compliance and the effectiveness of personal protection equipment (PPE) in accordance with the accepted occupational exposure limit to actinic UV (ICNIRP). This requires irradiance levels to be < 0.2 µW/cm2 at 254 nm and < 0.1 µW/cm2 at 270 nm over 8 hour’s exposure.

The handheld meter provides a real time display of irradiance or dose and includes a peak-hold function. The device may also be operated via its USB interface. Each meter is supplied with a traceable calibration certificate from the Gigahertz-Optik laboratory.
https://www.gigahertz-optik.de/en-us/product/x1-1-uv-3726

Contact:
GIGAHERTZ Optik Vertriebsgesellschaft für technische Optik mbH
An der Kälberweide 12
82299 Türkenfeld
E-Mail: info(at)gigahertz-optik.de
Internet: www.gigahertz-optik.de

The T-RACK – TOPTICA’s high quality, rugged 19” cabinet with modular power entry unit, professional cable and heat management – can house a multitude of different modules. All of these laser modules consist of a laser head with fiber-coupled optical output and are equipped with the renowned digital laser controller DLC pro. They are conveniently and reliably operated, easily remotely controlled and offer ultimate performance, previously only possible for operation in research-grade laboratories on optical tables.

Key features:

• Rack-mountable & rack-mounted diode laser and frequency comb modules
• Fiber-coupled optical output of 330..1625 nm
• Convenient remote control
• Complete solutions based on different subsystems including frequency stabilization
• Quantum-technology-approved performance in industrial footprint

Based on its profound expertise in quantum technology, TOPTICA also offers complete rack laser systems: dedicated or customized solutions that work perfectly together from day one.

For any further information please consult our web page at: www.toptica.com/T-RACK

Contact:
TOPTICA Photonics AG
Lochhamer Schlag 19
82166 Graefelfing, Germany
E-Mail: info(at)toptica.com
Internet: www.toptica.com

“The expansion of our US operations was a logical next step to heighten our exposure and is in line with our overall growth strategy.” said Simon Kocur, Director of Sales and Service Menlo USA. “Menlo Systems has seen a significant increase in demand due to its unparalleled expertise in Optical Precision Metrology. This new location will be instrumental in meeting our partners and customers needs in the western part of the US. It will enable us to fulfill our mission to be at the forefront of emerging and exciting new applications.”

Kontakt:
Menlo Systems
E-Mail: ussales(at)menlosystems.com
Internet: www.menlosystems.com

The EU directive 2011/65/EU on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS 2) contains a list of chemical elements and compounds that may no longer be used in electronic products. This includes lead in concentrations above 0.1%. The legislators are primarily concerned with tin solder that contains lead. However, this heavy metal is also a crucial component in the PbS and PbSe detectors manufactured by the LASER COMPONENTS Detector Group.

Manufacturers can apply for exemptions from this rule if a product is indispensable for certain applications. Annex IV, point 1c of the directive explicitly mentions lead used in infrared detectors. Together with its customers, LASER COMPONENTS has formed a consortium that has been able to prove that an alternative to using lead salt detectors in certain areas is not available.

“Many SMEs would simply be overwhelmed with the burden of EU law if they tried to take it on themselves,” says Sven Schreiber, who coordinated the activities at LASER COMPONENTS. “As a well-known player in the international detector market, we have taken the initiative. We are confident that our application will be granted. This would benefit all market participants for another seven years. At that time, the exemption will be renewed.”

>> More information

Your contact person:
Walter Fiedler
+49 (0) 8142 2864-729
w.fiedler(at)lasercomponents.com

This paves the way for a future improvement of some of the most sensitive instruments ever created: optical clocks and gravitational wave detectors. Both benefit from transferring the ultimate stability to a specific wavelength.

Read the text online. Download a high-resolution image here.

TOPTICA Photonics AG
Lochhamer Schlag 19
82166 Graefelfing, Germany
www.toptica.com

---------------------------------------

TOPTICA has been developing and manufacturing high-end laser systems for scientific and industrial applications for 20 years. Our portfolio includes diode lasers, ultrafast fiber lasers, terahertz systems and frequency combs. The systems are used for demanding applications in biophotonics, industrial metrology and quantum technology. TOPTICA is renowned for providing the widest wavelength coverage of diode lasers on the market, providing high-power lasers even at exotic wavelengths.
Today, TOPTICA employs 300 people worldwide in six business units (TOPTICA Photonics AG, eagleyard Photonics GmbH, TOPTICA Projects GmbH, TOPTICA Photonics Inc. USA, TOPTICA Photonics K.K. Japan, and TOPTICA Photonics China) with a consolidated group turnover of € 60 million.

For the CAS 125 spectroradiometer, Instrument Systems decided to equip the device with a CMOS sensor that is linked to a specially developed electronic readout circuit. This combination enables very low measurement times of 0.01 milliseconds while simultaneously optimizing long-term stability. The spectrograph design is based on the high-end CAS 140D device, which is already well established in the market. This gives the CAS 125 a level of optical performance comparable to that of the CAS 140D in terms of both stray light suppression and optical throughput. The device-specific electronic readout circuit enables time-optimized control of the spectrometer through parameterization of successive measurements in Recipe mode on the CAS 125. This eliminates the time-consuming step of communicating with the PC to initialize each subsequent stage of the measurement process.

Another unique feature of the CAS 125 sensor is its built-in temperature stabilization feature. This results in dark current behavior that is independent of the ambient conditions, enabling the CAS 125 to ensure optimum long-term stability even in environments where temperatures fluctuate. A further highlight is the ability to parameterize the flash trigger. This element helps users synchronize the spectrometer with other system components, for example by triggering a photodiode measurement.

These key features – temperature stabilization and Recipe mode – are two of the CAS 125’s unique selling points. They significantly improve automated processes in LED production, thus boosting productivity.

www.instrumentsystems.com

Company portrait of Instrument Systems GmbH
Instrument Systems GmbH, founded in Munich in 1986, develops, manufactures and markets all-in-one solutions for light measurement applications. Its core products are array spectrometers and imaging colorimeters. The company’s main fields of activity are LED/SSL and display metrology, spectral radiometry and photometry, where today Instrument Systems is one of the world’s leading manufacturers. The Optronik line of products for the automotive industry and traffic technology is developed and marketed at its Berlin facility. Instrument Systems has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Konica MinoIta Group since 2012.

“Multiphoton Optics’ technology allows us to inexpensively offer miniaturized laser sources for infrared sensing. This allows our customers to save time and money and build much more compact sensors.”, says Dr. Johannes Koeth, CEO of nanoplus.

The high-precision 3D printing from Multiphoton Optics is integrated into the existing production processes of nanoplus.

Dr. Ruth Houbertz, CEO & Managing Director of MPO, says: “In more than 15 years of collaboration with industrial customers, we have brought two-photon polymerization from research laboratories to practical industrial manufacturing. With our pay-per-use model, users drastically reduce their time to market, minimize their investment costs, and pay per manufactured quantities.“

www.multiphoton.net

www.nanoplus.com

Now that all the elements are in place and ready for use, the creators have organised a walk-around event. In addition to workshops showcasing the individual stages of microelectronic hardware development, the key notes were a special highlight. Mike Richardson, Founder and Technical Advisor – but also a container user himself at SAF – explained to the audience what the nerds of the future will look like. “The special thing about a tech dork is the mix of a nerd and a communicative and social person.”

SAF also illustrates that conducting research and establishing a start-up in the hardware sector need not be boring. The six containers, which resemble an industrial production facility, will be made available as work spaces for teams of developers who wish to develop hardware and – most importantly – prototypes as part of a joint project. An impressive range of equipment, from pick-and-place machines to 3D printers, offers developers the opportunity to turn their ideas into products.

The guests and partners on site were thrilled with SAF. Participants enjoyed a lively exchange as part of a relaxed get-together at the grill, discussing their journey of technological discovery in addition to the versatility of this special infrastructure environment and the possibilities it will offer start-ups, SMEs and other teams of developers. New partners and container users are already lining up for future partnerships.

Research of practical utility lies at the heart of all activities pursued by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. At present, it maintains 72 institutes and research units. The majority of the 26,600 staff are qualified scientists and engineers, who work with an annual research budget of 2.6 billion euros. Of this sum, 2.2 billion euros is generated through contract research. More than 70 percent of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s contract research revenue is derived from contracts with industry and from publicly financed research projects. Almost 30 percent is contributed by the German federal and state governments in the form of base funding, enabling the institutes to work ahead on solutions to problems that will not become acutely relevant to industry and society until five or ten years from now.  
Fraunhofer IZM specializes in industry-oriented applied research. With four technology clusters, Fraunhofer IZM covers the entire spectrum of technologies and services necessary for developing reliable electronics and integrating new technology into applications. Our customers are as varied as the applications for electronics. We take on development projects for the automotive industry, healthcare and industrial electronics and even textile companies. Fraunhofer IZM has two sites in Germany. Apart from its headquarters near Berlin Mitte, the institute is also represented in Dresden, a strategically important centers for electronic development and manufacturing.  

Contact:
Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM
Alexandra Rydz
Phone +49 30 46403-203
Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25
13355 Berlin
www.izm.fraunhofer.de
alexandra.rydz(at)izm.fraunhofer.de   

Training enjoys a special status, which is demonstrated by the repeat “Excellent Training Quality” award from the IHK. The Group’s excellent training quality was confirmed for the first time in 2017. This IHK seal is an acknowledgment and recognition of the extensive commitment of the Berliner Glas Group as an educational enterprise. However, the Group invests in much more than its young talent; in 2018 Berliner Glas created its own training and learning environment with its modern training center in Berlin.During their training, new employees will pass through many departments and acquire valuable practical experience. They learn the theoretical basis at vocational schools and university. In addition to professional qualification, the Berliner Glas Group is also focused on the personal development of the apprentices and dual program students.

“We place great emphasis on training our specialists ourselves, and that is what we are doing this year, too. This is of strategic importance to us in light of the company’s steady growth in recent years and the existing shortage of skilled workers,” says HR manager Dr. Regina Draheim-Krieg.

The application and selection phase for the 2020 training year has already begun at the Berliner Glas Group. Training spots will be provided in the coming year as well. More information on educational options at Berliner Glas and SwissOptic can be found on their respective career websites: https://www.berlinerglas.de/ausbildung and https://www.swissoptic.ag/ausbildung-swissoptic.

About the Berliner Glas Group: The Berliner Glas Group (www.berlinerglasgroup.com  is one of the world’s leading providers of optical key components, assemblies and systems, high-quality refined technical glass as well as glass touch assemblies. With more than 1,500 employees, the BERLINER GLAS GROUP develops, produces and integrates optics, mechanics and electronics into innovative system solutions for its customers. As OEM partners from concept to volume production, the Berliner Glas Group companies serve innovative customers in various market segments – semiconductor industry, laser and space technology, medical technology, metrology and the display industry.

Press contact:
Wencke Schulz
Marketing & Communications
Phone +49 30 60905-367
Fax +49 30 60905-100
Wencke.Schulz(at)berlinerglas.de

Berliner Glas KGaA
Herbert Kubatz GmbH & Co.
Waldkraiburger Straße 5
12347 Berlin, Germany
www.berlinerglas.com 

Traditional capsule endoscopy, however, suffers from one key limitation: Images are captured on a strictly timed sequence, whether the capsule has moved or not. This can create a glut of redundant images that needs to be sifted and filtered by hand. With image capture responding to actual movement, the amount of redundant data can be minimized, with up to a third fewer images to sort through.

The Endotrace research project has now developed a novel endoscopic capsule technology that promises to avoid redundant data. Supported with €1.2 million in funding from the German Ministry of Education and Research, the project was brought to a successful conclusion in November 2018, with the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM, Ocesco Endoscopy AG, and AMS presenting the fruits of their labor: a ‘treat-sized’ capsule whose unassuming exterior hides cutting-edge technology on the inside. With no fewer than five cameras, a tracer, and a memory module on board, the tiny capsule still has room for its battery pack and an LED light.

How does it know when and where to capture an image? The built-in controller responds to minute changes in the villi that line the intestinal walls and triggers the camera after the capsule has moved a tenth of an inch. Instead of several thousand repetitive images, the Endotrace capsule produces less than half, but far more meaningful data and helps speed up the diagnostic process. This promises a faster reaction to acute conditions like gastrointestinal bleeding. However, it will still take some time before the first capsule will go on its journey through an actual patient’s digestive system: While the technology is ready, the system still has to go through the long medical approval process.

Manuel Seckel, Project Leader at Fraunhofer IZM, explains: “Endotrace is a passion project for me! Endoscopic diagnostics helps save lives – and we are making it that little bit easier and better.”

“Our engineers’ innovative approach to minimize the inductance loop and to optimize the circuit layout for driving PLDs with fast rise times and short pulses is setting us apart from conventional designs,” says Mr. Matt Robinson, Sales Director of LASER COMPONENTS USA. “We are honored to receive this award in recognition of their dedication to deliver a unique product that meets current and future market needs,” Robinson added.

“For more than three decades Sensors Expo has been bringing together the most exciting technological advancements and cutting-edge applications from across the industry. The winners of this year’s Best of Sensors Awards underscore just how far-reaching the impacts of these innovations have become. LASER COMPONENTS personifies the commitment to engineering excellence and overall ingenuity we look for and we are thrilled to recognize their efforts in an extremely competitive field,” noted Cal Groton, Event Director, Sensors Expo & Conference.

This is the second award for LASER COMPONENTS’ QuickSwitch PLD in recent months. A previous recognition includes the Autonomous Vehicle Technology ACES Award in December, 2018.

More Information:

www.lasercomponents.com/us/product/quickswitch-pulsed-laser-diodes/

The Company:

LASER COMPONENTS specializes in the development, manufacture, and sale of components and services in the laser and optoelectronics industry. At LASER COMPONENTS, we have been serving customers since 1982 with sales branches in five different countries. We have been producing in house since 1986 with production facilities in Germany, Canada, and the United States. In-house production makes up approximately half of our sales revenue. A family-run business, we have more than 230 employees worldwide.

Contact:
Claudia Michalke
Tel: +49 8142 2864 – 0
c.michalke(at)lasercomponents.com

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We are glad to announce that the 13th International Symposium on Emerging and Industrial TI DLP® Technology Applications will be held at Congress Park CPH in Hanau (near Frankfurt, Germany) on October 23, 2018. The DLP symposium is the established platform that aims to promote the dialogue and discussion between engineers, researchers, users and manufacturers/distributors in the field of innovative advanced light control optical solutions that can serve new markets. The event is jointly organized by OpSys Project Consulting and the photonics innovation network Optence e.V.

CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS

DLP chips and associated development platforms are enabling many exciting new systems and applications beyond traditional display technologies. By bringing together scientists, technologists, and developers, the goal of this conference is to highlight new and interesting means of applying DLP technology to end applications within these emerging markets:

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• 3D machine vision (automated optical inspection (AOI), PCB quality inspection, robotics vision, factory automation, dental scanning, medical imaging and biometrics)
• 3D printing (rapid prototyping, direct manufacturing, and tooling & casting)
• Spectroscopy (oil & gas analysis, food & drug inspection, water & air quality, and chemical & material identification)
• Lithography (printed circuit boards, flat panels, computer-to-plate printing, and laser marking)
• DLP Pico™ video and data display (including smartphones & tablets, pico projectors, wearable displays, smart home displays, aftermarket head-up display, commercial gaming displays, and mobile smart TVs)
• Technical aspects on subsystems and components comprised in DLP Systems (including light sources, optics, electronics, new product introductions)

Why submit a paper?

Get a large impact in the advanced light control community: Some 120 attendees and contributors from all over Europe, USA and Asia made the DLP symposium a huge success in 2015!

Please submit your contribution prior to August 15, 2018
to OpSys Project Consulting | Alfred Jacobsen |office(at)opsysconsult.com

Exhibition Space Offer

Seize the opportunity and register now for a table top presentation booth at the DLP Symposium exhibition area. Please find here information for the exhibition conditions including an application form. Please return order form by scanned copy to machemer(at)optence.de. Or confirm your requirements and preferences directly by e-mail.