Optics & Photonics News - February 2005

Optics & Photonics News Magazine
February 2005 Issue

Feature Articles

Particle Display Technologies Become E-Paper

Electronic paper is emerging from research laboratories, and technologies based on particles displays are leading the way. Six state of the art technologies are reviewed.

by Tanya Z. Kosc

The Astronomical Search for Origins

NASA has set forth on a new adventure with a family of space telescopes that observe in the infrared and visible regions of the spectrum. The new telescopes will detect and characterize exosolar system terrestrial planets and search for evidence of life.

by Jim Breckinridge and Chris Lindensmith

Organic Optoelectronics Materials and Devices for Photonic Applications, Part One

Organic and polymeric optoelectronic devices have made tremendous progress over the past ten years, making the journey from laboratory curiosity to emerging commercial products in a number of important areas, such as displays, optical communications, solar cells and data storage. Recent examples highlight the development of organic optoelectronic materials for existing and emerging photonics applications.

by Nasser Peyghambarian and Robert A. Norwood

Coupled Resonator Optical Waveguides: Toward the Slowing and Storage of Light

The development of a simple, solid-state-based technology to slow the propagation of light could prove an important step in the realization of the high-bit-rate communication systems of the future. The use of coupled resonator optical waveguides (CROWs) as practical elements to slow and store light pulses is one possibility.

by Jacob Scheuer, George T. Paloczi, Joyce K.S. Poon and Amnon Yariv

Departments and Columns

Early Laser Development

Edible Lasers and Other Delights of the 1970s

In 1970, Arthur Schawlow and Theodor Hansch invented the world's first edible laser. Here, Hansch tells the story of how he paired his own ingenuity with Schawlow's contagious sense of humor to accomplish the feat.

Education

UCF's New College for Optics

The trend toward optics being recognized as a distinct disipline got a significant boost this past May when the School of Opitcs at the University of Central Florida in Orlando became the College of Optics and Photonics.

Global Optics

Optics in Thailand

Earlier this year, Grover Swartzlander was asked to present a talk on optical tweezers to the first OSA chapter in southeast Asia, which was presented at the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center in Pathumthani, Thailand. Here, he shares his insights on his journey to Thailand and the work being done there in the optical sciences.

Scatterings