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The detection of light at the single-photon level is important for tasks ranging from fluorescence imaging to quantum information processing, reports Neil Savage.
Analysis of the spectral content of light is important in countless applications, ranging from biomedicine to material analysis and product quality control, reports Neil Savage.
Cooling and stabilizing the temperature of optoelectronic devices, such as semiconductor diode lasers and photodetectors, is often important for optimizing their performance. Neil Savage looks at thermoelectric coolers based on the Peltier effect that are designed for this task.
The encapsulation of LEDs, termination of optical fibres and assembly of complex lens systems are all tasks that can be accomplished by the use of special optical adhesives, explains Neil Savage.
Convenient and reliable joining of optical fibres is essential for building optical networks. Neil Savage reports that the machines performing the task are becoming smaller and increasingly sophisticated.
Pulse measurement equipment is now easier to use than ever before, with many devices offering easy-to-align solutions and plug-and-play computer operation, reports Neil Savage.
Spatial control of the phase and amplitude of a laser beam is useful for applications ranging from imaging and holography to interferometry and optical tweezers, reports Neil Savage.
The emergence of convenient sources of broadband light spanning the visible and near-infrared is proving increasingly useful for applications involving spectroscopy, imaging and metrology, reports Neil Savage.