The University of Arizona
College of Optical Sciences

Watt's Up

College of Optical Sciences News for January 10, 2008

 

New SPIE Fellows

 

We just received word from SPIE that four Members with OSC connections are being promoted to

Fellows of the Society:  faculty members Raymond Kostuk and Scott Tyo, adjunct faculty member Sen Han, and alumnus Joseph Shaw.  SPIE Fellows are Members of distinction who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics, photonics, and imaging.  Fellows are honored for their technical achievement, service to the general optics community, and service to SPIE in particular.  Congratulations Ray, Scott, Sen, and Joseph.

 


 

This Year’s Friedrich-Dessauer-Award Goes to an OSC Visiting Scholar

 

From Franko Kueppers. Cornell Gonschior, a summer visitor to our Photonic Telecommunication Systems group while completing and defending his Diplom-Arbeit (a 6-months full-time master thesis), was awarded the Friedrich-Dessauer-Award. The Friedrich-Dessauer-Award is given annually by the German Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies, http://www.vde.com/VDE_EN/welcome.htm , to students for extraordinary achievements in the field of electrical and information engineering. Cornell received the 1st prize at his home institution, the University of Applied Sciences Giessen-Friedberg, for his work on 100 Gbit/s Ethernet transmission - Numerical Investigation of Various Transmission Schemes. The Award is named after Friedrich Dessauer, a German engineer, physicist, politician, philosopher, and entrepreneur. Dessauer became a pioneer in the engineering and application of X-rays shortly after they were discovered by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen. He was a professor at universities in Frankfurt/Germany, Istanbul/Turkey, and Fribourg/Switzerland. His company which manufactured early X-ray systems employed more than 500 people. He was a member of the German Parliament and thought about the impact of modern physics and technology on the human view of the world. Dessauer’s last book, Quantum Biology - Introduction into a New Branch of Science, in which he made the step from classical bio-physics to quantum biology, is available at the UA Science-Engineering Library.

 


 

We Welcome a New Industrial Affiliate

 

StarVision Technologies, a leading provider of intelligent optical-based guidance, navigation and surveillance systems, has joined our Industrial Affiliate family at the Associate level.  Founded in 2003, StarVision provides innovative, high-reliability products to the unmanned vehicles, government and commercial satellite, and advanced missile systems markets.  StarVision's products are qualified to operate in aerospace environments. For more information about StarVision, please visit http://starvisiontech.jbknowledge.com/Website/Default.aspx

 


 

Our West Wing is Back in the News

 

What does our new West Wing have in common with Taliesin West, Hoover Dam, San Xavier del Bac Mission, and Canyon de Chelly's White House Ruin?  UA News gives the answer in a great piece by Jeff Harrison.  Check it out at http://uanews.org/node/17519 

 


 

You're Invited to a Business Opportunities Breakfast at Photonics West

 

From Jessa Burger, UA Office of Economic Development. Are you looking to develop new markets for your products?  Seeking opportunities to create joint ventures, distributor networks, and market intelligence?    Find new opportunities by attending an exclusive networking session.  The Business Opportunities Breakfast at Photonics West 2007 is your chance to meet with world class centers of the industry - Tucson, Berlin and Ottawa. Date: January 23, 2007.  Time: 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.  Location: Scott’s Seafood Grill & Bar, 185 Park Avenue, San Jose, California.  To expand networking opportunities the Government of Canada is joining us for this year’s event.  Find customers and suppliers, connect with universities, gain market intelligence and generate revenue.  For more information visit the Global Advantage website at www.globaladvantagenet.com   Details can be found on the calendar and I encourage your business to utilize the business forum by posting information related to possible business collaboration interests.  Please RSVP to jburger@email.arizona.edu  by January 12, 2008.

 

 

Learn in Your Own Place at Your Own Pace -- 2 Options

 

Option 1:  Distance Learning Classes.  These are regular optics graduate classes, taught by our faculty members and recorded so you can earn credits toward a Master's degree or professional certificate.  Classes begin on Wednesday, January 16, so there's still time to sign up.  This semester, we are offering you a choice of seven classes, so please visit http://www.optics.arizona.edu/academics/videoclassesSpring2008.htm for details and registration info. 

 

Option 2:  Short Courses on DVD.  These brand-new non-credit courses are designed for professional engineers, scientists, technicians, and managers who wish to explore specific topics, technologies, or techniques over the course of a few hours.  Students may purchase a short course for their own use, or pick up a site license for their business.  Payment is by credit card through our secure Web site.  For more information, please visit http://www.optics.arizona.edu/ShortCourses/Default.htm

 

More to Come.  Please be sure to check back with us occasionally as we will add more Short Courses from time to time.  This week, two more courses were recorded:  SC706-08  Solid State Lasers I Fundamental Physics and SC707-08  Solid State Lasers II Specific Systems, both taught by Dick Powell.  If you would like to be among the first to purchase these new Short Courses, they'll be available by Friday morning.

 

 

OSC Calendar

 

January 16

  • First day of classes

  • PhD Final Oral Defense, 1:00 p.m. Meinel 701. Daniel Smith will present High Dynamic Range Calibration for an Infrared Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensor

January 21

  • No classes. Holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King

January 19-24

  • SPIE Photonics West, San Jose, California

January 31

  • First Colloquium of the semester


 

Happy Birthday and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Year

January 1

January 2

January 3

January 5

January 7

January 8

January 9

January 10

January 11

January 12

January 13

Mark Milton nmilton@email.arizona.edu

January 15

January 16

January 17

January 19

 

Optics Employment Opportunities with OSC Industrial Affiliate Companies

 

 

Optical Engineer, Technical Sales

Optical Research Associates (ORA®)

http://www.opticalres.com/

 

Optical Research Associates (ORA®) has an opening for a full time position in the Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service organization due to growth experienced over the past year and growth expected in upcoming years. This position involves pro-active contact with current and prospective users of ORA’s two optical design and engineering software products, CODE V® and LightTools®.  The primary focus of the position is to support our sales team in North America, China, and Taiwan.  The responsibilities of this position include:  Explaining the technical advantages of ORA software to prospective customers.  Answer technically challenging questions from prospective customers.  Encouraging expanded use of ORA software within current customer sites in conjunction with sales liaison.  Marketing and technical support activities on an as-needed basis.  Providing customer and market feedback to the relevant ORA staff and product line functions, including development, marketing, and executive management.  Provide backup sales/account management to the sales team when unavailable.  The primary area of responsibility will be North America, with secondary responsibility for the Asian region including Taiwan, and China.  Off site travel within North America and Asia is required.  Travel will comprise of up to 30% of working days during peak periods but is expected to average 20% of working days over time.  Until the employee is fully conversant with our products and as part of training first year work may include library development or other product related work. The applicant must have both a formal education in optics and/or illumination as well as some industrial work experience in optical and/or illumination design. They should be personable, ambitious, and extremely customer and quality oriented. Excellent verbal and written skills in both English and Chinese will be a necessary ingredient for success. We are prepared to invest in sales training for the right candidate, but any previous sales, application engineering, or marketing experience (or similar education) is a plus.  The applicant should have the following qualifications:  A bachelor’s or advanced degree in optics or an optics-related field (e.g., physics).   One to three years industrial experience in optical design or engineering.  Articulate; good writing skills; personable.  Experience using computer software tools for optical design and/or CAD/CAM applications.  Prior experience using CODE V or LightTools a plus.  Experience in problem determination with the ability to understand and solve technical problems quickly and accurately.  A proven record of accomplishment with excellent references.  Fluent in English and Mandarin.  ORA is a world class, high tech optical software and optical engineering services company with an international client base and two branch offices.  ORA is headquartered in Pasadena, CA and was founded in 1963 by the current Chairman.  ORA is privately held and is an equal opportunity employer with over 85 employees (including over 50 engineers).  ORA provides excellent employee benefits including paid vacation starting at three weeks, medical insurance, company sponsored medical reimbursement plan, an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), and a 401k plan.  To apply for this position go to:  http://tbe.taleo.net/NA1/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=ORA&cws=1&rid=21

 

Optical Research Corporation is an OSC Industrial Affiliate at the Principal Partners level.

 

 

Research Positions

Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Research Laboratories

http://www.northropgrumman.com/

 

Northrop Grumman - Defining the FutureScience & Technology Researchers needed to staff newly formed R&D Laboratory.  Northrop Grumman Space Technology (NGST) has recently established the Space Technology Research Laboratories (STRL) and is actively staffing this new organization. We seek highly motivated individuals with outstanding academic backgrounds for research positions in the following areas: •Advanced Lasers and Electro-Optical materials  •Engineered Electromagnetic Materials: Metamaterials, Plasmonics, etc.  •High Aspect-Ratio Structures: Folding and deployment of films and membranes  •Quantum Information: Sensing, Communication, Cryptography, Computing  •THz sensing, electronics and phenomenology  •Autonomy  •Atmospheric sensing  •Integrated Modeling & Simulation  •Plasma Physics  •Advanced Materials: Structural and/or Electronic.  The ST Research Laboratories will create a world-class core of fundamental research expertise for generation of new technology solutions to critical global problems. STRL will operate as a separate, advanced research group that will focus on the identification, development and maturation of advanced and emerging technologies to create the basis for capabilities for application to new systems and missions.  In addition to providing the opportunity to advance the state of knowledge in emerging technology, STRL researchers will gain experience in management of and leadership in advanced technology, participating in all phases of development, from discovery and breakthrough to transition and insertion.  Researchers can expect to receive a broad exposure to technology R&D activities throughout the sector, as well as exposure to NGST top management and critical Government customers.  Currently seeking the following:  Research Group Leader-Successful candidates should possess a Ph.D. degree and have greater than 10 years of research and advanced development experience with a demonstrated track record of technical innovation and organizational management. Strong ties with major research universities and national laboratories required. DoD and/or SCI clearances are highly desirable, but not required. Successful applicant will be required to apply for and be eligible for security clearances.  Researcher-Successful candidates should possess a recently awarded Ph.D. degree in selected areas of Engineering or Science, or a Ph.D. degree with 1-5 years experience. Candidates should have a strong interest in the research of advanced and emerging technologies. DoD and/or SCI clearances are highly desirable, but not required. Successful applicant will be required to apply for and be eligible for security clearances.  To apply, please visit our website at:  http://careers.northropgrumman.com 

 

Northrop Grumman is an OSC Industrial Affiliate at the Leadership Partner level.

 

For more information about OSC's Industrial Affiliate program, please visit our Web site at http://www.optics.arizona.edu/Affiliates/default.htm

 

 

 

Other Optics Employment Opportunities

 

Please visit our optics employment Web site at

http://www.optics.arizona.edu/employment/default.htm

Applications Engineer.  QED Technology.  Title:  Applications Engineer - Grade 11.  Description:  The Applications Engineer will design, coordinate and report on activities utilizing QED grinding, polishing and metrology equipment by performing the following duties.  The key responsibilities of the Applications Engineer are:  Coordinates and executes customer demonstrations, ensuring all customer needs are met.  Coordinates and executes process development activities for new markets.  Manage daily usage of ALG, Q22 machines, and metrology.  Provides applications and installation/training support to Customer Service.  Provides process verification/testing support to new product development and product improvements.  Coordinates all aspects of a customer job or demonstration, including fixture design, metrology procedure, process & machine setup and analysis of results.  Provides detailed documentation of a job including fixture drawings, definition of setup, operational procedures and results.  Tests ability of machines to perform designated tasks.  Confers with establishment personnel to implement operating procedures and resolve system malfunctions.  Develops models of alternate processing methods to test feasibility of new applications of system components, and recommends implementation of improved procedures.  Participates in meetings, seminars, and training sessions to stay apprised of new developments in field.  Confers with workers in other departments, such as marketing, R&D, and engineering, to provide technical information.  Develops and conducts training programs on the safe operations of the equipment, and demonstrates skills to trainees, including both team members and customers.  Coordinates presale demonstrations and trade show exhibitions including procurement of equipment, set-up, demonstration, and discussion with potential customers.  Writes internal and external reports documenting process and results of customer demonstrations, process experiments, etc.  Position Requirements:  Experience in optical fabrication is preferred (generating, grinding, lapping, polishing, sub-aperture polishing, ion beam figuring, magnetorheological finishing, interferometry, other forms of optical testing of plano, spheres, aspheres). Experience in data analysis, experimental design, statistical analysis, and frequency analysis is required.  Mathematical Skills / Reasoning Ability - Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as exponents, logarithms, quadratic equations, and permutations. Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency analysis, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, and correlation techniques. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.  Computer Skills - To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Machine control software (Q22, ALG, etc); Metrology instrument software (MetroPro, Talycontour, etc); Optical design software; Mathematical analysis software (e.g. Mathematica); Spreadsheet software and Word Processing software.  Travel - Occasional travel (10-20%), domestically and internationally, is currently required to perform the essential function of this position.  Disclaimer:  The preceding job description is intended to provide the general nature and level of work to be performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to be a detailed description of the job or be interpreted as a comprehensive listing of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.  Educational Requirements:  Master’s degree (M. S.) in Optics, Physics or related field (or equivalent); or four to ten years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.  Full-Time/Part-Time:  Full-Time.  Location:  USA - New York:  About the Organization:  Cabot Microelectronics Corporation is the leading global supplier of sophisticated polishing compounds and provider of polishing pads used in the manufacture of advanced semiconductors (chips) and rigid disks--critical components that drive today’s electronic systems from desktop and laptop computers, cellular phones and electronic games, to personal data assistants, telecommunication switchboards and the servers that power our expanding Internet world. As we continue investing in our core CMP business, we are also looking beyond the semiconductor industry to pursue our vision to be the world’s leader in shaping, enabling and enhancing the performance of surfaces.  Interested applicants please apply at http://www.qedmrf.com

 

Optical Engineer.  QED Technology.  Title:  Optical Engineer - Grade 12.  Description:  The optical engineer will develop and troubleshoot metrology systems, particularly those based on QED’s Subaperture Stitching interferometer (SSI®) technology. The position involves a mix of simulation, data analysis, and "hands-on" work. The key responsibilities of this position are: •Independently manages and executes small projects (~$100K) as well as individual tasks on larger projects.  •Analyzes surface/wavefront data acquired from metrology gauges, including Zernike polynomial and power-spectral density calculations.  •Designs, executes and analyzes experiments/test plans to investigate and validate metrology product performance.  •Understand the capabilities and limitations of optical metrology equipment.  •Enhances the capability of QED’s metrology products, including development of new calibration techniques.  •Trains others on proper use of metrology equipment and interpretation of metrology data.  •Works with QED’s other engineering and service groups to support customer demonstrations and resolve customer problems.  •Interacts with other engineering groups (software, systems, applications, etc) as needed to achieve metrology product engineering goals.  •Prepares written technical reports, new technical proposals, and technical presentations/publications as needed to support business objectives.  Position Requirements:  Skills – Knowledge of interferometry, especially as it pertains to measurement technology. Able to employ optical design software to raytracing/analyzing complicated optical systems, and design simple optical systems. Proficiency with mathematical analysis, including calculus, differential equations, statistics, and Fourier analysis. Ability to summarize data analyses into key results and next steps. Communication with peers, superiors, and customers (both oral and written). Should be a team player and able to balance both team and individual responsibilities. Must be able to display original thinking and creativity; and develop innovative approaches and ideas.  Computer – Proficient with mathematical analysis and spreadsheet software (Mathematica, MATLAB; MS Excel). Familiarity with optical design software (Zemax, Code V, Oslo). Basic programming skills (ability to write simple programs/scripts/macros in the aforementioned software packages). Proficient in MS office applications (Word, Excel, Powerpoint).  Travel – Occasionally domestic and international (5% - 10%).  Disclaimer:  The preceding job description is intended to provide the general nature and level of work to be performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to be a detailed description of the job or be interpreted as a comprehensive listing of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.  Educational Requirements:  Bachelor’s degree (B. S.) in Optics, Optical Engineering or equivalent; and six to eight years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Master’s or Doctoral degree preferred.  Full-Time/Part-Time:  Full-Time.  Location:  USA - New York.  About the Organization:  Cabot Microelectronics Corporation is the leading global supplier of sophisticated polishing compounds and provider of polishing pads used in the manufacture of advanced semiconductors (chips) and rigid disks--critical components that drive today’s electronic systems from desktop and laptop computers, cellular phones and electronic games, to personal data assistants, telecommunication switchboards and the servers that power our expanding Internet world. As we continue investing in our core CMP business, we are also looking beyond the semiconductor industry to pursue our vision to be the world’s leader in shaping, enabling and enhancing the performance of surfaces.  Interested applicants apply at http://qedmrf.com

 

Optical Engineers.  Bugeye Technologies.  We are a small company with a great technology:  www.bugeyetech.com   We would prefer a degreed Electrical Engineer or Computer Science Major with experience in, computer graphics, digital video processing and video interface technologies.  Experience in control circuit design and C level programming is a plus.  This individual will be required to assess complex technologies with various technical and business interdependencies, and help develop test fixtures, test plans and scenarios to verify intended results. This is an excellent opportunity for the engineer wanting to work independently on projects to improve and advance their current exposure to multiple technologies. Interested candidates can forward resumes to Joy Brother, Bugeye Technologies, Human Resources:  joy@bugeyetech.com 

 

Product Engineer.  BioVigilant Systems, Inc.  Job Description: The Product Engineer is a cross-functional engineering position that requires a versatile individual with a broad skill set.  This position reports to the Engineering Manager, but interacts with all departments within the company, as well as the company’s customers.  BioVigilant is the inventor of Instantaneous Microbial Detection™ (IMD™), a revolutionary technology that allows customers to monitor microbial contamination in real time.  This technology is currently being tested and implemented by pharmaceutical manufacturers.  The product engineer is involved at all levels of the product and implementation, from next-generation research to customer application support.  Primary Duties and Responsibilities:  Assist with assembly, adjustment and analysis of the IMD System.  IMD product testing and validation testing.  Investigation and analysis of next-generation technologies.  Pharmaceutical customer interface for product testing and application engineering.  Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:  Diverse talents and the ability to quickly adapt to a fast-paced work environment.  Broad technical competence with the ability to learn new fields (microbiology, etc.).  Work directly with manufacturing/engineering on production/R&D tasks.  Work directly with Sales and Marketing on customer application engineering.  Excellent written and verbal communication skills and business acumen.  Ability to effectively and professionally communicate with pharmaceutical customers.  Support and function within ISO 13485 Quality System.  Credentials and Experience:  Minimum of a B.S. degree in an engineering discipline or related technical field.  Demonstrated ability to thrive in a small team setting and produce results.  Experience with customer interaction/business is helpful.  Highly motivated, self-starter personality.  Travel Requirements:  Domestic: 15%, International:  possible.  Reports to:  Engineering Manager.  Location:  Tucson, AZ.  Contact:  HR@BioVigilant.com  with resumes, or SMorris@BioVigilant.com  with questions.

 

Senior Optical Engineer.  QED Technology.  Title:  Sr. Optical Engineer - Grade 14.  Description:  The Sr. Optical Engineer designs competitive optical metrology systems and algorithms. The key responsibilities of the Sr. Optical Engineer are: Engineers innovative algorithms for enhancing optical system performance and capabilities.  Benchmarks existing competitive optical systems. Strives to define and implement features to differentiate product offerings from the competition.  Determines specifications for operations and makes adjustments to calibrate and obtain specified operational performance.  Determines proper operation of optical system and makes adjustments to perfect system.  Leads and engineers strategies for mounting of optics with respect to machine axis, gravitational distortion, and mount induced surface defects.  Designs methods and procedures to test optical systems for defects such as aberrations and deviations.  Understands and communicates capabilities and limitations of metrology equipment.  Works with electrical and mechanical engineering staff to develop overall design of optical and electro/mechanical system.  Position Requirements:  Mathematical Skills/ Reasoning Ability - Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations. Ability to apply and interpret Fourier analysis methods. Applies digital signal processing, calculus, and linear algebra to practical problems. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.  Computer Skills - To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Project management software; Presentation Software, Internet software; Mathematica or equivalent software; Spreadsheet software and Word Processing software.  Travel - domestically and internationally (5% - 10%), is currently required in order to perform the essential functions of this position.  Disclaimer:  The preceding job description is intended to provide the general nature and level of work to be performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to be a detailed description of the job or be interpreted as a comprehensive listing of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. Educational Requirements:  Master’s degree (M. S.) in Optics, Optical Engineering or equivalent; and four to ten years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. PhD. preferred.  Full-Time/Part-Time:  Full-Time.  Location:  USA - New York:  About the Organization:  Cabot Microelectronics Corporation is the leading global supplier of sophisticated polishing compounds and provider of polishing pads used in the manufacture of advanced semiconductors (chips) and rigid disks--critical components that drive today’s electronic systems from desktop and laptop computers, cellular phones and electronic games, to personal data assistants, telecommunication switchboards and the servers that power our expanding Internet world. As we continue investing in our core CMP business, we are also looking beyond the semiconductor industry to pursue our vision to be the world’s leader in shaping, enabling and enhancing the performance of surfaces.  Interested applicant apply at http://www.qedmrf.com

 


 

Cathy Alexander

Information Specialist Coordinator

College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona

cathy.alexander@optics.arizona.edu