09-11-08

Watt's Up

College of Optical Sciences News for September 11, 2008

Watt's Happening | Industrial Affiliates Employment | Other Optics Employment | Subscribe

Today's Special Presentation: 10:30 a.m. Meinel 701

OSC alumnus Till W. Liepmann, PhD 1983, now with Northrup Grumman, will present Overview of Several Laser Projects.

Abstract: This presentation will provide an overview of several laser related projects at Northrop Grumman. These include projects in gas, solid state, and fiber based lasers. High, medium and low power laser applications and advancements are discussed, with some technical details. Included are description and photos of the various laser modules, as well as photos of equipment, mounting platforms, beam directors, and test results. Also included is a brief description of systems engineering.

Today's Colloquium: 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307

In addition to this morning's special presentation, Till Liepmann is today's Colloquium speaker. He will present Technology and Science of the JWST Space Observatory. Stanley Pau is the host.

Abstract: This presentation will describe the desire of cosmologists and the technology behind the development of the future cryogenic space based telescope. Topics will include the optical design of the telescope, details of the instruments, interesting information about the "orbit", and discussion of what we hope to learn from this project. There are several technologies that had to be developed for this project, including image based adaptive optics, cryogenic opto-mechanical structure, large detector focal plane arrays, MEMS micro shutters, light weight beryllium mirrors, hexapod actuators, and cryogenic electronics.

Bio: Dr. Liepmann earned his doctorate degree from University of Arizona’s Optical Sciences Center in 1983 with a dissertation in nonlinear optics (advisor: Prof. Fred Hopf, also known as Captain Chaos for his work in Chaos theory). From there, Dr. Liepmann joined a small research firm, Pacific-Sierra Research (PSR) in Santa Monica, CA, where he worked for seventeen years developing about thirty specialized laser, optical, and robotic test instruments for various public agencies and commercial markets. When PSR was bought by the Veridian Group, he moved to a Caltech startup company, Holoplex, in Pasadena, CA. whose product was a free space laser communications for the commercial telecom market. After this experience, Dr. Liepmann joined another small research firm, Mission Research Corp (MRC) in Torrance, CA, leading the development of a specialized LIDAR system for DARPA and several other small laser communications products. MRC was bought in 2004 by Alliant Tech Systems (ATK), so in 2006, Dr. Liepmann joined Northrop Grumman Corporation Space Technologies to work on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as the lead verification systems engineer for the optical telescope element.

Next Week's Colloquium: 3:30 p.m. in Meinel 307

John M. Hill, University of Arizona, will present The Large Binocular Telescope. Stanley Pau is the host.

Abstract: The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) Observatory is a collaboration between institutions in Arizona, Germany, Italy, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Virginia. The telescope on Mt. Graham in Southeastern Arizona uses two 8.4-meter diameter primary mirrors mounted side-by-side to produce a collecting area equivalent to an 11.8-meter circular aperture. A unique feature of LBT is that the light from the two primary mirrors can be combined to produce phased array imaging of an extended field.

This coherent imaging along with adaptive optics gives the telescope the diffraction-limited resolution of a 22.65-meter telescope. I will describe the scientific results and technical challenges of monocular prime focus imaging starting in Fall 2006. Binocular imaging with two co-pointed prime focus cameras began in Fall 2007. Installation of a rigid (non-adaptive) secondary mirror occurred in Spring 2008 in time for the arrival of the first Gregorian spectrometer. The telescope will use two F/15 adaptive secondaries to correct atmospheric turbulence. The first of these adaptive mirrors is now being tested in Italy, and is planned to be at the telescope by Summer 2009.

Students: Do We Have Correct Contact Info For You?

Students, if you've moved or changed your email address/telephone number in the last year or so, please keep us posted by contacting Jamie Bommer in Meinel 403 at jbommer@optics.arizona.edu If you'd like to check the contact information that we have for you, please go to our phonebook at www.optics.arizona.edu/contactus/default.asp , type in your name and click the find button.

Photos: Makeups and Retakes

Students, faculty, staff, anyone who would like a new photo for the 4th floor photoboard and OSC Web site can drop by Cathy Alexander's office in Meinel 714 at any time. If you'd like to call ahead, the number is 621-4479.

Watt's Happening

Happy Birthday and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Year

OSC Calendar

September 11

Special Presentation. 10:30 a.m. Meinel 701

September 11

Colloquium. 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307.

September 11

OSC Soccer. 5:30 p.m. At the field by the tennis courts. Look for Robin Palit or Pouria Valley. Bring your cleats, sneakers, water, optional shin guards and any other misc. you may need.

September 12

Sports Friday. 5:30 p.m. UA Mall next to OSC. This week's sport is wiffleball.

September 18

Colloquium. 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307

September 19

OSC Community Speakers. Noon. Meinel 410.

September 19

Special Presentation. 11:00 a.m. Meinel 821. Bernard Kippelen will present Organic Photovoltaics: Status and Promise.

On Campus

September 11

AME Seminar. 4:00 p.m. AME Lecture Hall, Room S212. Dr. Jeong-Yeol Yoon, University of Arizona Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, will present The Use of Submicro and Nanoparticles on the Biochip Platforms for Water Quality: Food Safety and Stem Cell Applications.

September 12

Physics Colloquium. 2:15 p.m. PAS 224. At 2:15, a graduate student will speak. At 3:00, Dan Hooper, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, will present Hot on the Trail of Particle Dark Matter.

September 15

BME Seminar. 2:00 p.m. Keating 103. Matthew O-Donnell, College of Engineering, University of Washington, will present Light and Sound: Ultrasonic Imaging in Molecular Medicine. Urs Utzinger is the host.

Employment Openings with OSC Industrial Affiliate Companies

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

Interview Sessions

For Summer 2009 Intern Programs: Full-Time Opportunities

When: September 22, 2008

Time: 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Where: Meinel 647

Please contact Ms. Allison MacPherson in Meinel 403, telephone 626-6737, to set–up an appointment with our Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. recruiter and technical staff. For more information about Ball Aerospace, please visit their Web site at www.ballaerospace.com

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

is an OSC Industrial Affiliate at the Leadership Partners level.

Sandia National Laboratories

Optical Engineer. Sandia National Laboratories is one of the country’s largest research and engineering laboratories, employing 8,500 people at major facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Livermore, California. We make enduring contributions to secure our society against high consequence terrorist threats and national incidents through effective use of science, technology, and systems solutions. Please visit our website at www.sandia.gov We are searching for Optical Engineers for the Optical Payload Design and Realization Department at the Albuquerque facility. The salary is commensurate. A benefit and relocation package is available. Must be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Security Clearance.

Work on new system concepts to develop optical designs that meet new and emerging mission requirements. Support current projects and be given the opportunity to participate in new technologies and new application areas. Work closely with mechanical and thermal engineers to understand and document the effects on the optical system and final performance. Applications include multispectral and hyperspectral earth remote sensing systems, Lidar and others. Applicant must understand the interfaces between the optical system and the other systems (e.g. mechanical, focal plane etc) and be able to develop point designs in a multi-disciplinary team. We are specifically growing our new design capabilities to support R&D scale payload development.

A recent MS or PhD in optics, physics, or electrical engineering with an optics concentration is required, with a demonstrated ability to develop innovative optical designs with traceability to requirements. Experience leading and/or participating in technically challenging, high visibility project teams. Must be willing to solve problems in a highly collaborative environment, and to learn and use processes for requirements tracking, as-built configuration management etc. Must have optical design and analysis experience using Zemax or equivalent optical software. Knowledge of optical fabrication practices and limitations, and optical radiometry is desired, as is experience in optical testing, assembly and alignment techniques. Working knowledge of electrical, and mechanical engineering and the ability to discover, understand and articulate customer needs are also desirables.

Please apply online at http://www.sandia.gov, under Employment/Career Opportunities/Sandia internet Careers site, reference Job Requisition Number: 61161.

U.S. Citizenship Normally Required. Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V.

Postdoc Position in Optical Characterization of Photonic Lattice Structures. Albuquerque. The candidate will assemble and utilize state-of-the-art Brillouin Light Scattering (BLS) tools for measuring the phonon band structure of artificially structured materials. He/she will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, but is also expected to work independently and contribute original ideas to this area.

Candidates must:

• Have a PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, with a strong background in experimental optics.

• Have received a Ph.D. degree (within 3 years).

• Have graduate/undergraduate GPA > 3.5/3.3 respectively.

• Provide two letters of reference prior to an interview

Candidates should have previous experience in one of the following:

• Brillouin light scattering.

• Lasers, optics, and optical characterization techniques.

• Optical characterization of photonic lattice materials.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please contact Michael B Sinclair at mbsincl@sandia.gov (Note: US citizenship is required).

Postdoc Position in Metrology of Metamaterials. Albuquerque. The candidate will develop state-of-the-art phase sensitive metrology tools for measuring the response of metamaterials, spanning various wavelength ranges in the infrared. He/she will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, but is also expected to work independently and contribute original ideas to this area.

Candidates must:

• Have a PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, with a strong background in experimental optics and electromagnetics.

• Have received a Ph.D. degree (within 3 years).

• Have graduate/undergraduate GPA > 3.5/3.3 respectively.

• Provide two letters of reference prior to an interview

Candidates should have previous experience in one of the following:

• Very short pulse systems (<15fs) and preferably broad-band terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (TDS) techniques, including electro-optic sampling.

• Non-linear optical mixing of near-IR fsec lasers to mid-IR (8–12μm) wavelengths.

• Infrared (8–12μm) optics, detectors, and spectroscopies, preferably phase sensitive/interferometric techniques.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please contact Igal Brener (ibrener@sandia.gov) (note: US citizenship not required).

Sandia National Laboratories

is an OSC Industrial Affiliate at the Executive Partners level.

Other Optics Employment

Research and Development Engineer. Emhart Glass. Job description: Emhart Glass is seeking a creative, motivated, Research and Development Engineer to provide fundamental understanding of industrial glass forming processes and to develop innovative approaches to significantly advance the technology at it’s recently opened Emhart Glass Research Center. The glass forming process, in which high temperature, molten glass is transformed into glass articles using high speed servo driven, automated machinery, presents many exciting and interesting technical challenges and opportunities for new developments, in sensing, control, heat transfer, fluid flow, and mechanical design. The research center provides the unique opportunity for the Research and Development Engineer to perform experimental studies, testing and developments of concepts in a new, fully operational, glass production plant, which is 100% dedicated to the development of improved glass forming processes, heat transfer and automation concepts. The research center also features state of the art computational modeling /simulation capabilities that will allow the Research and Development engineer a resource to gain further insight and provide synergy for new process development. The position will involve spending significant amounts of time working in and around, the actual glass forming process, and the candidate should be someone who is excited to work on and learn about an actual heavy industrial process and enjoys practical “hands on” involvement. Responsibilities: The responsibilities of the Research and Development Engineer will include: Conceiving, developing and testing, novel, processes and equipment, measurement systems, novel control and automation concepts and inspection systems. Designing and executing experimental test programs, including implementation of data acquisition systems (hardware and software) and providing data analysis and critical interpretation of results. Providing written test plans and well documented test reports. Performing studies that will provide fundamental understanding of key glass forming processes and collaborating with computational/simulation group to experimentally validate and calibrate predictive codes and to obtain key boundary conditions. Working in a team environment and as an individual contributor, closely coordinating and interfacing with plant staff, machinists, and machine operators to assist in completing projects. Desired Background/Experience: The ideal candidate will have an innovative spirit with a strong interest in the area of sensor development. Hold a Masters degree with a strong background in engineering fundamentals, particularly in the areas of optics, vision, non-contacting instrumentation for the measurement of temperature, geometry and dynamics. A basic understanding of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer mechanics is also desired. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree will also be considered depending upon their particular experience, skills, and interest. The candidate should have experience through course work or research performing experimental studies, including the analysis and interpretation of results for sensor development. Applications experience with MATLAB and Labview implementation of computer based data acquisition is desired. A basic familiarity with electronics, basic circuit design, and electronic test equipment such as oscilloscopes is also desired. Location: The research center is located in Northern Connecticut, featuring excellent school systems, a range of housing options from scenic rural hills, to suburban and urban centers. There are many local cultural events, outdoor activities, and we are within easy daytrip range of New York City, Boston, the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts (Tangelwood), and Vermont (skiing, hiking and sight seeing). Company Description: Emhart Glass is the world's leading international supplier of equipment, controls and parts to glass container industry. With broad-based expertise in glass container forming, glass conditioning, gob forming, ware handling, cold end inspection, refractory parts and quality assurance, the company's machines and systems are established as standard products worldwide. Emhart Glass also provides installation, training, production assistance, and maintenance related services. Our vision is a world with glass as a dominant and preferred ecological material, enabled by Emhart Glass as the leading technology provider. Emhart Glass is a global company with corporate headquarters in Switzerland and offices and/or manufacturing facilities in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The Emhart Glass Research Center is located in Windsor CT. Contact: Stephen Austin, Engineering Manager, Process Simulation & Automation, 860-298-7352; Stephen.Austin@emhartglass.com

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Cathy Alexander

Information Specialist Coordinator

College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona

cathy.alexander@optics.arizona.edu

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