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Watt's Up College of Optical Sciences News for January 21, 2010
Alumni | Watt's Happening | Employment | Subscribe
Today's Colloquium: 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307
Seppo Honkanen, of Finland's Aalto University, School of Science and Technology, and an OSC Adjunct Professor and former faculty member, returns to OSC to present Overview of the Research in the Photonics Group of Aalto University – Specialty Fibers and Planar Nanophotonics on Glass and Si. Stanley Pau is the host.
Abstract: In this presentation the research activities in the Photonics Group of Aalto University will be summarized. Our research focuses on specialty fibers and planar nanophotonics on glass and Si.
On specialty fibers, the photo darkening effect in ytterbium-doped fibers will be discussed. Photo darkening is a detrimental light-induced effect that poses a threat to the reliability of high-power fiber lasers through progressive growth of loss, which degrades the laser performance. Our recent results on studies of the photo darkening effect in commercially available cladding-pumped ytterbium-doped fibers will be presented. Progress of the photo darkening and thermal recovery of the induced losses have both been measured in-situ by monitoring a weak core-propagating probe signal.
On planar Si-nanophotonics our recent theoretical and experimental results on Si-slot waveguides will be presented. In our approach we combine the Si-nanophotonics platform with atomic layer deposition (ALD). This provides some interesting new possibilities, since ALD can be used to fill the narrow slots as the ALD grown films are extremely conformal over the surfaces. Our target applications are in all-optical signal processing devices.
In our glass based nanophotonics we focus on silver nanoparticles embedded in glass, e.g., for biomedical applications. Glass-embedded silver nanoparticle patterns have been fabricated by masked silver-sodium ion-exchange process followed by etching to partially reveal the particles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The intensity of the enhanced Raman signal is comparable to that of the fluorescence, and the detection limit of 1 nM for Rhodamine 6G has been achieved. Nanoparticles can be formed in a glass of high optical quality and have potential to be integrated with optical waveguides for a guided-wave sensor chip.
Bio: Seppo Honkanen received his PhD in 1988 from Helsinki University of Technology. During 1989-1995 he was with Nokia Research Center and worked as a project manager and the principal scientist of optoelectronics. During 1995-2006 he was with the College of Optical Sciences in Tucson, Arizona, most recently as an associate professor. While in Arizona, he also served as a vice president at NP Photonics, a fiber laser company that he co-founded in 1998. In 2007 he joined Helsinki University of Technology (presently a part of Aalto University) as a Finland Distinguished Professor and started the Photonics Group. His main research interests are in fiber optics and photonic integrated circuits. He has published some 100 articles in peer-reviewed international journals.
Friday's OSC Community Speakers: Noon. Meinel 410
From Boris Glebov, Tim Renkoski, and Garam Yun. Hello OSC Community, Please join us this Friday, January 22 for our first Community Speaker Series of the Spring semester.
First of all, thank all of you who participated in voting in the Best Talk Awards for last semester. I will announce the winners at the beginning of the Community speaker event.
This week features presentations by Chen Li and the SOCk committee.
Chen will present The 2010 Tucson Gem Show. Abstract: Each year, people gather from around the world to attend the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. This popular three-week event is the world's largest mineral show. About 5500 mineral dealers participate in 40 different satellite shows. Over 20 museums from different countries provide exhibits and lectures. It does not matter who you are or where you are from, as long as you love minerals, we will see you in Tucson. The clock is ticking, the show is about to start, are you ready?
The SOCk committee will explain activities for the spring semester. If you have any good ideas, please come and tell us. There will be prizes for those who participate in the discussion at the end.
As always, community speaker series start at noon in Meinel 408/410. We hope to see you all there, If you want to check activities that SOCk is planning to do this year, check: http://sites.google.com/site/uasock/home or www.optics.arizona.edu/student
Next Week's Colloquium is Cancelled
We'll see you at SPIE's Photonics West. Colloquium returns on February 4 with Stephan Koch of University Marburg and an OSC Adjunct Professor.
Next Week at SPIE's Photonics West
From Allison Huff. For those of you attending SPIE’s Photonics West (January 23-28), please stop by College of Optical Sciences’ booth in the South Hall, Booth #1025 of the Moscone Center, to say hello to our exhibit volunteers, Kasia Sieluzycka and Garam Yun.
New Awards
Augmentation of Early Intensity Forecasting in Tropical Cyclones. Sponsor: ONR. PIs: Scott Tyo and Elizabeth Ritchie. October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2012. $567,491.
Micropolarizer Array Investigation. Sponsor: 4D Technology. PI: Tom Milster. December 9, 2009 to March 8, 2010. $22,080.
Vortex Retarder Measurements. Sponsor: JPL. PI: Russell Chipman. November 23, 2009 to January 15, 2010. $4,310.
New OSA President's First Column
This month Jim Wyant begins his term as President of OSA, the Optical Society of America. His first column in OPN, Optics and Photonics News, detailing some of OSA's goals for 2010, is on-line at http://www.osa-opn.org/Content/Departments/president_message.aspx
Steve Jacobs: Laser Pioneer
By the way, the same issue features two special articles on the laser and, on the cover, a circa-1960 picture of own Stephen Jacobs with an early cesium laser at TRG: http://www.osa-opn.org/OpenContent/CoverImage.aspx
The Laser Turns 50
Please take a moment to visit the LaserFest Web site at http://www.laserfest.org/ The site's contents include videos featuring Theodore Maiman, Lawrence Sutherland and Charles Townes, a laser history timeline, and an article on laser innovations. LaserFest is a year-long celebration of laser innovation.
Recommended reading: Laser: The Inventor, the Nobel Laureate, and the Thirty-Year Patent War by Nick Taylor. Simon & Schuster, New York. 2000.
OSC Grad Students Visit Baboquivari High School Students
From Meredith Kupinski and Kimberly Sierra-Cajas. UA graduate students Samantha White, Stacey Sueoka, Geillan Aly, Kali Wilson, and Oscar Herrera visited Baboquivari High School, on the Tohono O’odham Reservation to share their knowledge and interest in optics with college-bound high school students. Their creative and attention-grabbing demonstrations included laser transmission of audio signals, comparing diffraction patterns of different light sources, polarization (including a discussion of Avatar glasses), IR self-portraits, and a measurement of the speed of light using a fruit roll-up and a microwave! We wouldn’t be surprised if some of the Baboquivari students we met are one day in our freshman class. Thanks to these volunteers for ardently sharing their hard-earned knowledge of optics!
Are there photos? You bet! Please click on the thumbnails for larger images.
Follow-Up to our Adopted Family
From Kimberly Sierra-Cajas. Dear College of Optical Sciences, We would like to thank all those who participated in the OSC Adopt-a-Family for the Holidays project and made the holidays extra special for this family. We raised $325 in cash and received numerous gifts. With the donations, we purchased the following gift cards: $120 Walmart card for food, $80 Target card for clothes for the 16-year old boy, $25 Walmart card for CDs for the 16-year old, and $50 Walmart cards each for the 8-year old girl and 4-year old boy for clothes. Highlights of the gifts we gave to the little girl include art supplies, a Barbie, Barbie accessories, a nail polish kit, a toy guitar, and a scarf. We gave the little boy a toy dump truck, toy car, games, a Sesame Street computer game, a toy motorcycle, and a tool set and construction dress up set. We gave the teenager a CD player, two movies, and a t-shirt. I apologize if I didn’t list all the gifts. They sent us touching thank you cards that I wanted to share and show how appreciated your generosity was.
Here are scanned images of the family's thank you cards, with the names removed to protect their privacy. Please click on the thumbnails for larger images.
Upcoming Alumni Reunion at Photonics West
Alumni, you are all invited to attend our next Alumni Reunion Reception. We'll be holding it in San Francisco, California, in conjunction with SPIE's Photonics West.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. Hilton San Francisco - Franciscan Ballroom 333 O’Farrell Street 415-771-1400 http://www.sfmeetings.com/floorplans/photo_franciscan.html
Please contact Will Rivera, Director, Alumni & External Relations at will@optics.arizona.edu or 520-626-8754 if you have any questions.
Alumni Reunion Photos
Our last Alumni Reunion was in December, here at OSC. It was wonderful to see so many of our former students again and we posted photos from the event at http://www.optics.arizona.edu/News/2009Newsletters/AlumniReuniontDecember2009.htm
Alumni, if you would like to take pictures at this reunion, we can post them to our Web site also. Please send photos to cathy.alexander@optics.arizona.edu Thanks! Make sure to include your name so we can give credit where it's due.
Happy Birthday and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Year
January 25 Masud Mansuripur (masud@optics.arizona.edu)
January 26 Leonard Brown
January 28 Fatih Ilhan (filhan@optics.arizona.edu) Marty Valente (marty@optics.arizona.edu)
January 30 Goldie Gibbons (ggibbons@optics.arizona.edu) Joseph Ortiz (jortiz@optics.arizona.edu)
January 31 Rob Kingston (rob.kingston@optics.arizona.edu) Suhas Sridhar (svs1@email.arizona.edu)
OSC Calendar
January 21 Kollmorgen Electro-Optical interviews at OSC. Contact Anabel Garcia.
January 21 PhD Final Defense. 9:30 a.m. Meinel 821. James Scholl will present The Design and Analysis of Computed Tomographic Imaging Spectrometers (CTIS) Using Fourier and Wavelet Crosstalk Matrices.
January 21 OSC Colloquium. 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307.
January 22 OSC Community Speakers. Noon. Meinel 410.
January 22 OSC Sports Friday. 5:00 p.m. Watch your email for details.
January 23 - 28 Photonics West in San Francisco, California.
February 10 NVESD Information Session. 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Meinel 307.
February 11 NVESD Interviews at OSC. Contact Anabel Garcia.
On Campus
January 21 Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar. 4:00 p.m. AME Lecture Hall, Room S212. Pak Kin Wong, UA Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering IDP and Bio5 Institute, will present Microfluidics: From lLboratory Automation to Cellular Self-Organization.
January 22 Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Special Seminar. 9:00 a.m. AME Library, Room N722. Richard A. Wirtz, Department Chair of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno, will present A Structured Micro-Porous Surface for High-Flux Boiling.
Student. JPL/Caltech SURF. Project: Radiometer detector development. Disciplines: Optics, Physics, Engineering. Mentor: William R. Johnson, Optical Engineer, William.R.Johnson@jpl.nasa.gov, Phone: 818-393-5470. AO Contact: William R. Johnson, William.R.Johnson@jpl.nasa.gov Background: This project will advance the state-of-the art in earth observing thermal radiometer measurements by improving existing detection technology. Existing JPL radiometers utilize advance detectors in order to measure sea surface skin temperatures. The student will help to advance our radiometers to the next generation design. This is an exciting opportunity to have your developed hardware deployed in the field. Description: The student will be reasonable for designing, assembling and testing a detector package which will be installed in an existing radiometer and deployed in the field. Certain constraints such as physical size, power consumption, bandwidth and durability will be employed. The student will procure the necessary parts per their design and assemble the parts in a laboratory setting. After assembly, the student will measure applicable instrument constants (gain, spectral sensitivity, spectral width, field of view) and compare these with expected values. The student will then install the new detector in the radiometer and test for the predefined performance metrics. By the end of the task the student will have a thorough understanding of the calibration and validation cycle used. Student Requirements: Ability to work independently as required. Some laboratory background is required. Utilization of optical design packages (ZEMAX, Oslo, Code V) useful but not required. Phython/Matlab or similar programming useful but not required.
Field Applications Engineer -- Sales. Toptica Photonics. We are seeking a Field Sales (Applications) Engineer, to assume an important role supporting our team in North America. The successful applicant will be required to provide technical support to our customers, working with the sales team and interacting directly with customers as needed. In addition to providing technical applications support, the role will be expected to network and prospect for new account leads and business. This position is available in the Bay Area in California and could be considered at our headquarters in Rochester, NY. The role will require regular travel within the U.S. and Europe. Responsibilities: • General Purpose: Assist in meeting sales objectives for a territory. • Maximize the business for all TOPTICA products targeting designated customers according to business development programs agreed with management. • Meet TOPTICA’s level of service objectives dealing with all sales and service issues from a customer satisfaction perspective. • Provide onsite or remote technical support and training to the customer as well as guidance to the team in North America. • Present technical material for customer meetings and demonstrations of TOPTICA products. • Co-ordinate formal and contractually relevant communication to designated customers, per company policy. • Increase responsibilities as well as depth and breadth of tasks commensurate with competency level and technical expertise acquired through professional experience on the job according to targeted role. Qualifications: • Hands-on background including diode and/or ultrafast lasers. • Degree in physics, optics or similar experience, Ph.D. preferred. • Sales experience. • 3 – 5 years of relevant job experience (hands-on laser experience and sales/field applications in scientific and government markets). • In-depth knowledge of external environment: client, markets, competitors, technological developments. • Strong technology focus in addition to sales background. The position is ideally located in the Bay Area in California. Please submit your resume and salary history to Mark Tolbert at Mark.Tolbert@TOPTICA-USA.com
Agency Listing. Optical Engineer- Full time Direct Hire Opportunity. Location: Loveland, Colorado. Company Information: Aerotek is currently looking for an Optical Engineer for our client that manufactures and develops instruments that test different fluids and liquids. Description: This position requires a candidate to apply optical engineering principles, with supervision and guidance, to the design, redesign, test, modeling and use of various products, subassemblies, and systems. Responsibilities include design and analyze optical and spectroscopic instrumentation systems to reliably achieve functional requirements and quantitative specifications. The position will require the ability to design tests to verify performance of optical systems and demonstrate insensitivity of the design to parameters including component and manufacturing variation, temperature, humidity, aging, corrosion, ESD, EMC and vibration and shock. The ideal candidate should demonstrates practical knowledge of a wide range of optical and technical methods, principles, and practices similar to a narrow area of a professional field, and skill in applying this knowledge to such assignments as the design and planning of projects.. The candidate should also have general knowledge in the scientific or engineering discipline. Requirements: Job Requirements -Minimum BS in Optical Engineering, or Physics; 3-5 years of experience in instrument development, 1-3 years of experience in optical systems design or a degree focus on optics. Demonstrated skill in the areas required to perform this job for a technologist: Optical systems design. Spectroscopy Instrumentation. Optical modeling. Optical analysis. Ray tracing. Testing optical system performance in and out of complete product. Industry Contacts and Participation in Industry. Excellent Communication and Presentation Skills. Presentation skills and ability to translate technical information to non-technical persons. Additional Details Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position. All hiring is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen and a criminal background check. To apply for this position please send word formatted resume’s to avicchia@aerotek.com or contact Angie at 970-776-5234.
Students: When you graduate and leave OSC, your subscription to Watt's Up automatically expires. If you would like to continue your subscription, you may add (and later remove if you wish) your name to our Watt's Up listserv by visiting http://www.optics.arizona.edu/helpdesk/listserv.htm
Cathy Alexander Information Specialist Coordinator College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona cathy.alexander@optics.arizona.edu |
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