 | Laser pre-pulse proves key to EUV ramp 18 May |
| ASML has begun assembling EUV tools for high-volume chip manufacturing. But are the troublesome light sources ready? |
 | Anania eyes European photonics opportunities 16 May |
| In a wide-ranging interview, seasoned industry battler Giorgio Anania contrasts Photonics 21's flexibility with Europe’s business sluggishness. |
 | ISL develops solid-state lasers for aircraft protection
09 May |
| French-German research group works on ‘jamming and damaging’ systems |
 | Photonex takes roadshow to Imperial College 01 May |
| Conference and mini-exhibition highlight medical and life science applications of photonics. |
 | BIPV: a window of opportunity for advanced optics? 30 Apr |
| Amid the volatility of the PV sector, optics look poised to play a role in future solar windows – and not just in buildings. |
 | Photoacoustic imaging begins clinical move 25 Apr |
| Highly scalable alternative to MRI and X-ray scans is starting to migrate out of the laboratory, says one of its leading exponents. |
 | European photonics body plans accelerated growth 18 Apr |
| Panel discussion at Photonics21's annual meeting considers how to boost photonics sector prospects. |
 | BAE Systems, Boeing blend kinetic and laser weapons 04 Apr |
| Integration of high-energy lasers on naval platforms has lately been one of the major R&D focuses of military-industry partnerships. |
 | IDEX interview: mega-trends and silicon moments 26 Mar |
| Seasoned photonics industry executive and now president of IDEX's optics and photonics business, Mike Cumbo talks exclusively to optics.org. |
 | US set to hit Chinese PV firms with import tariffs 21 Mar |
| But the stock prices of Suntech, Trina and Yingli all rise sharply after a preliminary determination applies only a small tariff rate. |
 | Solarbuzz: PV market may decline this year 20 Mar |
| Leading photovoltaics industry analyst reports market growth of 40% after a surge in demand to beat deep incentive cuts in late 2011. |
 | Conference expects slow transition to laser weapons 07 Mar |
| Despite numerous diagnostic applications it is likely to be at least 10 to 20 years before such sources are widely deployed in actual weapons. |
 | LED lighting’s ‘best years’ will be 2013 to 2017 27 Feb |
| Combination of market penetration with relatively high pricing will see revenues peak before saturation takes hold. |
 | Silicon photonics forges ahead 22 Feb |
| Key figures from the world of silicon photonics update optics.org on the latest progress in this perennially hot topic. |
 | ‘Dependable innovator’ looks to go global 17 Feb |
| As the UK government strives to rebalance its economy towards manufacturing, M Squared Lasers shows the way with photonics innovation. |
 | PW 2012: A snapshot of the imaging sector 15 Feb |
| The exhibition at Photonics West 2012 provided a good opportunity to catch up on the latest innovations in imaging technologies. Here, optics.org presents some highlights. |
 | Plessey set to make HB-LEDs at UK facility 07 Feb |
| Historic semiconductor firm acquires GaN-on-silicon technology with buy-out of Cambridge start-up CamGaN. |
 | Ophthalmic laser market set for continued growth 23 Jan |
| Two reports highlight the central role of photonics, just as the UK's first femtosecond cataract procedure takes place. |
 | Demand for HB-LEDs to grow six-fold in next decade 22 Jan |
| The global market for high-brightness LEDs will reach $70 billion by 2021, says Electronicast. |
 | 'Under the radar' at Photonics West 2012 05 Jan |
| Highlighting a dozen of the 'up-and-coming' companies that you might not have heard about who are exhibiting at the San Francisco show this year. |
 | Biophotonics stocks punched above weight in 2011 04 Jan |
| While solar stocks sank like stones last year, a number of medical laser and semiconductor equipment firms out-performed the market easily. |
 | Europe sets up for 'no brainer' LED lighting push 19 Dec |
| European Commission launches green paper and consultation on solid-state lighting, with vice president Neelie Kroes backing a major expansion. |
 | IMEC shrinks size and cost of hyperspectral cameras 12 Dec |
| Integrated Fabry-Perot filters can make HSI systems smaller and more versatile, especially for biomedical applications. |
 | Heliatek seeks lead investor to back organic PV ramp 07 Dec |
| Germany-based technology leader in organic photovoltaics (OPV) is pushing close to 10% efficiency with new cells. |
 | EC details €80BN innovation proposal 01 Dec |
| The European Commission lays out its 'Horizon 2020' budget, emphasizing cuts to red tape and a boost for industrial innovation. |
 | Solyndra: Chu caught up in partisan crossfire 18 Nov |
| The US Energy Secretary's grilling in Congress had more to do with political grandstanding than forensic questioning about loan guarantees. |
 | Machine vision groups spark Asian expansion 16 Nov |
| With business booming, the machine vision market is primed for rapid expansion in Korea and China and adoption of new technologies. |
 | Made in China, shipped to America 03 Nov |
| With the solar industry seemingly on the cusp of a US-China trade war, how low will PV prices go? |
 | Laser vendors stay positive as turmoil subsides 28 Oct |
| Companies tied to cash-rich sectors see continued momentum despite mixed economic signals elsewhere, says Longbow Research. |
 | Biophotonics in the spotlight at UK's Photonex 2011 26 Oct |
| Holographic surgery aids and multispectral assessment of a patient's emotional state were among the topics discussed in Coventry. |
 | Trumpf chief urges fast action on Euro crisis 19 Oct |
| After posting record orders and its second-best sales ever, the laser systems company remains confident amid the macroeconomic gloom. |
 | Photonics stocks show scars of economic anxiety 04 Oct |
| Only a handful of publicly listed companies showed any gain in value in Q3 2011, although the industrial laser sector still looks strong. |
 | US solar boom puts Solyndra shambles in context 26 Sep |
| As Solyndra execs stonewall Congress, the Solar Energy Industries Association reports that PV installations in the US will double this year. |
 | Photonics21 commits to €7BN investment plan 16 Sep |
| The industry group representing photonics in Europe agrees to a four-fold leveraging of initial public funding for technology development. |
 | Organic PV: closing the reality gap 06 Sep |
| An army of researchers might be working on organic PV cells, but don't expect a major market to develop this side of 2020. |
 | Made in Switzerland...inside a mountain 19 Aug |
| ESPROS Photonics has built a wafer manufacturing facility literally inside a mountain – from where it plans to make single-chip 3D cameras. |
 | Uncertainty and unease grow for laser vendors 12 Aug |
| Nervousness was on the increase even before the US credit downgrade caused chaos, according to Longbow Research. |
 | Amonix founder sees CPV finally make its mark 03 Aug |
| Vahan Garboushian on a breakthrough year for concentrated PV, and why the technology promises to be much more than a niche solution. |
 | RoHS recast: implications for optical materials 21 Jul |
| Though some exemptions have been granted, developers of optical glass must continue working towards full removal from the directive. |
 | Miniature lasers speed up stem cell studies 20 Jul |
| Mounting diodes inside standard microscope objectives promises faster and more efficient research in cutting-edge cell biology. |
 | UK photonics stocks show sharp first-half gains 07 Jul |
| Survey of publicly listed photonics companies highlights stellar performance by e2v, Renishaw and Andor since the start of the year. |
 | LED lighting emphasis shifts to cost, quality 01 Jul |
| With many manufacturers now able to turn out LED chips with excellent efficacy, improving the $/lumen cost of high-quality white light is now the key priority. |
 | Can Lytro bring light-field cameras to the masses? 29 Jun |
| The start-up has grabbed the attention of world's media, but faces competition in the race to commercialize a plenoptic camera. |
 | Alta Devices: fluorescence key to economic PV 22 Jun |
| Stealthy start-up says that light generation inside solar cells is the key to high efficiencies, as it plans to build a pilot manufacturing facility. |
 | LASER 2011: BMBF adds to feel-good factor 03 Jun |
| The German government's new funding package for photonics resonates through the event, as we see the 'tip of the iceberg' for ultrafast lasers in industrial applications. |
 | Photonics groups look to pull European levers 20 May |
| 10 per cent of the European economy depends on photonics, finds a new report on the leveraging impact of optical technologies. |
 | Gooch & Housego: transformation by acquisition 13 May |
| Being headquartered in the middle of the English countryside has been no handicap to the company’s unerring global expansion. |
 | Data and budget cuts dominate defense show 06 May |
| Everybody knows that major cuts to the US defense budget are coming. Diversity will be the key to survival, hears Mike Hatcher. |
 | Laser vendors cheered by growth prospects 26 Apr |
| Rising confidence is now turning into real numbers as recovery gathers pace, says Longbow Research. |
 | TeraDiode ramps semiconductor laser power 18 Apr |
| Grating-based beam combination yields unparalleled scale-up of power for metal cutting and directed energy applications. |
 | Biolase CEO unbowed by boardroom battles 13 Apr |
| Despite a year of corporate turmoil, Federico Pignatelli believes that his company will emerge in better shape than ever. |
 | Green photonics: beyond PV and LEDs 30 Mar |
| European politicians and bureaucrats should be made increasingly aware of “green” manufacturing techniques, as well as PV and LED applications. |
 | Smoke, mirrors and EUV lithography 23 Mar |
| After decades in development and years behind schedule, it looks like extreme UV lithography is finally closing in on commercialization. |
 | Salk Institute pushes limits of biological imaging 16 Mar |
| $20M investment in cutting-edge tools that beat the diffraction limit has added a new dimension to acute disease research. |
 | Bionic retina runs on laser power 07 Mar |
| Aiming for clinical trials in 2013, an Israeli start-up's neuron-stimulating synthetic retina is powered by spectacles featuring an infrared laser. |
 | Interview: Oclaro prioritizes diversification 02 Mar |
| Finger navigation, cosmetic lasers and atomic clocks can help Oclaro to build a more balanced business, says corporate strategy boss Yves LeMaitre. |
 | Optics drives mobile handset innovation 15 Feb |
| Lens arrays, pico projector engines, 3D technology and wafer-level cameras show that the handset industry is anything but commoditized when it comes to optics. |
 | Vendor survey shows real recovery in full swing 07 Feb |
| Strengthening demand and a surge of positive feeling from Photonics West convinces vendors that 2011 will be a good year, finds Longbow. |
 | PW2011: perspectives on a record-breaking show 02 Feb |
| With a best-ever attendance, warm sunshine and busy show floors, Photonics West 2011 reflected a strong mood of optimism. |
 | VCs stake chips on Europe's LED innovators 25 Jan |
| Sweden's Glo and Germany's Azzurro have technologies that promise to significantly reduce the cost of LED lighting, discovers Andy Extance. |
 | Solar in 2011: is Italy the new Germany? 07 Jan |
| Following cuts to photovoltiaic feed-in tariffs across Europe, it is Italy that looks to have some of the most attractive investment conditions. |
 | Industry input wanted for Harnessing Light 2.0 06 Jan |
| Photonics West attendees are invited to help shape the future direction of photonics through a new version of the seminal Harnessing Light report. |
 | 2010: top-ten stories of the year 31 Dec |
| Your favorite articles included progress in laser fusion, implanted telescopes and new uses for forgotten laser materials. |
 | Osram interview: unleashing the LED market 22 Dec |
| As the competition hots up, new Osram Opto Semiconductors CEO Aldo Kamper says that the LED revolution is only just beginning. |
 | Femtosecond lasers take aim at cataracts 08 Dec |
| With active developers on both sides of the Atlantic, the use of ultrafast pulses for cataract surgery has become a hot topic in ophthalmology. |
 | UN report urges lighting revolution 02 Dec |
| At the Cancún climate change summit, the United Nations says that it will develop a road-map detailing the global phase-out of inefficient lighting. |
 | Soraa lasers show record single-mode power 29 Nov |
| West-Coast start-up is producing semi-polar and non-polar nitride semiconductor lasers that outperform conventional designs. |
 | ACTMOST: Europe's catalyst for optics innovation 24 Nov |
| Hugo Thienpont explains how a new project will offer a risk-free micro-optics service to the commercial sector in Europe. |
 | Chinese take-over secures Irish photonics jobs 23 Nov |
| Plastic optical fiber (POF) transceiver maker Firecomms will expand its engineering team significantly, following its acquisition by ZJF Group. |
 | Hands off the game controller 12 Nov |
| A revolution in user interaction with TVs, games consoles and computers is under way, as developers such as in3Depth Systems bring gesture control to the masses. |
 | Photonex provides focus for UK's PV scene 08 Nov |
| Small but fast-growing UK photovoltaics sector requires more cohesion, but should ultimately present a major opportunity for the local photonics industry. |
 | Laser projectors promise brighter 3D experience 02 Nov |
| Investment from IMAX and VCs shows faith that technology from Laser Light Engines points the way forward in digital cinema projection. |
 | Fiber lasers and cleantech lead recovery 28 Oct |
| Sustained demand gives laser vendors tentative optimism going into 2011, but political support for clean technologies is key, says Longbow Research. |
 | Christmas arrives early at buoyant Trumpf 21 Oct |
| The German company returns wages to pre-crisis levels and predicts that the market for laser materials processing systems will grow 25% in 2010. |
 | Inside Intel's photonics revolution - part two 11 Oct |
| In the second of two articles covering the advanced photonics technologies under development at Intel, we focus on silicon. |
 | Building solar demand - one house at a time 05 Oct |
| A combination of lower cell costs, feed-in tariffs and innovative module designs is set to drive a huge expansion of building-integrated photovoltaics. |
 | Implanted telescope restores sight to blind 28 Sep |
| Remarkable optical system that treats central vision blindness caused by end-stage macular degeneration recently received FDA approval. |
 | Arming the solid-state lighting revolution 23 Sep |
| As LEDs increasingly find use in general lighting, Andy Extance tracks a dramatic increase in deployments of the tools used to manufacture the chips. |
 | Mid-IR emitters tipped for rapid market growth 15 Sep |
| Analysts at Strategies Unlimited say defense and medical applications will drive rapid growth of the mid-IR laser market through 2014. |
 | Raman tool shows prostate cancer spread 14 Sep |
| Combination of Raman spectroscopy and digital imaging identified patients who went on to develop metastatic form of prostate cancer. |
 | 'Forgotten' laser material aimed at projector use 09 Sep |
| A team from Sony, Hitachi and AIST shows that it will be possible to make green laser diodes with the high efficiencies needed for pico-projectors. |
 | Solar shake-out to trigger CIGS casualties 03 Sep |
| Analysts at Lux Research identify the best IPO prospects in solar for the coming year, and the companies that are most likely to fail. |
 | Production challenges slow OLED market growth 01 Sep |
| Costly manufacturing has held back the roll-out of OLED TVs and constrained supply for handset displays, discovers Andy Extance. |
 | Inside Intel's photonics revolution – part one 26 Aug |
| Mike Hatcher talks to the architects behind the photonics technologies that Intel believes will revolutionize computing. |
 | Pocket projectors: now showing major growth 24 Aug |
| With over 100 pocket-sized projectors now available, Andy Extance sizes up a growing market opportunity for optical component suppliers. |
 | QinetiQ under fire amid photonics cuts 19 Aug |
| Leading figures say that cuts to the technology services company's historic Malvern site will have a severe impact on the UK's photonics technology base, and hurt the economic recovery. |
 | Interview: Stratophase talks optical microchips 16 Aug |
| On-chip refractive-index monitors suit industrial process control and biodetection, as the UK company seeks commercialization partners. |
 | SPIE show highlights photonics cleantech 11 Aug |
| More than 4200 attendees and 233 exhibitors were in San Diego to discuss the impact that photonics can have on clean energy generation and efficient consumption. |
 | LLTech brings optical biopsies to operating theaters 09 Aug |
| Coherence tomography technique allows surgeons to see biopsy results in 3D and almost real-time. |
 | Concentrating PV: risky business or solar star? 31 Jul |
| Dismissed by its detractors as an old, expensive and complex technology, is concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) coming in from the cold? |
 | Cautious optimism rules as good news returns 29 Jul |
| Longbow Research sees causes for concern, but expects the photonics market to outperform GDP in the long term. |
 | UK entrepreneurs build commercial bridges 23 Jul |
| A program linking universities in Scotland and California is to drive commercialization of world-class photonics research. |
 | Australia's EOS to upgrade space-junk tracker 22 Jul |
| Automated optical tracking system will improve existing capabilities at the Mount Stromlo observatory near Canberra. |
 | Biotex laser system treats brain tumors 20 Jul |
| Laser-assisted thermal ablation is used to treat otherwise inoperable lesions; Texan firm has many other photonic technologies in development. |
 | Breakthrough bulbs usher in LED lighting 15 Jul |
| "A" class general LED bulbs launched by top lighting firms this year are the start of a push to replace familiar incandescent lights in our homes, discovers Andy Extance.* |
 | SEMI: fab spending recovery to continue 12 Jul |
| Ahead of Semicon West, industry group says it expects market recovery to continue – thanks in part to exploding demand for LEDs. |
 | GSI readies to emerge from Chapter 11 06 Jul |
| The laser sources and systems company anticipates exiting Chapter 11 proceedings in July. |
 | Lasers and green tea destroy cancer cells 30 Jun |
| Pulsed red light forces tumour cells to "suck in" drugs from their environment |
 | Timer set for silicon sensor switchover 27 Jun |
| After InVisage Technologies unveiled the first quantum-dot based image sensor, CTO Ted Sargent tells us why he believes silicon's light-sensing days are numbered. |
 | Former printer shows appeal of Italian PV 23 Jun |
| Israeli firm Ellomay Capital funds two 750kW (peak) photovoltaic plants, highlighting the attraction of the Italian solar market to investors. |
 | Polymer laser pinpoints explosives 14 Jun |
| Organic lasers show tremendous promise for sensing the vapours given off by the explosives found in landmines |
 | Optics industry feels renewed sense of optimism 21 May |
| Is the worst truly over for the optics industry? Jacqueline Hewett asks Tom Hausken from market analyst Strategies Unlimited for his assessment. |
