Images Newsletter
 The November 2019 Edition of OSSC's Images eNewsletter is now available.
Deadline for submitting articles, corporate profiles and news briefs for the next eNewsletter is 1 December
email: Donn Silberman
Professional Education
There was an Information Session - Monday 19 August
OSSC Fellow Donn Silberman was the guest speaker.
Winter 2020 courses will begin in early January:
Go to the links above to learn more about the courses and programs.
15% discount for OSSC Members on courses
Required for a Certificate.
Laser and Photonics Technology instructors lead hands-on, laboratory-driven classes, utilizing state-of-the-art industrial equipment, based on the industry-guided photonics curricula written by industry professionals. In addition to laboratory skills, students are offered one-on-one support and career advice, including résumé and LinkedIn profile building.
Recent VOSA Meeting
Tuesday 12 November
Space telescopes & instruments to characterize exoplanets
by
James B. Breckinridge,
Adjunct Professor, Wyant College of Optical Sciences
&
Graduate Aeronautical Laboratory,
California Institute of Technology (GALCIT)
Abstract: We will examine several contrast-degrading static signature sources present in current terrestrial exoplanet Lyot Coronagraph/Telescope optical systems. These are:
- Unnecessary optical surfaces, which increase cost, absorption, scatter, wavefront control and alignment issues.
- Diffraction from secondary support systems and classical hexagon segmented apertures, which masks the low IWA terrestrial exoplanets. A suggested mitigation is to investigate curved secondary support systems and a pinwheel architecture for the deployable primary aperture.
- Polarization Fresnel and form birefringence aberrations, which distort the system PSF, introduce absorption, scatter and wavefront control issues. Mitigation is to reduce all ray-angles of incidence to a minimum, investigate zero-loss polarization compensation wavefront technology, and investigate metal thin film deposition processes required to minimize form birefringence in large-area high-reflectivity coatings.
- Small-angle specular or resolved angle scattered light, which places a narrow halo of incoherent light around the base of the PSF. There is no requirement on mirror smooth-surface scatter. Investigate the physical source of the small angle scatter & develop mirror polishing & thin film deposition processes to minimize scatter.
Venue: California Lutheran University
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Upcoming OSSC Meeting
Wednesday 11 December
Annual Corporate Member Appreciation Event
Featuring a Presentation on:
Molecular Vibrations Imaged for the First Time
by
Professor V. Ara Apkarian,
Director of UC Irvine’s Center for Chemistry at the Space-Time Limit (CaSTL)
Abstract: The internal vibrations of molecules drive the structural transformations that underpin chemistry and cellular function. While vibrational frequencies are measured by spectroscopy, the normal modes of motion are inferred through theory because their visualization would require microscopy with ångström-scale spatial resolution nearly three orders of magnitude smaller than the diffraction limit in optics. Using a metallic tip to focus light and taking advantage of the surface-enhanced Raman effect to amplify the signal from individual molecules, tip-enhanced Raman spectromicroscopy (TER-SM) reaches the requisite sub-molecular spatial resolution, confirming that light can be confined in picocavities and anticipating the direct visualization of molecular vibrations. Here, by using TER-SM at the precisely controllable junction of a cryogenic ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunneling microscope, we show that ångström-scale resolution is attained at subatomic separation between the tip atom and a molecule in the quantum tunneling regime of plasmons. We record vibrational spectra within a single molecule, obtain images of normal modes and atomically parse the intramolecular charges and currents driven by vibrations. Our analysis provides a paradigm for optics in the atomistic near-field.
Reception & Corporate Member Exhibits:: 6:00pm
Dinner: 7:00pm
Members: $35 before 7 December, $40 after,
Non-Members: $40 before 7 December, $45 after
OSSC Student Members: $10 before 7 December, $20 after
Presentation: 8:00pm
Registration Soon!
Recent OSSC Meetings
Wednesday 13 November
Optical Payloads for Telescopes & Instruments: Innovation & Creativity
by
Kevin Romero, OPIR Systems Architecture,
Northrop Grumman
Abstract: Key parts of this presentation are from Kevin’s “Fundamental Principles of Creativity”. The talk will focus on methods to break psychological inertia created by our societal norms, history and our own engineering experience. The tools presented can be applied to any problem, to help develop unique solutions. Although Kevin will focus on Creativity in Engineering, the principles are general and apply to diverse subjects like science and art. Several examples of the use of these principles to break technological roadblocks in optical instrument design will be reviewed.
Wednesday 9 October
Tours of and Talk on
The James Webb Space Telescope; Its Mission, Design and Development
by
Dr. Jon Arenberg,
Northrop Grumman Space Technology
Abstract: This talk introduces the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s next large astrophysics mission. Webb’s science goals; detection of the universe’s first light, assembly of galaxies, birth of stars and observation of planets and exo-planets are introduced. We will explore how the design responds to mission requirements and produces the performance necessary to achieve the mission’s goals. Many of the unique elements of the architecture will be explored. The main engineering challenges for largest telescope ever built in space are discussed and the role of materials highlighted. Finally, the current status of the hardware and path to launch will be given.
Wednesday 12 June
Abstract: Quantum computing is the use of quantum-mechanical phenomena such as superposition and entanglement to perform computation. A quantum computer is used to perform such computation, which can be implemented theoretically or physically.
The National Quantum Initiative (NQI) Act is an Act of Congress passed on December 13, 2018 and signed into law on December 21, 2018. The law gives the United States a plan for advancing quantum technology, particularly quantum computing. OSSC Fellow Donn Silberman will briefly review the NQI and introduce our speakers.
View and download slide presentations here:
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