Now seeking articles and information for the June 2020 Images eNewsletter -  Deadline Extended to June 6. 
Please send to donn@e-las.net

UCI Optical Engineering 10 yrs - Photonics Spectra
from September 2019 Photonics Spectra Magazine

The following courses are part of Certificate Programs in:
Optical Engineering and Optical Instrument Design

There was an Information Session - Monday 19 August
OSSC Fellow Donn Silberman was the guest speaker.

Summer  2020 courses began in Early July:

Advanced Lens Design
Optomechanical Component Design
Introduction to Fiber Optics

Go to the links above to learn more about the courses and programs.

Email:  Kadie Heck
with confirmed OSSC Membership
to receive discount code.

With the current situation regarding On-Campus Educational instruction, the Laser Tech Training Program is planned to be moved to Pasadena City College this summer with courses beginning this Fall.  This, however is subject to change depending of circumstances.

Check back here over the coming months to see updates.  The following notes will remain true.

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.

Read a related article in SPIE's new
Photonics Focus magazine titled....
Where is the New Collar Workforce?
Optics companies large and small face a hiring shortage
for skilled technicians

by
Justin Mansell, Planetary Society &
Purdue PhD Candidate

Abstract:  In July 2019 the LightSail 2 CubeSat unfurled its 32 m2 solar sail in space above the Earth.  Then, tacking the sail like the sea-fairing vessels of olde, the spacecraft succeeded in changing its orbit using the pressure of sunlight.  The achievement was the culmination of a 10-year crowd funded program sponsored by The Planetary Society to raise the public and technical profiles of solar sailing through a pair of flight experiments. Unencumbered by limited propellant, the technology has the potential to enable entirely new types of space missions, including feasible travel to other stars.  But while the concept of solar sailing is centuries old, its realization is new and there is much to learn.  This talk will describe the major challenges faced during the LightSail 2 mission, along with the achievements and lessons that resulted.  The flight team continues to refine solar sailing and conduct imaging from the spacecraft to engage the public interest and deepen the mission’s technical impact.

During the tour, participants will be brought into the M8 James Webb Viewing Area to view the observatory itself. The guided tour will include the following highlights:
▪    The guide will explain the science objectives of James Webb and touch on the history of the observatory.
▪     Participants will learn about how the science informed the design of the James Webb
▪   Details on how the James Webb team overcame the engineering challenges necessary to build the observatory will also be discussed.
▪    The guide will point out interesting features visible from the viewing window.
▪     Participants will be given an opportunity to ask questions.
The M8 James Webb Viewing Area is split into two (2) areas: a Top Deck and a Bottom Deck. The Top Deck is accessible only by climbing a flight of stairs, but the Bottom Deck is fully accessible. On typical tours, both decks are visited.
The tour will be held at Northrop Grumman Space Park in Redondo Beach, CA, in the M8 James Webb Viewing Area. Participants should assemble outside the north end of building M8 at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the tour. Parking is available along Mettler Drive and north of M8. The tour will last approximately 45 minutes. There is no charge for this tour.

Venue:  Northrop Grumman Building M8
Time:  4:00PM - 5:00PM

Additional Guidance:
▪     Only US citizens may participate in this tour.
▪     Please advise tour coordinators if you have special accommodation needs.
▪     No food or drink is allowed in the Viewing Area.
▪     All visitors will be required to sign the Visitor Logbook in the Viewing Area.
▪     This tour will visit only the M8 Viewing Area and participating on the tour does not permit you access to any other facility at Space Park.
▪     You must be escorted at all times by the tour guide while in the M8 Viewing Area.
▪     No photography is allowed on site and there will not be provisions for having your picture taken with the James Webb.

To register for this event - or for additional information - please contact chair@sccavs.org

by
Donald Pearson II, Äpre Instruments

Abstract:  Conventional interferometry is widely used to measure spherical and flat surfaces with nanometer level precision but it is often plagued by back or multiple surface reflections.  At this meeting a new method of isolating the measurement surface by controlling the spectral properties of the source will be described (Spectrally Controlled Interferometry - SCI).  Using spectral modulation of the interferometer's source enables formation of localized fringes where the optical path difference is non-zero.  As a consequence, it becomes possible to form white-light like fringes in common path interferometers, such as the Fizeau or Twyman-Green.  ÄPRE’s SCI technology does not require mechanical phase shifting, resulting in simpler instruments and offers the ability to upgrade existing interferometers.  Furthermore, SCI allows absolute measurement of distance, including radius of curvature of lenses, in a single setup with the possibility of improving the throughput and removing some of the pitfalls of inaccurate measurements.

OSSC's recently elected Board of Directors for the 2020-2021 year will be presented along with Membership and Treasury reports.

Presentation: 6:30pm
Limit may be 150 people
Please register by 5 June
No fee for this on-line webinar

Webinar Log-in details will be emailed just before Meeting.

by
Alexander Fast, Ph.D., UC Irvine
Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic
Nonlinear Optical Microscopy Lab

Abstract:  Multiphoton imaging of human skin provides access to morphological information with molecular contrast obtained in a noninvasive manner.  Our group at Beckman Laser Institute pioneered the clinical skin imaging with multiphoton microscopy.  This talk will present the latest developments on the new generation multiphoton microscopy imaging platform for efficient integration into clinical setting.

by
Scott Jordan, PI (Physik Instrumente)

Abstract:  In Silicon Photonics and other precision optical fields, production quantities have exponentiated and competition has intensified over the past few years.  In multiple test and packaging steps, submicron-scale alignments are necessary and dominate overall production costs.  These commence with optically and electronically probing devices while still on the wafer, and the alignments must be repeated through final packaging and all the intermediate steps in between.

The key is leveraging optical physics to separate dependence on position commandability.  A universal implementation is now commercially available and fab-proven.  Process cost reductions of 99% are seen.  We will discuss this technology and its applications, and a live demonstration of parallel array I/O alignment will be offered.

see also:  https://www.pi-usa.us/en/tech-blog/history-and-future-of-photonics-alignment-automation-test-assembly-of-sip-components/

by
Dr. Michael Sholl, SpaceX

Abstract:  The Supernova Acceleration Probe (SNAP) was a proposed experiment designed to quantify dark energy by measuring the redshift-magnitude diagram of supernovae and to quantify the growth of structure in the universe by measuring weak gravitational lensing over cosmological distances.  These techniques, along with baryon acoustic oscillation, are used to constrain dark energy density and matter density in modern cosmological models.  The baseline SNAP telescope was an ambient temperature, annular-field, configuration II Korsch, three-mirror anastigmat (TMA), designed to fly at the L2 Earth-Sun Lagrange point.  The SNAP project evolved into the Joint Dark Energy Mission (JDEM), and finally the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST).  Stray light analyses of the SNAP telescope included both overall systems engineering and budgeting, and detailed non-sequential modeling of the effects of dust, roughness and thermal infrared emission, as well as stop placement and baffle design.  The goal of the stray light design was to ensure that stray light in the 0.4 to 1.7 micron wavelength range did not exceed a small fraction of Zodiacal radiation within the mission's target field near the North ecliptic pole.  At visible wavelengths, the primary source of stray light was starlight scattered by the telescope mirrors.  In the longest wavelength bands, thermal emission from the mirrors and structure dominated the budget. Scattered stray light and thermal emissions were mitigated by baffles, an internal field stop, and a cold (140K) internal aperture stop.  Stray light scattered by mirror roughness and particulate contamination, as well as scattering from the telescope baffles, were modeled and shown to be less than 10% of Zodiacal levels in all bands.