Photonics Spectra Preview

Attosecond Photonics

Attosecond photonics allows for deeper insights into material dynamics on ultra-short time-scales and with nanometer-resolution. The field could eventually lead to a considerable number of applications in ultrafast, petahertz-scale electronics, and ultrafast metrology for microscopy or nanoscopy. There is a natural symbiosis between attosecond photonics and modern electronic technology. But to enter the commercial market, high-repetition rate industrial-grade sources must first be developed.Key Technologies: Fiber lasers, ultrafast lasers, free electron lasers, metalensesAutomotive Lighting Automotive lighting can be defined as any technology that helps improve driver awareness of relevant road conditions, whether that be advanced pixel LED arrays, ADAS headlamps, or illumination for driver monitoring cameras. Contributing editor Hank Hogan surveys the latest challenges as well as the most recent developments in technology, regulation, and market demand.Key Technologies: LED lighting, illuminated cameras, HUDsFilters for Laser Absorption SpectroscopyIn 2020, when the COVID pandemic significantly reduced carbon dioxide emissions from automotive and industrialized sources, global emissions of methane still surged. As methane is around 84x more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat inside the Earth’s atmosphere, finding and understanding the source of these emissions is important to climate change research. Laser absorption spectroscopy instrumentation is a vital tool in the search for answers. Umicore Coating Services managing director Mark Naples unpacks the methane mystery and, in the process, highlights the important role that laser absorption spectroscopy tools and their components play.