LightPath Technologies Announces Profitable Fourth Quarter

11% Increase in Revenues is Accompanied by 11% Rise in Backlog
Achieves Largest Quarterly Net Income in Two Fiscal Years

ORLANDO, FL - (PRNewswire - August 30, 2012) - LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPTH) ("LightPath", the "Company" or "we"), a global manufacturer, distributor and integrator of proprietary optical components and high-level assemblies, announced today its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

Fourth Quarter Highlights:

• Net Income was $196,000, or $0.02 per share for the quarter compared to $429, or $0.00 per share in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011.
• 12-month backlog was $4.89 million as of June 30, 2012, an increase of 26% or $1.02 million from June 30, 2011.
• Revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 increased 11% to $3.10 million compared to $2.78 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011.
• Gross margin for the quarter remained at 40% as compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011.
• EBITDA increased 72% to $485,000 compared to $281,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011.
• Cash on hand as of June 30, 2012 was $2.35 million as compared to $929,000 on June 30, 2011.

Jim Gaynor, President and Chief Executive Officer of LightPath, commented, "I am pleased to report top-and bottom-line improvement for our fourth quarter, driven by strength in demand for our custom optics and in particular our products designed for the telecom markets. Gross margin improved over each of the previous two quarters by 25% and has returned to 40%, due in part to cost reductions we implemented in April 2012 and an increase in revenue. EBITDA increased by 72% to $485,000 and we had positive operating cash flow for the fourth quarter of $309,000 before taking into account the proceeds we raised in our June 2012 private placement. The combination of increased sales volume and lower costs resulted in net income of $196,000, our highest quarterly net income since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010. For the year, we demonstrated strong operating leverage with increases in both EBITDA and sales, and we reduced our net loss by 46%."

Mr. Gaynor added, "LightPath has increased its revenue and grown its backlog during a challenging period of uncertainty and weakness in the broader markets in which we do business. We continue to serve our markets well, and we expect to continue our growth given the opportunities we see ahead for not only our core business in precision molding, but particularly in the infrared markets. Our recently completed private placement has provided us with the opportunity to add the appropriate capacity to bring our exciting next generation of infrared products to market, and we are currently in the process of adding the equipment that will enable us to capitalize on diverse opportunities that we see ahead for such products and technology."

Financial Results for Three Months Ended June 30, 2012
Revenue for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 totaled approximately $3.10 million compared to approximately $2.78 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, an increase of 11%. This increase was primarily attributable to revenue from the Company's telecom products and custom optics which includes revenue from a large purchase order from the Raytheon Vision Systems ("Raytheon"). Growth in sales for the next several quarters is expected to be derived primarily from the precision molded lenses product line, particularly low cost lenses being sold in Asia and from infrared and collimator products. Infrared products, now being designed and introduced are expected to accelerate the Company's growth more meaningfully beginning in fiscal 2013 and continuing in fiscal 2014.

The gross margin percentage in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 was 40%, unchanged compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011. Total manufacturing costs of $1.88 million increased by approximately $209,000 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year due to increased revenues. Direct costs, which include material, labor and services, were 22% of revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, as compared to 30% of revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, total costs and expenses increased by approximately $22,000 compared to the same period of the prior year. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $860,000 for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. Total operating income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 was approximately $111,000 compared to $22,000 for the same period in fiscal 2011.

Net income for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 was $196,000 or $0.02 per basic and diluted common share, compared with a net income of $429 or $0.00 per basic and diluted common share for the same period in fiscal 2011. Weighted-average basic shares outstanding increased to 10,384,899 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 compared to 9,714,156 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 which is primarily due to the issuance of shares of common stock in the June 2012 private placement, shares issued for the payment of interest on our convertible debentures, the shares issued for our employee stock purchase plan and the shares issued upon the exercise of incentive stock options.

Financial Results for Year Ended June 30, 2012
Revenue for fiscal year 2012 was approximately $11.28 million compared to approximately $10.00 million for fiscal 2011, an increase of 13%. This increase was primarily attributable to revenue from the Raytheon purchase order, and sales of precision molded lenses for the telecom and laser tool markets and custom optics. The number of units of precision molded optics sold increased by 13% due to the Company's continuing pursuit of the low-cost, high-volume lens business. Growth in sales going forward is expected to be derived primarily from LightPath's precision molded optics product line, particularly its low cost lenses sold in Asia, and its infrared and collimator product lines.

Gross margin percentage for fiscal year 2012 decreased to 36% compared to 39% in fiscal 2011. Total manufacturing costs of $7.25 million were approximately $1.17 million higher in fiscal 2012 compared to the prior fiscal year. This increase in manufacturing costs resulted from a $576,000 increase in direct costs for materials, labor and outside services due to an increase in revenues, a $171,000 increase in labor costs for our collimator and infrared products as we continue to ramp up the development of these products, and a $293,000 increase in tooling costs. Direct costs, which include material, labor and services, were 25% of revenue in fiscal year 2012, as compared to 27% of revenue in fiscal year 2011.

During fiscal year 2012, total costs and expenses increased $180,000 to approximately $4.96 million compared to approximately $4.78 million for fiscal year 2011. As a result, total operating loss for fiscal year 2012 increased to a loss of approximately $924,000 compared to a loss of $857,000 for fiscal year 2011.

Net loss for fiscal year 2012 was approximately $865,000 or $0.09 per basic and diluted common share, compared with a net loss of approximately $1.60 million or $0.17 per basic and diluted common share for fiscal year 2011. Weighted-average basic shares outstanding increased to 9,861,596 in fiscal year 2012 compared to 9,533,558 in fiscal year 2011, which is primarily due to the issuance of shares of common stock in the June 2012 private placement, the shares issued as payment of interest due on the Company's convertible debentures and the shares issued for our employee stock purchase plan.

Cash and cash equivalents totaled approximately $2.35 million as of June 30, 2012. The current ratio as of June 30, 2012 was 3.59 to 1 compared to 3.01 to 1 as of June 30, 2011.Total stockholders' equity as of June 30, 2012 totaled approximately $4.00 million compared to $4.04 million as of June 30, 2011.

As of June 30, 2012, our 12-month backlog, was $4.89 million compared to $3.87 million as of June 30, 2011.

Investor Conference Call and Webcast Details:
LightPath will host an audio conference call and webcast on Thursday, August 30th at 4:30 p.m. EDT to discuss the Company's financial and operational performance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012.

Conference Call Details
Date: Thursday, August 30, 2012
Time: 4:30p.m. (EDT)
Dial-in Number: 1-877-407-8033
International Dial-in Number: 1-201-689-8033

TODAY: Seminar: 8.31.12 / CREOL 102 / 3-4pm / “Soft Matter: from Plasmonics to Optofluidics”, Luciano De Sio

Seminar: “Soft Matter: from Plasmonics to Optofluidics”, Luciano De Sio

CREOL 102

Friday, August 31, 2012 / 3-4pm

Luciano De Sio

Department of Physics University of Calabria and CNR-IPCF - LICRYL

(Liquid Crystals Laboratory, Institute for Chemical Physics Processes-CNR)

Centre of Excellence for the Study of Innovative Functional Materials CEMIF-CAL

luciano.desio@fis.unical.it

Abstract

Liquid Crystals (LCs) are well-known “smart” materials combining self-organizing properties with fluidity and being responsive to a wide variety of external stimuli. New generation photonic devices can be realized exploiting unique properties of LCs. We will present achievements in plasmonics and optofluidics. Reconfigurability of LCs was employed in “Active Plasmonics” devices where the plasmonic resonance of gold nanoparticles (GPNs) could be finely controlled by means of external perturbations (electrical field, light, temperature). For the first time, the LC alignment was controlled by external pressure enabling of a peristaltic optofluidic modulator.

Biography:

Dr. Luciano De Sio graduated in Physics at the University of Calabria in 2003 and obtained his Ph.D in Science and Technology of Mesophases and Molecular Materials from the University of Calabria in 2006. His scientific research interests and expertise are in the fields of optics of liquid crystals, holographic diffraction gratings, optofluidics and plasmonics. He has co-authored 50 articles, over 20 scientific communications at conferences and co-authored three international patents.

For More Information:

Jin Yan

407-823-6822

jyan @ creol. ucf. edu

Special Seminar of importance to the Photonics Industry

Special Seminar:  "Presenting the recently released National Academy Optics and Photonics report (Harnessing Light II)" Paul McManamon & Stephen Anderson Where: UCF/CREOL  room 102 When: Thursday, September 27, 2012 / 10:30-11:30am

"Optics and Photonics, Essential Technologies for Our Nation"- Paul McManamon, Technical Director, LOCI, University of Dayton Dr. Paul F. McManamon is an independent consultant and works half time as the Technical Director of the Ladar and Optical Communications institute, LOCI, at the University of Dayton.   Until May of 2008 he was chief scientist for the Sensors Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.  Dr McManamon was responsible for the technical portfolio of the Sensors directorate, including RF sensors and countermeasures, EO sensors and countermeasures, and automatic object recognition.   Dr McManamon has participated in three Air Force Scientific Advisory Board summer studies, New World Vistas in 1995, A Roadmap for a 21st Century Aerospace Force in 1998, and Sensors for Difficult Targets in 2001. Dr. McManamon is widely recognized in the electro-optical community.  Dr McManamon was the 2006 President of SPIE.  Dr. McManamon serves on the executive committee for the Military Sensing Symposia, MSS.  Dr. McManamon is a Fellow of SPIE, IEEE, and OSA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Military Sensing Symposia, MSS.  "Industry Trends and Opportunities"- Stephen G. Anderson, SPIE Industry & Market Strategist Stephen G. Anderson joined SPIE last year as Industry & Market Strategist. He is an industry expert with an international background and has been actively involved in the photonics technology marketplace for more than 30 years. Before joining SPIE, Anderson was Associate Publisher and Editor-in-Chief with Pennwell's Laser Focus World where he directed the editorial strategy for all media and platforms. During his 18 year tenure there, Anderson supervised the Annual Review and Forecast of the Laser Marketplace, published each January, and led the highly regarded Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar, held annually at Photonics West. Anderson also co-founded the BioOptics World brand.  Before joining Laser Focus World, Anderson held marketing and business development positions at Perkin Elmer (UK) and at Spectra-Physics in the UK, Germany, and most recently in the USA. He holds a chemistry degree from the University of York, (England), and an Executive MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, CA. For more information on the seminars, contact Dr. Bahaa Saleh, besaleh @creol . ucf. edu

Free webinar & networking event: "Networking with a Purpose: Teaming Agreements - How to Do Them Right"

James, We added an Orlando area location to: Networking with a Purpose: Teaming Agreements - How to Do Them Right   Tuesday, September 11, 2012 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM (EDT)   Teaming Agreements: How to Do Them Right and Avoid the Minefields. Part of our "Networking with a Purpose" series, this networking and webinar event combines statewide and localized networking with a seminar/webinar on a topic important to many Florida defense businesses. 5:30 to 6 PM - Networking 6 – 7 PM - Seminar/Webinar: Presented by Trenam Kemker Attorneys The SBA and the FAR: The Legal Basis for Teaming Agreements (Rhys Leonard) Are Non-Disclosure Agreements A Good Idea? (Rhys Leonard) The Elements of a Workable Teaming Agreement (John Vento) Why Escrow Agreements are Necessary to Control the Money Flow (John Vento) The Elements of a Workable Escrow Agreement (Rhys Leonard and Gregg Hutt) Teaming Agreement Minefields and Horror Stories (Gregg Hutt) 7 PM - Questions Locations: Tampa:  Trenam Kemker Attorneys, Suite 2700 101 E. Kennedy Blvd Tampa, FL 33601-1102 Map Pensacola:  STOA Architects, 121 E. Government St. Pensacola, FL 32502 Map Eglin area:  NEANY Inc., 312 Government Avenue Units 2&3 Niceville, FL 32578 Map Jacksonville:  PRC Digital Media, 476 Riverside Ave Jacksonville, FL 32202 Map NEW Orlando:  GTRI, 11315 Corporate Blvd Suite 110, Orlando, FL 32817 Map Don't see a location near you? Or no more tickets available at the nearest location? Go ahead and register for the webinar/teleconference and participate from your desk. Various Localized - Main Location at Trenam Kemker Attorney offices in Tampa Events powered by EventBrite

OSA Student Chapter Seminar: 10.18.12 / CREOL 102 / 1:30-2:30pm / “Nonlinear photonic circuits transforming the new information age: Faster, smaller and smarter”, Benjamin J. Eggleton

OSA Student Chapter Seminar: “Nonlinear photonic circuits transforming the new information age: Faster, smaller and smarter”, Benjamin J. Eggleton

CREOL 102

Thursday, October 18 2012 / 1:30 -2:30 pm.

Speaker - Professor Benjamin J. Eggleton

ARC Federation Fellow and CUDOS Director,

CUDOS - Centre for Ultrahigh-bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems

School of Physics, Institute of Photonics and Optical Science (IPOS),

Univ. of Sydney, Australia

Abstract

My talk will review our recent progress in demonstrating nonlinear photonic circuits (photonic chips) for ultrafast all-optical signal processing based on highly nonlinear materials and nanophotonic circuits and structures. I will review the underlying principles of the optical nonlinearity and show how it can be massively enhanced using slow light in photonic crystal circuits. I will also review our recent breakthrough demonstrations of ultrafast all-optical signal processing and emerging applications of photonic chip based all-optical processing in quantum processing and nonlinear optical phononics (opto-acoustic interactions).

Recent publications:
1. B. Eggleton et al., “Chalcogenide Photonics”, Nature Photonics 5, 141-148 (2011).
2. M. Pelusi et al., “Photonic chip based radio –frequency spectrum analyser with terahertz bandwidth,” Nature Photonics 3, (139-143) (2009)
3. B. Corcoran et al., “Slow light enhanced visible optical third harmonic generation in 2D silicon photonic crystal waveguides,” Nature Photonics 3, (206-210) (2009).
4. J. Mok et al., "Dispersionless slow light using gap solitons," Nature Physics 2, 775-780 (2006).
5. C. Xiong et al."Slow-light enhanced correlated photon pair generation in a silicon photonic crystal waveguide," Optics Letters, Vol. 36, Issue 17, pp. 3413-3415 (2011)
6. R. Pant et al., On-chip stimulated Brillouin scattering. Optics Express, 19(9): p. 8285-8290 (2011).

Biography:
Benjamin J. Eggleton is an ARC Federation Fellow and Professor of Physics at the University of Sydney and is the founding Director of CUDOS, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Ultrahigh-Bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems. He obtained the Bachelors degree and PhD degree in Physics from the University of Sydney. In 1996, he joined Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies as a Member of Staff and was subsequently promoted to Director within the
Specialty Fibre Business Division of Bell Laboratories, where he was engaged in forward-looking research supporting Lucent Technologies business in optical fibre devices. Eggleton has published more than 300 journal publications (with over 9500 citations and an h-index of 48), including articles in Nature Photonics, Nature Physics, Physical Review Letters and has filed over 35 patents. He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, IEEE Photonics and the
Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE). Eggleton has received numerous awards for his contributions, including, the 2011 Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science, the 2007 Pawsey Medal from the Australian Academy of Science, the 2004 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year, the 2003 International Commission on Optics (ICO) Prize, the 1998 Adolph Lomb Medal from the Optical Society of America, the
Distinguished Lecturer Award from the IEEE/LEOS, and the R&D100 Award. He was President of the Australian Optical Society from 2008-2010 and is Editor for Optics Communications.

This research was performed as part of the CUDOS Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence program. CUDOS aims to develop the science and engineering to transform photonic integrated circuits into a practical, powerful technology employing optical signal processing to enable critical applications spanning communications, sensing and security. This will enable the Internet to transfer vast amounts of data; it will lead to secure transmission using quantum photonics-based devices, and to the detection of mid-infrared signatures of light from distant stars and complex molecules of environmental or biochemical importance. CUDOS is a collaboration between Australia's leading universities with photonic research programs, The University of Sydney, ANU, Macquarie University, Swinburne University of Technology, RMIT, Monash University and UTS and partner investigators from the world’s leaders in photonic research, both globally and locally.

For more Information:

Sharad Bhooplapur

President, OSA chapter at UCF

sharadB@creol.ucf.edu

Press Release: SPIE commends National Academies’ priority for optics and photonics in new ‘Essential Technologies’ report

For immediate release

Web version http://spie.org/x87xxx.xml

SPIE commends National Academies’ priority for optics and photonics in new ‘Essential Technologies’ report

BELLLINGHAM, Washington, USA – 13 August 2012 – Optics and photonics technologies are the keys to bolstering and expanding the economy and stimulating new solutions to challenges in energy, healthcare, and other important areas of life, says a study released today by the U.S. National Academies.

SPIE leaders commended the new report, titled “Optics and Photonics, Essential Technologies for our Nation,” as a powerful lens through which to focus progress during what has become known as “the century of the photon.”

“The report underscores that optics and photonics are huge contributors to the economy,” said SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs. “The technologies enable applications ranging from the internet and the equipment it is both sent across and received on, to new tests for cancers and treatments for stroke and other brain disorders that transmit data from the body using beams of light. Very large numbers of direct and enabled jobs for the future depend on mastery of optics and photonics.”

Because of the role as an enabling technology in multidisciplinary applications with electronics, chemistry, and other fields, the exact economic impact of optics and photonics is hard to measure, the report noted. Conservative estimates start at more than $500 billion in revenues and 1.5 million jobs in the U.S. that are directly related to or enabled by optics and photonics technologies. This includes numerous applications of lasers, computer chips, solar-energy panels, sensors, displays, and other technologies, in manufacturing, medicine, defense and security systems, lighting, bridge and highway structural analysis, and much more.

The report focuses specifically on opportunities in:

·         Communications, information processing and data storage

·         Defense and national security

·         Energy

·         Health and medicine

·         Advanced manufacturing

·         Advanced photonic measurements and applications

·         Strategic materials for optics

·         Displays.

Photonics technologies already play an essential role in these areas.

For example, applications in medicine span from laser therapies and minimally invasive surgeries to characterizing the human genome and performing bedside clinical analyses, said Bruce Tromberg, director of the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic at the University of California, Irvine, and a member of the SPIE Board of Directors.

“State-of-the art photonics research is driving remarkable advances that will make personalized medicine a practical reality,” Tromberg said. “Light-based technologies will help us discover more effective drugs, optimize how individuals respond to medications while minimizing side effects, restore vision and reverse damage to sensitive neural tissues, and provide ‘guide stars’ that dramatically improve surgical accuracy. These advances will help reduce health care costs by providing better methods for patient management that minimize costly procedures and extended hospital stays.”

Tromberg emphasized that the successful commercialization of research requires a strategic focus such as the National Photonics Initiative proposed in the NA report.

“Our continued strategic investment in photonics is essential for maintaining a robust pipeline of new discoveries that fuels both commercialization and clinical translation,” he said.

Dennis Matthews, director of the Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis, also stressed the economic impact of optics and photonics, along with the importance of new technologies for diagnosis in the field.

"Harnessing light for the life sciences and medicine has grown into a multi-billion-dollar worldwide industry and a strategic thrust of government sponsored research on every continent,” Matthews said. “Modern optical techniques now provide microscopes that rival the resolution only thought possible using electrons or x rays a few short years ago, enabling early detection and efficacious treatment of disease from analyzing a drop of blood with field-portable rapid-assay instruments."

Significant potential lies in the area of manufacturing, the “Optics and Photonics, Essential Technologies” report notes. It underscores the need to concentrate nationally on commercializing research to create new industry for tomorrow’s workforce, enabling advanced manufacturing, and advancing medical breakthroughs.

The committee’s two co-chairs, SPIE Fellows Alan Willner of the University of Southern California and Paul McManamon of the University of Dayton and Exciting Technologies, will give a presentation on the report this Wednesday 15 August at SPIE Optics and Photonics in San Diego. Following the presentation, SPIE will post slides along with links to the digital report and a summary at www.opticsandphotonics.org.

SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. The Society serves nearly 225,000 constituents from approximately 150 countries, offering conferences, continuing education, books, journals, and a digital library in support of interdisciplinary information exchange, professional growth, and patent precedent. SPIE provided over $2.7 million in support of education and outreach programs in 2011.

###

Media Contact:

Amy Nelson, Public Relations Manager

Link to report http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12781.

Link to summary PDF

http://design.spie.org/xml/Documents/AboutSPIE/HLII-OpticsandPhotonics.pdf

Optics and photonics technologies are the keys to bolstering and expanding the economy and stimulating new solutions to challenges in energy, healthcare, and other important areas of life, says a study released today by the U.S. National Academies. SPIE leaders commended the new report, titled “Optics and Photonics, Essential Technologies for our Nation,” for setting priority on development of a strategy for development and commercialization of applications enabled by the technologies.

Program Alert: Front Row Tampa Bay Special EFI Edition

Leveraging the spotlight cast on the state of Florida during the Republican National Convention, Enterprise Florida is partnering with Front Row Tampa Bay to showcase Florida businesses as well as economic development opportunities in the state.
We invite you to watch the Special edition of Front Row Tampa Bay, Wednesday, August 29th from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm featuring Secretary of Commerce Gray Swoope and top CEOs. This hour of live programming will focus on what makes Florida a great state to relocate, start or expand a business.
• Hear Gray Swoope talk about Florida's economic development opportunities.
• Learn from three CEOs why their businesses flourish in Florida.
Until August 30, from 9 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. each day, Front Row Tampa Bay's programming will be live-streamed over the Web with a focus on Florida's key business sectors and leaders, commentary from top political leaders, and a look at life in the Sunshine State. Watch the live stream here.
Find the full programming schedule for the entire broadcast here. We're sure you'll agree it's a very impressive production!
Front Row Tampa Bay is an excellent venue to educate millions of people on what Florida has to offer and how we plan to move forward as a premier business and quality of life destination. We're proud to be involved in this exciting event.
We hope you will tune in and share this great initiative with friends and co-workers.

LighTimes: US DOE Releases 2013 SBIR and STTR Funding Opportunities Which Include Solicitation for GaN Epitaxial Studies

August 23, 2012...The US Department of Energy (DOE) has sponsored another round of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding opportunities. Among the funding opportunities is Topic 11, Wide Bandgap Semiconductors for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Accepted project proposals covering this area are awarded $150,000 for Phase 1 of the projects and $1 million for Phase II. The deadline for the short letter-of-intent submission is September 4. If a full application is invited, it is due October 16.

The subtopics of the funding opportunity include: Bulk GaN Substrates and Novel Architectures, Advances in Epitaxial Growth, and Device Redesign and Passive Components.

In the first of the subtopics, the DOE is seeking proposals for projects that are scalable, and cost effective to eventually produce 150-200 mm diameter GaN wafers (for GaN-on-GaN devices) with dislocation defect density below 104/cm2 at costs no more than 2-3X those of Si.

Courtesy LighTimes

Seminar: 8.31.12 / CREOL 102 / 3-4pm / “Soft Matter: from Plasmonics to Optofluidics”, Luciano De Sio

Seminar: “Soft Matter: from Plasmonics to Optofluidics”, Luciano De Sio

CREOL 102

Friday, August 31, 2012 / 3-4pm

Luciano De Sio

Department of Physics University of Calabria and CNR-IPCF - LICRYL

(Liquid Crystals Laboratory, Institute for Chemical Physics Processes-CNR)

Centre of Excellence for the Study of Innovative Functional Materials CEMIF-CAL

luciano.desio@fis.unical.it

Abstract

Liquid Crystals (LCs) are well-known “smart” materials combining self-organizing properties with fluidity and being responsive to a wide variety of external stimuli. New generation photonic devices can be realized exploiting unique properties of LCs. We will present achievements in plasmonics and optofluidics. Reconfigurability of LCs was employed in “Active Plasmonics” devices where the plasmonic resonance of gold nanoparticles (GPNs) could be finely controlled by means of external perturbations (electrical field, light, temperature). For the first time, the LC alignment was controlled by external pressure enabling of a peristaltic optofluidic modulator.

Biography:

Dr. Luciano De Sio graduated in Physics at the University of Calabria in 2003 and obtained his Ph.D in Science and Technology of Mesophases and Molecular Materials from the University of Calabria in 2006. His scientific research interests and expertise are in the fields of optics of liquid crystals, holographic diffraction gratings, optofluidics and plasmonics. He has co-authored 50 articles, over 20 scientific communications at conferences and co-authored three international patents.

For More Information:

Jin Yan

407-823-6822

jyan @ creol. ucf. edu

Ocean Optics Spectrometers Land Safely on Mars

Curiosity Rover with Ocean Optics instruments onboard survives rigorous descent to surface of the red planet

Dunedin, FL (August 5, 2012) – Three Ocean Optics (www.OceanOptics.com) instruments have completed their eight month journey to Mars to study soil composition as part of the ChemCam mission. NASA’s Mars Science Lab rover, Curiosity, was launched last November carrying customized Ocean Optics HR2000 spectrometers.

The Curiosity Rover has the most advanced scientific instrumentation ever used to study the surface of Mars, and weighing in at 1 ton, has the heaviest payload. The 7 minute descent through Mars’ atmosphere relied on a complex landing sequence never before attempted. To withstand the rigors of space travel and descent, the onboard Ocean Optics spectrometers were modified to handle extreme temperature ranges, radiation, shock and vibration.

After 14 tense minutes of waiting (the amount of time it takes for a signal to reach NASA’s mission control from Mars), NASA was able to confirm that Curiosity survived the descent intact. Shortly after, it beamed back the first pictures from the surface of the Gale Crater where it landed. Now, the work begins for the Ocean Optics spectrometers as the rover journeys to Mount Sharp, a 3 mile high mountain inside the crater, collecting data as it goes.

The three modular HR2000 high-resolution miniature fiber optic spectrometers will study Martian rock and soil composition using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). Each ChemCam spectrometer is configured to detect elemental signatures over a different wavelength of light: 240-336 nm, 380-470 nm, and 470-850 nm. The use of the three spectrometers simplifies the design and creates redundancy, as many elements under study have spectral lines in more than one of the spectral ranges covered by the three units.

Ocean Optics equipment has been used by NASA researchers for missions both on Earth and in space. A custom Ocean Optics spectrometer named ALICE was instrumental in detecting the presence of water ice on the moon during the LCROSS mission. The company’s modular Jaz spectrometer scaled Mt. Everest with a team that included NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski to measure solar irradiance at extreme altitude.

American Photonics will Exhibit at FABTECH 2012 Tradeshow

American Photonics Company (APC), a US manufacturer of precision infrared optics and specialty coatings and a member of the Florida Photonics Cluster, will exhibit at the upcoming FABTECH Tradeshow in Las Vegas, NV, November 12-14.

     FABTECH is North America's largest metal forming, fabricating, and welding exposition and conference. APC will join over a thousand other exhibitors in showcasing their capabilities and new products.

     Headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, APC opened in 2000 to bring an American presence into the CO2 laser optics industry. APC is a world class facility designed and built to maximize efficiency and precision with high speed production. APC has incorporated the latest technology in optical fabrication and coating.

     In addition to CO2 laser cutting, welding and marking optics, APC serves other markets including Military, Aerospace, Medical and Scientific.

     American Photonics is focused on producing precision infrared optics and coatings in the USA. APC is proud to be the only laser optics company that manufactures 100% of their optics and replacement parts in the US.   www.AmericanPhotonics.com  Contact: Apryl Reeser, 941-752-5811

Save the Date: Harnessing Light Webcast 21 August 2012

The Optical Society invites you to join a webcast devoted to the National Academy of Sciences report, Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for Our Nation. The NAS report, which will be released by the National Academy of Sciences on August 13, is a follow-up to the 1998 Harnessing Light for Optical Science and Engineering for the 21st Century report. Over the past decade, scientists and technologists have made enormous progress in the development of optical technologies for solid-state lighting, photovoltaics, manufacturing, fiber optic telecommunications, defense, displays, and diagnostic medicine. In the new report, NAS identifies technological opportunities and applications in optics today, assesses the current state of optics worldwide from a market perspective, prioritizes a set of “grand challenge” questions to fill technological gaps, and recommends actions for development and maintenance of the field. We invite you to be among the first to hear directly from members of the NAS Harnessing Light committee on the state of optics worldwide and opportunities for the future. Register now for this special complimentary webcast.		Free Webcast Details:  • 10:00 am – 11:00 am PDT  • 21 August 2012  • Instructional emails will be sent to all registrants.
Welcome Remarks Moderator Elizabeth Rogan The Optical Society Alan Willner Harnessing Light Co-Chair & Univ. Southern California Speakers Tom Baer Stanford Photonics Research Center Milton Chang Incubic Management, LLC David Miller Stanford University Edward White Edward White Consulting