Spectrometer, spectro-radiometer, spectro-photometer, photometer, radiometer What is the difference? Those who deal with spectroscopy and light measuring equipment sometimes wonder what are the differences between a spectrometer, a spectroradiometer, a spectrometer and a photometer. Understanding the differences are important for a particular application so that  funds are not wasted on...

Complementary use of two photon absorption (TPA) and particle SEE testing SEE testing of microelectronic devices is complex and multiple methods may be needed to optimize the measurements and get an accurate value for the error rates. The particle SEE testing method and the laser pulse testing method are the...

Understanding the Single Event Effect (SEE** * Space-born instruments carry many electronic devices including micro-processors, registers in digital circuits, etc. If a charged particle from space, strikes a sensitive node of an electronic circuit, it may cause a disruption or a permanent damage. This article intends to explain this issue....

Laser cleaning and laser texturing in food industries** ** Food industries need cleaning methods to remove oxide films, grease and rust from surfaces that are used for baking, cooking and BBQing etc. Using chemicals and mechanical abrasive methods are   not recommended because first of all they may damage the...

Laser Cleaning and Surface Preparation for Composite Material** Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites are very popular these days due to their light weight and material strength. They can be found in various applications ranging from aircraft and automotive industry to sports equipment. In the aircraft industry they are mostly...

Integrating Spheres and Applications**  * Integrating sphere, as its name implies, is a spherical device with a reflective coating applied to its inside surface. A source of light is normally placed inside it and it will measure the total flux output of the source. It basically collects all the beams...

Integrating Sphere Applications** * An integrating sphere is a spherical chamber whose internal surface is coated with highly reflective diffusing material. It has an input port where lamps can be inserted and an exit port where detectors can be installed. There are several applications that require the use of an...

Application of Laser Cleaning Prior to Laser Welding of Aluminum Alloys** * Aluminum alloys are typically used in automotive and aviation industry due to their light weight, corrosion resistance and flexibility. Aside from aluminum which is the major ingredient, other elements such as magnesium, manganese, silicon, tin, zinc and copper...

Principles of Laser Ablation and Laser Cleaning** Introduction* Laser ablation is a process through which a pulsed laser deposits a certain amount of energy on a surface and it removes the material by evaporation or sublimation. CW lasers can also be used in laser ablation but pulsed lasers are more...

Nuclear Decontamination by Laser for Decommissioning** * Nuclear energy is an important substitute for replacement of fossil fuels such as coal which contributes heavily to global warming. In the Canadian province of Ontario, where the production of electricity by coal burning power plants has been banned in the last few...

Financial Payback of Laser Coating Removal Operations** Coating removal is basically an ablative process applied on a variety of substrates including composites, glass, plastics, metal etc. Also, it involves several costs. There is research and several studies comparing the coating removal processes. This article highlights the financial payback of the...

How do You Measure Light? ** * When one wants to measure the quantity of light, one has to refer to five metrics or parameters that describe it. This is all part of the science of photometry, which deals with the quantification of the amount of light. There is also...