What is the Definition of Photonics? Photonics is a field of physics and a sub-discipline of the broader branch of optics, both of which have ties within engineering. There are debates regarding the definition of photonics, with some research broadly defining...
Measuring flatness without an interferometer Typically to measure the flatness of an optic, scientists use a device called an interferometer (a Twyman-Green or Fizeau interferometer to be specific). Flatness is the measurement of the maximum peak-to-valley...
Visualising data with colour maps It is not uncommon in science to have a dataset consisting of a set of measurements, each with (x, y) coordinates for the position in two‑dimensional space at which the measurement was performed. A convenient way to visualize...
Lead glass: your trusty shield Introduction Many laboratories and other workplaces contain equipment or materials that emit or produce ionizing radiation such as X‑rays or gamma (γ) radiation. The radiation might be a by‑product of a process, or it might be...
What are vacuum flanges? Flanges are an important part of a vacuum system; they achieve and maintain the seal between the viewport and the vacuum chamber. We manufacture three different vacuum flange styles at Torr Scientific, these are CF, KF and ISO flanges....
Customers with demanding optical requirements often specify a high degree of flatness for their viewport windows. In most applications, the ideal window would have no effect on the light passing through it. TSL has engaged a company with proven expertise in the field...
Should you use an indium-sealed window? As well as our brazed and bonded seals, Torr Scientific also manufactures indium‑sealed windows available for fused silica optics.This sealing technique allows the optic to maintain its original transmitted wavefront...
An MCP (microchannel plate) detector (Figure 1) is an instrument for spatially resolved detection of events such as impacts from particles or photons. When an event is detected, the MCP detector outputs a pulse of electrons that can be recorded electronically or...
Custom glass fabrications Several years ago, Torr Scientific extended its vacuum window processing capabilities to include production of glass‑to‑metal seals. We have our own glass shop, which allows further development of the wide range of ultra‑high vacuum optical...
What is the difference between fused silica and natural z-cut quartz? Natural z-cut quartz and fused silica are optical materials that are colourless and transparent to visible light. Both are nominally chemically identical, both being silicon dioxde (SiO2), also...
In atomic, molecular, and optical physics, a magneto-optical trap (MOT) is an apparatus which uses laser cooling and a spatially-varying magnetic field to create a trap which can produce samples of cold, neutral atoms. A MOT is formed from the intersection of a weak,...
Keeping a beady ion optics simulations With the demise of the cathode ray tube (CRT, as used in old-style fat televisions), electrons and ions are not as apparent in a typical home as they once were. Electrons are tiny sub-atomic particles that carry a negative...
