Issue 31
Photonics News Magazine - Issue 31
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Editorial
PN #31
Dear readers,
The coronavirus epidemic has generated an unprecedented economic and social crisis. If the health crisis now seems to be under control, at least in Europe, we must now rebuild. Our ambition must be to rebuild a stronger but also more sustainable economic model. To do so, we must put an ecological will at the heart of our production model and invest massively and sustainably in transport, buildings, vehicles and clean industries. In this context, it seemed appropriate to me to produce a specific issue on the environment and climate.
Another lesson to be learned from this particularly severe confinement in France compared to other European countries and obviously compared to the United States, is that of digital technology: thanks to the digitalisation projects carried out in previous years, we were able to move all our employees overnight to teleworking in order to continue our activity and ensure the continuity of services that we owe to our customers. We have all seen the importance of digital technology in these difficult times, and it seems to me that priority should be given to driving the digital transformation of the work and business sectors, but also of health, justice, education, etc. For my part, I am determined to implement the positive experiences reported by our employees in recent months in the organisation of new concepts of working time and place of work.
In view of the restrictions imposed on the general population, the policymakers have consistently pursued the objective of not overburdening the healthcare system. The exceptional measures put in place by governments and central banks have helped to limit significantly the destruction of production capacity and jobs. We can therefore reasonably assume that we are now on a positive path and even if it is still difficult to determine the level at which the economy will be able to rebound by the end of the year, the current figures give reason for optimism. However, the economic losses and resulting damage to society will continue to weigh heavily for a long time to come, even after COVID is hopefully a thing of the past.
Christian Merry
Managing Director, Laser Components S.A.S.
Keeping Tabs on Climate
Beyond Borders
How Perpetual is the Perpetual Ice?
The polar regions of our planet have special significance to the planet’s climate. It is becoming increasingly clear that spectacular changes are currently taking place there. The retreat of the sea’s ice is considered a classic indication of global climate change. However, in order to create meaningful climate models, scientists need reliable measurement data. But how do you gather such data in the hostile environment of the polar regions? Of course, resourceful researchers have already found solutions to this problem. While some are sending recording devices weighing several tons into the depths of the Arctic Ocean, others rely on a satellite that records the thickness of the ice layers thousands of meters above the earth. In both cases, optical technologies play an important role.
Photonics in Space
Long-Lifetime Laser Diodes for Space
"Lasers must achieve specific design requirements to survive the rigors of space and still be cost-effective."
Adam Erlich, Sheaumann Laser Inc.
Environmentally Friendly Process
Clean without the Mess
Following the major scandals of the 1970s and 1980s, strict international approval procedures and safety regulations were introduced regarding environmentally harmful chemicals. But these are often very tedious. In addition, it is often the case that substances that were originally considered harmless do not turn out to be harmful until many years later. It is better to refrain from using such hazardous substances immediately. Thanks to alternative technologies, this is now also possible in industries in which the use of chemicals was long considered essential. A good example of this is the cleaning of materials and components in industry: Laser ablation is a “green” alternative that works completely without chemicals. The managing partners of Clean-Lasersysteme GmbH (cleanLASER) have already been honored with the Federal Environment Award for this development.
New Products
Beyond Borders
LASER COMPONENTS France - Your competent partner for optical and optoelectronic components in France.
Welcome to LASER COMPONENTS S.A.S., your expert for photonics components. Each product in our wide range of detectors, laser diodes, laser modules, optics, fiber optics, and more is worth every Euro (€/EUR). Our customized solutions cover all conceivable areas of application: from sensor technology to medical technology. You can reach us here:
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