A Simple Explanation of Quantum Computing

A Simple Explanation of Quantum Computing

In just sixty years transistors, the switching and memory units that allow computers to compute, have gone from the size of a hand to the size of an atom. In 1968 there were dozens of transistors on a microchip. Within a couple decades there were thousands. Today...

How Lasers will Save the World from Bloodsucking Parasites

The enormous loss of ocean life, somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 percent, is well documented. Three billion people already depend on fish for protein, and global demand for seafood is predicted to grow at least 40 percent in the next two decades. That’s what’s...

The Outsized Impact of the Beam Homogenizer

A beam homogenizer is a device that unifies the profile of a light or laser beam, smooths out its irregularities, and ensures it has uniform power across its profile. Light and lasers can be homogenized in many ways, from beam-folding wedged mirrors and split prisms...
Alternatives to Fused Silica Laser Debris Shields

Alternatives to Fused Silica Laser Debris Shields

The costly optical assemblies that allow industrial lasers to weld and slice through metal must be protected from the extreme heat and debris caused by the manufacturing process. Most laser debris shields are made of fused silica, a relatively inexpensive material...

The 65 Best Inventions of the Past 65 Years

Popular Mechanics released a list of the 65 best inventions of the past 65 years. By “best” they mean the degree to which they impact our everyday lives. Taken as a whole, these inventions have completely reshaped the world we live in. Many of them have changed...
What Nobody Else is doing with Glass at Photonics West 2019

What Nobody Else is doing with Glass at Photonics West 2019

IRD Glass is excited to be participating once again in the SPIE Photonics West trade show in San Francisco from February 5 – 7, 2019. You can find us at Booth #3400 where we will be exhibiting our full spectrum of custom manufacturing capabilities—from Custom...