Laser driven: Photonics research pumps millions into Bozeman’s economy

Chris Palassis jumped at the chance to return to Bozeman to do laser research.

The 30-year-old had earned a master’s degree in physics at Montana State University and, like so many science graduates, found work out of state.

But like a lot of people, he longed to return to Bozeman. So he didn’t hesitate to quit his job designing televisions for Sony in Pittsburgh to go to work conducting laser research for AdvR, Inc. http://www.advr-inc.com/ , a photonics research and development company.

By NICK GEVOCK Chronicle Staff Writer

Full Story: http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2005/03/27/news/02research.txt

Scientific Materials http://www.scientificmaterials.com/

ILX Lightwave http://www.ilxlightwave.com

Big Sky Laser Technologies http://www.bigskylaser.com/

Lattice Materials http://www.latticematerials.com/

Spectrum Lab http://www.spectrum.montana.edu/

Quantum Composers http://www.quantumcomposers.com/

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Ride the Light

Elizabeth Corcoran

Teaching silicon new photonic tricks promises a huge boost in getting data out of a computer

In his lab at Sun Microsystems’ San Diego Physical Sciences Center, Ashok Krishnamoorthy is surrounded by big numbers: looming powerful computers that can crank through a trillion operations per second. But what commands his attention these days is something very small: a prototype silicon chip, only a few millimeters on a side, that works like a magic gateway between muscle-bound computers.

Although still a hatchling, this so-called silicon photonic chip, devised by a Carlsbad, Calif. startup called Luxtera, could mark the beginning of a new Internet era when computers will be able to tap into huge reserves of data, no matter where they are situated, as easily as they now retrieve data from their own hard drives. "It will mean that distance truly won’t matter anymore," says Arno Penzias, a Nobel laureate and one of Luxtera’s venture backers. "Wherever you are, you can share in all the world’s information."

Big promises come in small packages. Luxtera’s chip is neatly hidden inside a component that looks like a gold-covered mint wafer. Metal pins along three sides both secure the piece to a circuit board and deliver streams of bits to the silicon device. On the fourth side of the component is a plug that resembles a telephone jack. Krishnamoorthy slides a bundle of fiber-optic threads into the plug. One thread is attached to a laser.

Full Story: http://forbes.com/business/forbes/2005/0411/068.html

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Biolaser Lights Up Stem Cells

By Kristen Philipkoski | Also by this reporter Page 1 of 1

02:00 PM Mar. 31, 2005 PT

Scientists have developed a laser that could illuminate stem cells in greater detail than ever, revealing the important steps they take to become neuron, heart or other types of cells.

Stem cells are unformed, and have the ability to become many cells in the human body, which is why scientists believe they could lead to powerful therapies. But the steps stem cells take to establish various identities are poorly understood. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico say their "biocavity laser" could elucidate those processes.

The biocavity laser can show scientists the inner workings of a single cell. Paul Gourley and his colleagues at Sandia proved the laser could do that by studying cancer cells. The beam measured changes in cells’ architecture caused by cancer, including alterations in protein density, cytoskeleton shape and mitochondria. Mitochondria are nearly the same size as the light wavelength (about 800 nanometers), so the laser is extremely sensitive to subtle mitochondrial changes. An image spectrometer then registers the changes, giving an instant reading.

Full Story: http://wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,67089,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_2