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Lasers Eyed To Cool Satellite Cameras, Night-Vision Goggles

by Charles Q. Choi

Instead of using lasers to heat targets, now researchers are shooting light beams that cool what they shine on.

Scientists want to see if novel refrigerators based on this research could reach temperatures just a few degrees above the coldest possible—absolute zero.

January 23rd, 2013

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science tech laser refrigerator laser cooling optical refrigeration engineering Night Vision satellites in theory

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science tech optics polymers military darpa lens eyes uavs night_vision

Eagle Eyes at a Feather’s Weight: New Optics Lightening Military’s Load

by Michael Keller

A new artificial lens that mimics the one found in human eyes is set to dramatically lower the weight of night-vision goggles, laser rangefinders and cameras aboard micro unmanned aerial vehicles that soldiers and marines must carry in the field.

Optics and materials engineers have been working for a decade on a process that places thousands of transparent polymer layers on top of each other to make what’s called a gradient-index (GRIN) lens.

It’s the same method that humans and some other animals have evolved to build the lens in their eyes. In the natural version, thousands of layers of clear protein layers are deposited one on top of the other to allow light through and focus images onto the retina.

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