Optical Sciences

The Optical Sciences area covers a wide range of activities and capabilities from basic research to commercial products. Our basic research in atomic and molecular spectroscopy has led to the development of several sensors that have important applications including gas phase sensors based on sensitive diode laser absorption techniques. These miniature laser sources were originally developed for the telecommunications industry, and are nearly ideal tunable sources for detection of numerous gases. We have developed sensors for many gases including: oxygen, water vapor, atomic and molecular iodine, hydrogen fluoride, methanol, and others. Many of these gases are important for industrial processing, and we continue to explore these applications.

SIBS unit packaged in a standard instrument half rack.

We have also recently developed a series of sensors for toxic heavy metals that can be present in numerous media. These sensors are based on Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Spark Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (SIBS). We have applied both of these techniques to gas and solid media and have extended SIBS to liquid media. Extensive field testing of the SIBS device has led to well characterized and tested prototypes suitable for several important applications including: continuous emissions monitoring, process control at plating facilities, and soil monitoring.

The development of other novel optical devices is also an important component of our activities. For example, we have recently developed a novel optic, the Integrating Projection Optic (IPO), that can transform essentially any light source into a beam of high uniformity. For example, we have been able to transform beams of very poor beam quality from high power diode lasers into beams that are uniform over large divergence angles.

The education of science students through modern optical tools has also been a recent area for Optical Sciences. We have developed a series of science kits for high school students that are now available for commercial sale. These kits, using diode lasers and light emitting diodes, allow students to explore modern experiments in chemistry, biology, and physics through the application of modern photonics devices to real world problems such as pollution monitoring and disease detection and cure.

Steven J. Davis Physical Sciences Inc. 20 New England Business Center Andover, MA 01810-1077 Telephone: (978) 689-0003 Fax: (978) 689-3232 sdavis@psicorp.com

Optical Sciences Publications		Spark Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (SIBS) Diagnostic and Sensor Development Facilities Chemical Reactor and Environmental Simulation Facilities Chemical Sciences Facilities FAST-1 Capabilities In-House Optical Sensor Calibration Facilities