BLOG PONDERINGS: More Real “WOWs,” Please

By Eric J. Anderson

Joe D'Entrement of Lenox Laser, Dick Anderson of Anderson Laser,
Dr. John Wood of NASA, Dr. Charles Townes of laser & maser fame

Ever wonder what people’s “wow factor” is? I mean what does it take to get one to marvel or to gasp in thoughtful appreciation of a singularly riveting moment? For me, it is when so riveted, my breath halts, time seems to slow down and my eyes widen, and a “Wow” moment has just arrested me. I know “wow” sounds trite, but I’ve had a few of my own such “WOW” moments lately. There was that high altitude rainbow in Maine in late August when a double (nearly triple) rainbow hung in there for nearly a half hour or more. That was a definite “Wow!” Then there was a Raven’s game lately I attended where they pulled some of their eye-popping, big-boys assertiveness over the visiting team and I uttered in low tones “wow” almost reflexively. Nice, but really, a once-in-a-life-time “Wow” is bigger, and I had one recently.



Two laser pioneers, Joe D'Entrement
and Dr. Charles Townes



October 4th, I was invited a few hours before it started to sit in on a very unique science conference. I had no idea what it was to be like as was evidenced by how I showed up bearded and scruffy-looking. Quickly, my attention and respect was won. I found the conference to be unique and nearly breath-taking to say the least. I caught myself thinking at first the perfunctory thought, “How unusual to have been invited,” but I quickly left off self-consciousness, for being caught up in the substance. It was the First Annual Light Seminar, sponsored by Lenox Laser labs of Glen Arm, MD, by Joe D’Entrement, its founder and owner. Sure, I had hurried there pensive about my invitation, how the countryside being so beautiful was an unlikely context and location for the lab. Plus, the lab’s technogy itself did have its own uniqueness, reason enough to evoke a small “wow,” because coupled with the Lenox Laser cutting-edge science in small hole technology, was the fact that their lab layout is definite “Wow-level” eye candy for a “techy” guy like me. So, awed a little before the conference even started, the reflection came: “Who ever heard of a Light Seminar – Light shows maybe, but not light as a subject, and what’s more, there is an intention to establish a museum about it. Really? Hum-m-m! Fascinating!”

The momentousness then really mounted as I sat highly tuned in to the lecturer’s words. He had my attention. It was the venerable Dr. Charles Townes, now quite elderly, developer of the science behind the maser and laser. The spark of what little I knew of his story was quickly blown into a full flame as he recounted enjoying years of successful research despite many of his peers. He described working through the maser and laser problems into a real science in all its possibility. Then he digressed with humor over how the pathway was so full of scorn, derision, and disassociation by some of the world’s top scientists, like Washington’s best, university research fellows, top Bell Labs men, and even when in Europe, the father son duo of Aage and Neils Bohr, who he respects to this day, yet who also echoed the mantra “it can’t be done.” Gary Boas a contributor to Photronics Magazine sat with me during the conference and saw in the Townes story a picture of scientific persistence (Gary Boas' Blog), and as Townes put it, a picture of the open-mindedness necessary to allow inspiration to mingle into our hard work and catch us by surprise, allowing for some divine graciousness in areas where we just do not have necessary knowledge (his words!). Pinch me! Did I just hear a famous scientist who was deservedly proud, humbly admit to needing God. “Oh yeah,” I said, and I caught myself uttering a heart-felt big “WOW” to that.



Gulyam SH. Zakirov, VP of Engineering
Federation of Republic of Uzbekistanand his wife
with Joe D'Entrement



Joe and Peggy D'Entreement
with Dr. John Woods of NASA

The moment was continued with the second guest speaker Dr. John Wood of NASA who had been part of the small team most responsible for several of the NASA triumphs in waning golden age of NASA. And we heard the host, Joe D’Entrement, Lenox Laser’s founder himself who was a “wow” type guy with his infectious creativity and positive-mindedness. He had me fooled for decades while he hid the fact that the first measurements of the moon’s distance from the earth by bounced laser light in the late 1980s were actually HIS SHOT! Well, whether it was me, or the Russians I sat with, or the entourage of the Uzbekistani Vice President of the Academy of Science behind me. Between us, a few “wows” arose, and I am already booked for being at the 2nd annual Light Seminar next year at about the same time. More real “Wow’s,” please.

EJA.

Bull Roast with NBA Stars

Come join us on Friday, August 12, 2010 for a Bull Roast with NBA Stars.Admissions are $15 for adults and $8 for ages 6-12. See the flier for more information. We look forward to seeing you there.

Ruling Out Multi-Order Interference in Quantum Mechanics / Mfgr By Lenox Laser

Read this article at Science Magazine

 

Abstract:

Ruling Out Multi-Order Interference in Quantum Mechanics

Urbasi Sinha,^1,* Christophe Couteau,^1,2 Thomas Jennewein,¹ Raymond Laflamme,^1,3 Gregor Weihs^1,4,*

Quantum mechanics and gravitation are two pillars of modern physics. Despite their success in describing the physical world around us, they seem to be incompatible theories. There are suggestions that one of these theories must be generalized to achieve unification. For example, Born’s rule—one of the axioms of quantum mechanics—could be violated. Born’s rule predicts that quantum interference, as shown by a double-slit diffraction experiment, occurs from pairs of paths. A generalized version of quantum mechanics might allow multipath (i.e., higher-order) interference, thus leading to a deviation from the theory. We performed a three-slit experiment with photons and bounded the magnitude of three-path interference to less than 10^–2 of the expected two-path interference, thus ruling out third- and higher-order interference and providing a bound on the accuracy of Born’s rule. Our experiment is consistent with the postulate both in semiclassical and quantum regimes.

¹ Institute for Quantum Computing and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
² Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d’Instrumentation Optique, Université de Technologie de Troyes, 12 rue Marie Curie, 10 000 Troyes, France.
³ Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 31 Caroline Street North, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Canada.
⁴ Institut für Experimentalphysik, Universität Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.

Ruling Out Multi-Order Interference in Quantum Mechanics

Urbasi Sinha, Christophe Couteau, Thomas Jennewein, Raymond Laflamme, and Gregor Weihs (23 July 2010)
Science 329 (5990), 418. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1190545]
A multiple-slit diffraction experiment shows that interference arises from pairs of paths.

Tighter Tolerances for Flow Control Components

At an ever increasing rate industry is requiring tighter tolerances on flow control components.  As a supplier of laser drilled orifices in a variety of components, Lenox Laser, Inc. has been meeting these tighter tolerance requirements for several years.  Incidentally, these very tight toleranced parts have been in high demand.  To accommodate this demand, Lenox Laser has developed proprietary processes that allow tolerances to be consistently held.  Tolerances can be as tight as +/-0.5% and +/-1% on a 10 micron or larger hole sizes.  Compare this to standard tolerances that typically range from +/-5% and larger with respect to the hole size (i.e. a 1 micron hole can have a standard tolerance of close to +/-50% depending upon the part material and thickness).  Often customers may need not just tighter tolerances on a nominal size but matched sets or pairs with tolerances of +/-1-2% of each other.  Integration of the laser process with its flow testing capabilities ensures repeatable results with higher yields.  Very tight tolerances can be held on most standard flow components we offer, as well as, customer supplied parts.  Visit our website at www.lenoxlaser.com or email sales@lenoxlaser.com for more information.

Microlensing

The Lenox Laser Corporation of Glen Arm, MD, hosted a seminar that featured a wide range of topics in the field of light and optics. One of the topics of great interest was "microlensing". Go to the following web address for a great article about this very intriguing subject.

www.physics.fsu.edu/courses/Spring98/AST3033/micro/lensing.htm

Lenox Laser Nondestructive Micromarking and Microimaging Technology

The Lenox Laser Corporation of Glen Arm, Maryland, has recently developed an advanced laser supported technology that can produce nondestructive marks and images with submicron resolution on most materials. If you are concerned about accessibility, traceability, security, encryption, archiving, and risk management, then you may wish to contact Greg Solyar, senior scientist, for more information by calling 410-592-3106 (1-800-494-6537) or by sending an email to engineering@lenoxlaser.com

Do You Need Microleaks in Food or Drug Packaging?

The Lenox Laser Corporation of Glen Arm, Maryland, has mastered several processes unique to the food, drug and pharmaceutical industries. Lenox Laser has created traceable flow rate validation techniques in a wide range of materials and products including bags, cans, bottles, vials, ampoules, etc. We feature both short and long run leak testing processes. For more information, call Bob Gidner, senior flow engineer, at 410-592-3106 or email engineering@lenoxlaser.com

Metrology Automatic Measuring

Lenox Laser has recently purchased a smartscope FLASH metrology system.
The machine will automatically measure down to a three micron aperture.
We also offer quality reports as an additional service.
Optical Gauging Products,Inc, is one of the leaders in field of metrology.
Our Smartscope Flash 200 Video Inspection System is a great asset to our quality assurance program.

PicoLaser Drilled Nanometer Holes for the Semiconductor Industry

Lenox Laser is introducing a series of flow calibrated nanometer holes to the semiconductor industry in tungsten, 304 stainless, nickel; gaskets and fittings. The process of picosecond laser drilling is a recent development with new solid state UV lasers. Lenox Laser has designed systems for the purpose of drilling cleaner and smaller holes with closer tolerances. This process has also given us the ability to generate more precise micro flow rates with tolerances that have exceeded our expectations.

Process Development

The personal goal and commitment of each member of the Lenox Laser Corporation’s engineering team is to provide each customer with reliable and robust products made to specified custom requirements and conditions, such as, high energy light beam densities, aggressive chemical and biological environments, mechanical stresses and vibrations, aerospace and underwater uses, etc.
We have a wide range of tools at our disposal. Our lasers range from CW to picoseconds in pulse widths; from far IR to hard UV wavelengths; from Joules to micro-Joules in laser beam energy. We can drill to a specified gas or liquid flow or light intensity. We have a fully equipped machine shop and chemical etching capabilities. Our experienced staff can combine some or all of those capabilities in a multi-step process where a single technique application becomes impractical or impossible. In each unique case, the choice of product materials and manufacturing processes are specific and may affect future product performance.
Both our production and engineering teams are readily available to help customers to consider those specifics in the original product design. We may suggest developing and redesigning a product to create both a feasible and cost effective project.
Lenox Laser has a distinguished history of successful medical product development under the auspices of NIH grants enabling us to introduce innovative products to a highly competitive global market. We have pioneered and have become an industry standard in a metrology associated with holes drilled for leak detection in the medical, pharmaceutical, automobile and food industries.