May 26, 2011. Yuhao Wang, a Ph.D. student in James H. Burge’s laboratory, received the Outstanding Paper Award from the American Precision Optics Manufacturers Association at the 2011 SPIE Optifab conference in Rochester, N.Y.

The MATLAB-based free share-ware data processing platform, SAGUARO, can be downloaded from the SAGUARO tab in the LOFT web-site. It is now Version 1.3. Substantial updates include: modules operate on rectangular data sets, important kernel updates, updated header variables and data types, bug fixes and tracking for included modules, and a quick start guide. Get started with SAGUARO in 10 minutes or less.

Please see the Change Guide for detailed information about the release and how it affects previous versions of SAGUARO and its respective dataset files. SAGUARO Garden will be up and running in two weeks for feedback and to upload new modules into the next scheduled release in July of 2012.

The very first light fields were captured at Stanford University over 15 years ago. The most advanced light field research required a roomful of cameras tethered to a supercomputer. Today, Lytro completes the job of taking light fields out of the research lab and making them available for everyone, in the form of the world’s first Lytro Light Field Camera.

Also, you can view the CEO’s dissertation here!

Check this thing out:

The MATLAB-based free share-ware data processing platform, SAGUARO, can be downloaded from the SAGUARO tab in the LOFT web-site. It is a Beta release.

The University of Arizona’s College of Optical Sciences has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, or AURA, to polish the 4.2-meter primary mirror for the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope, or ATST. UA NEWS

SCOTS Test Study of Synchrontron Mirrors Phase I. Sponsor: Brookhaven National Laboratory. PI: Peng Su. Start date: May 12, 2011. End date: June 30, 2011. $15,000.

2011 LOFT group spring picnic (Apr 16-17) will be a camping trip at the beautiful Patagonia lake park. Boat, fishing, camp-fire, dinner-together, and the LOFT team-work! Bear down!

Professor of optical sciences and astronomy James Burge (LOFT PI) is the 2011 recipient of OSA’s prestigious Joseph Fraunhofer/Robert M. Burkley Prize, which recognizes significant accomplishments in optical engineering.

LOFT group and OEFF will perform the Fizeau test for TMT primary mirror segments engineering study. Sponsor: TMT Observatory Corp. PIs: James Burge and Martin Valente. $92,739.

Alumna Ping Zhou, M.S. 2006, Ph.D. 2009, who now works as a metrologist for Professor James H. Burge, was the University of Arizona nominee for the CGS/UMI Distinguished Research Award in physical sciences and engineering. Hers was the top dissertation among more than 1,000 UA physics and engineering theses.