New Focus Partners with JPL to Develop Laser for Cesium Atomic Clocks in Space; JPL Using Existing 852nm Tunable Laser in Ground Tests of Atomic Clock.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers SAN JOSE San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 23, 2002 New Focus, Inc. (Nasdaq:NUFO), a leading provider of photonics technology solutions, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to develop lasers for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory “JPL” redirects here. For other uses, see JPL (disambiguation). Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a NASA research center located in the cities of Pasadena and La Cañada Flintridge, near Los Angeles, California, USA. (Pasadena, Calif.). Based on New Focus' existing tunable laser technology, the next generation laser will be used to selectively excite particular transitions of atomic cesium cesium (sē`zēəm) [Lat.,=bluish gray], a metallic chemical element; symbol Cs; at. no. 55; at. wt. 132.9054; m.p. 28.4°C;; b.p. 669.3°C;; sp. gr. 1.873 at 20°C;; valence +1. , enabling the production of a new generation of high-performance frequency standards. In the JPL (language) JPL - JAM Programming Language. application, the laser source will be used to "cool" the cesium atoms in a highly accurate atomic clock that will be carried by the Space Shuttle and placed on the International Space Station (ISS ISS See Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS). ), as part of an experiment to test many of the predictions of Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity theory of relativity Einstein’s contribution to the space-time relationship. [Science: NCE, 843–844] See : Turning Point . The current New Focus tunable laser at 852 nanometers fits well with the extreme environmental demands of this application, providing high reliability, tunability and a narrow linewidth centered at the cesium atomic resonance wavelength. This next generation laser also has applications in the much larger market for commercial cesium clocks, including those deployed in GPS systems. "We are extremely proud to be partnering with JPL to develop the lasers," said Dr. Timothy Day, chief technology officer and co-founder of New Focus. "As the industry leader in tunable lasers, it is an exciting challenge to build lasers that would be robust enough to withstand the space shuttle launch environment and operate for two years in space." About New Focus New Focus develops and manufactures innovative photonics solutions for the telecommunications, semiconductor, industrial and biomedical bi·o·med·i·cal adj. 1. Of or relating to biomedicine. 2. Of, relating to, or involving biological, medical, and physical sciences. markets. New Focus' product portfolio includes tunable lasers for test-and-measurement applications, precision opto-mechanical photonics tools, and high-speed opto-electronic devices. Founded in 1990, the company is a recognized technology leader in creating advanced optical products for both commercial and research customers. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. For more information about New Focus, visit the company's Internet home page at www.newfocus.com. |
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