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Celebrating the Year of Glass with Optica: Reflecting on the role of glass in optics

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Featured in the March 2022 Discover Optica Blog, in recognition of the impact of this versatile material on the world, glass is being recognized beyond window and doors, for its essential component in telecommunications, optical sensing, imaging and more. Learn more about the United Nations declaration of the year 2022 the International Year of Glass.

The United Nations has declared 2022 the International Year of Glass in recognition of the impact this versatile material has had in the world. The Year of Glass officially kicks off on February 10 during a two-day opening ceremony at the Palace of Nations in Geneva. Speakers from around the globe will illuminate the applications of glass, many of which we naturally consider part of optics and photonics. Beyond windows and doors, glass is an essential component in telecommunications, optical sensing, imaging and more, making it arguably one of the most important materials in the modern world.

From the creation of lenses in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia to the large-scale precision manufacturing of camera lenses in 20^th century Japan, the production of optical components is tightly bound to the production of glass. High-quality lenses enabled the production of scientific instruments that revolutionized biology, astronomy, and fundamental physics. Light that glass once manipulated is now being used to manipulate glass itself.  Glass is the cornerstone of our interconnected world. In 1965, Manfred Börner developed the first working fiber-optic data transmission system. Years later, extremely low-loss glass enabled the creation of long-haul fiber systems, a development so important it was recognized with the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Charles Kao. Today the world is connected by over 4 million km of optical fiber, through which 99% of the world’s internet traffic passes.

The 2022 International Year of Glass follows the example of the International Year of Light in 2015, a year of events to celebrate the achievements of light science and its applications. The International Commission on Glass, the Community of Glass Associations, and ICOM-Glass applied to designate a year of glass. Glass plays an important role in meeting many of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals: responsible production and sustainability; innovation and infrastructure; affordable and clean energy; climate action; unpolluted water and oceans; sanitation, health and well-being, in particular. 

Organizations across the world will be holding events this year in celebration of glass, including a reception at the 2022 OFC Conference on 8 March. The Optica Publishing Group journal Optical Materials Express is publishing a special issue “Celebrating Optical Glass” in July.

Optica will be joining the US kick-off of the Year of Glass on April 7, the National Day of Glass, in Washington, DC, with an event featuring non-technical talks from industry experts, directors of government agencies and leaders in the field of art glass. Come participate and learn more about the modern miracle that is glass.  

Follow along with the International Year of Glass 2022 Opening Ceremony with live-streamed talks, available on the IYOG website.

Posted: 2/10/2022 by Leah Poffenberger, Corporate Communications Manager, Optica

It is easy to understand solar panels fixed on any surface are not optimal to collect the sunlight because the sun is moving in the sky all the day. Incidence angles change and optical reflection, optical transmission, photo response vary greatly from sunrise via noon and to sunset. The time around noon is accepted to be the best for PV generation, however even at this short period of time the fixed solar panel faced to South cannot sometimes provide a maximum photo response. Why it is happened? There are many reasons as seasonal variations of solstice, roofs not exactly face to South, panels are fixed and do not track the sun, etc. In spite of that the modern solar PV panels were developed well with highly transparent cover glasses, with antireflective coating or texture, are installed at angles meeting solstice, and nevertheless a half of the daylight period the panel loses light photons very hard. During these poor periods the incident light falls down not only at sliding angles but is affected by polarization splitting resulting in dramatic optical losses at oblique incidence. The solution of General Molded Glass is in properly developed microstructure of the solar glass intended for fixed panel mounts on roofs and facades of buildings.

 

 

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