Optical phenomena in infrared materials: introduction

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Infrared Technology

Background:

• A topical meeting on Optical Phenomena in Infrared Materials convened in December 1976.
• The event was jointly sponsored by the Optical Society of America and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight research on optical effects in materials crucial for modern infrared (IR) applications.
• To foster discussion on advancements in IR materials for technologies like laser windows, solar energy conversion, infrared detection, and integrated optics.

Main Methods:

• The study is based on papers presented at the 1976 topical meeting.
• A selection of these papers was published in the November 1977 issue of Applied Optics.

Main Results:

• The meeting focused on the optical properties of materials relevant to IR technologies.
• Discussions covered a range of applications, indicating significant research activity in the field.

Conclusions:

• The topical meeting successfully gathered researchers to discuss critical advancements in infrared materials.
• The published papers provide a snapshot of the state of research in optical phenomena for IR applications in 1976-1977.