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Archive for the ‘Measurement Services’ Category

All That Glitters Isn’t the Same Gold: Using Surface Roughness to Manipulate Optical Properties of Materials 

March 6, 2026

Abstract: In thermal control design, stray-light suppression, and infrared sensor performance, the angular distribution of reflected energy is often as important as the total reflectance magnitude. This paper focuses on the “roughness crossover” regime—where a surface transitions from predominantly diffuse (Lambertian-like) scattering to predominantly specular (mirror-like) reflection. Using high-fidelity hemispherical-directional reflectance (HDR) measurements, we demonstrate […]

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Europa clipper satellite

Europa Clipper: NASA’s Quest to Unravel the Mysteries of an Icy Moon

March 27, 2025

NASA’s Europa Clipper mission is underway, embarking on an unprecedented exploration of Europa, one of Jupiter’s most intriguing moons. Launched on October 14, 2024, this ambitious spacecraft is now racing through space. On March 1, 2025, Europa Clipper used Mars’ gravitational pull for a slingshot maneuver to propel it toward its destination. A year and […]

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Space capsule re-entering atmosphere of earth

How to Measure Thermal Emissivity: Tools, Techniques, and Applications

February 3, 2025

Thermal emissivity is a fundamental property of materials that describes their ability to emit thermal radiation normalized to an ideal blackbody (i.e. 0-1 scale). This characteristic is crucial in applications ranging from aerospace thermal coatings to solar energy harvesting to environmentally friendly building materials, where understanding and controlling heat transfer can significantly impact safety, efficiency, […]

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3D visualization of bidirectional reflectance distribution function of a machine learning designed metasurface material

A New AI-Powered Method for Designing Infrared Metasurfaces

December 14, 2024

Metasurfaces are a revolutionary development in the world of optics. These are extremely sophisticated, customizable surfaces that have been tailored to reflect, absorb, or transmit light based on the designer’s needs. The complex structures on the material’s surface are of a sub-wavelength scale compared to the wavelength of interest. These structures act as “mini transmitters […]

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Solar Reflectance & SRI Measurements for LEED

July 11, 2024

Building designers and developers that are pursuing the Heat island reduction credit for LEED certification require documentation of the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) for their project’s roofing materials, shade giving structures, and paving materials. Under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED 2009 rating system, credits SSc7.1 and SSc7.2 (combined as credit SSc5 in LEED v4) […]

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Optical Measurement of Z93 Thermal Coating on the International Space Station

September 23, 2020

Space-based construction materials must meet a range of requirements: mechanical robustness, lightweight characteristics, and tolerance to heat. There are three optical requirements for heat management to protect sensitive instrumentation and personnel: high solar reflectance, high thermal emissivity, and a sufficiently diffuse surface. These properties ensure that the spacecraft will remain cool, and the thermal control […]

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The Prediction and Measurement of the Optical Properties of Complex Surfaces

June 13, 2018

Determining the optical properties of complex surfaces for signature analysis can be problematic. Materials with surface structures, e.g, crinkled or patterned foil appliques, or striated or ribbed surfaces will produce a non-isotropic BRDF, which can be difficult to measure and represent in signature models. This paper will describe an analytical approach to predicting the optical […]

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Surface Optics Corporation Presents at the 13th International IR Target and Background Modeling & Simulation Workshop

Dr. James Jafolla, President of Surface Optics Corporation, presented today at the 13th International IR Target and Background Modeling & Simulation Workshop (ITBMS) convened in Banyuls-sur-mer, France. The ITBMS workshop is a forum for the IR modeling and simulation community to discuss current developments in their field of expertise. Dr. Jafolla’s presentation was titled, “The Prediction and Measurement of the Optical Properties of Complex Surfaces.”

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