Abstract
Femtosecond laser fabrication of optical waveguides in bulk silica glass is extended to integrated optical waveplates. Polarization retardation was controlled by laser exposure, providing for trimming of waveguide birefringence between 10(-5) and 10(-4).

Abstract
High strength, first order Bragg Grating Waveguides are inscribed in the core and cladding of optical fibers using oil immersion femtosecond direct laser-writing. A laser-induced birefringence of 2.05x10(-4) was inferred from polarization split Bragg resonances.

Abstract
In this paper, direct UV-laser writing was used to produce channel waveguides and diffraction gratings on thin films of siliceous-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials. The optical quality of the films surface was studied by light scattering measurements. The produced Y-power splitters, optical filters and Fabry-Perot cavities were experimentally characterized for propagation in the near infrared spectral region.

Abstract
The European Space Research and Technology Center ESTEC, ESA's premises in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, has a long lasting cooperation with the ZARM-FAB (Centre of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity-Drop Tower Operation and Service Company) in Bremen on the utilization of the Drop Tower for ground-based microgravity research and space hardware development studies. During the period January 2000 to December 2011 ESA will have procured in total some 840 drops addressing a variety of scientific and technological disciplines. The experiments are usually carried out in campaigns of 15 to 20 drops each, with an annual average of about 5 campaigns. The cooperation agreement between ESA and the ZARM-FAB includes experiment preparation advice by ZARM's experts, the integration of the hardware into the drop capsule, dedicated safety reviews, the execution of the drop or catapult experiments, the post-flight payload de-integration as well as the handover of acquired data to the experimenters. The experiment hardware itself is provided by the scientists or has to be procured from sources outside of ESA's drop tower utilization contract. ESA appreciates the cooperation of the ZARM-FAB in Bremen whose drop-and catapult facility provides excellent microgravity quality, is operated by a highly competent, flexible and extremely supportive expert team, allows campaign integration at relatively short notice throughout the entire year, offers real-time experiment operations and immediately after each drop delivers experiment results and provides on-site hardware modification possibilities.

Abstract

Abstract
Optical coherence tomography is nowadays an established imaging technique in Ophthalmology, with a key role on early detection of macular diseases, benefiting from the tremendous evolution in principles and technological developments of the last 20 years. In this paper the most important physical principles behind time-domain, spectral-domain and Fourier-domain OCT will be presented, along with examples of applications in different imaging fields, emphasizing the limitations of current systems, their performance parameters, as well as the challenges for the future within this field of development.