06/17/2010 - Bridger Photonics awarded MBRCT funding to demonstrate compact zoom lens with MSU

Bridger Photonics has been awarded a grant from the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology, with David Dickensheets' group at Montana State University, to demonstrate a compact zoom lens with no moving parts.  The zoom lens will capitalize on the partners' developed MEMS technology.

06/11/2010 - Bridger Photonics awarded NSF SECO funding with MIRTHE

Bridger Photonics has been awarded Supplemental Opportunity for Collaborations (SECO) funding from the NSF to collaborate with Mark Zondlo at Mid-Infrared Technologies for Health and the Environment (MIRTHE).  The team will demonstrate precision laser remote sensing of carbon dioxide.

05/22/2010 - Bridger Photonics opens three new positions for hire

Bridger Photonics opens positions for a Photonics Engineer, Manufacturing / Production Engineer, and Optoelectronic Technician.  Apply by June 7 for full consideration.  See "Careers " page for full job descriptions.

05/01/2010 - Bridger Photonics Awarded EPA Phase II SBIR

Bridger Photonics was awarded a Phase II SBIR from the EPA to develop a remote sensor for carbon dioxide (CO2).  The device will provide CO2 concentration as a function of distance with few-meter resolution.  It will therefore be ideal for identifying and monitoring distant or inaccessible pollution sources.

05/01/2010 - Bridger Photonics and MSU to develop MEMS-based large-stroke focus-control device.

Bridger Photonics has received an NSF Phase II STTR award with Montana State University to develop a large-stroke MEMS-based membrane mirror for rapid and simple focus control.  This technology has potential use in biomedical imaging devices and in cell phone cameras for auto-focus and zoom capabilities.

03/01/2010 - Bridger Photonics receives government contract

Bridger Photonics secured a government contract to use its proprietary LADAR technology to penetrate adverse atmospheric conditions, such as brownout.  This technology has the potential to aid helicopter pilots when landing in significantly degraded visibility conditions.

02/01/2010 - Bridger Photonics completes round of four hires

Bridger Photonics completed its round of four hires, selecting two Photonics Engineers, one Computer Engineer, and one Office Assistant.

01/16/2010 - Bridger Photonics Receives Government Contract

Bridger Photonics has secured a government contract to demonstrate an advanced LADAR-based target identification technique.  The technique will help quickly and decisively identify targets while utilizing reduced resources, reduced hardware, and reduced processing.

01/01/2010 - Bridger Photonics awarded NSF Phase 1B STTR

Bridger Photonics has been awarded a Phase 1B STTR grant to enhance its development of a fast and accurate LADAR system for precisioin metrology and engineering applications. Bridger is partnering with Montana State University for this effort.

12/02/2009 - Bridger Photonics awarded NSF Phase I SBIR

Bridger Photonics has been awarded a Phase I SBIR grant to demonstrate the feasibility of a compact, low-cost, robust 3D imaging system with no mechanically moving parts.  The start date is January 1, 2010.

11/05/2009 - (Now Closed) Bridger Photonics opens 4 new hires

Bridger seeks qualified and motivated applicants to fill four new positions.  Please see "Careers" tab for detailed descriptions of the positions.

10/01/2009 - Dispersion compensated delay line products now available.

Both long haul fiber optic systems and fiber delay lines for metrology systems often require that the deletirious effects of dispersion be managed.  This is simply done by using a piece of dispersion compensating fiber.  However, it is often hard to find vendors willing to custom make delay lines to the customers' specific application.  Bridger Photonics has perfected its capabilities to make dispersion compensated delay lines and is now offering this service to its customers.  If you have need of dispersion compensated fiber optic lines, please contact us at info@bridgerphotonics.com.  Our pricing is very competitive and we can deliver devices in thermally and acoustically managed enclosures.  We will be adding a section on our website soon...

09/15/2009 - First prototype SLM-H product delivered...

The SLM-H product line is nearing a full product release.  Prototype units have been created and are currently under test in house.  Early tests have demonstrated Fourier Transform limited range peaks of 35 microns (FWHM) for targets under 50 meters and down to 150 microns for targets at a range of 1 km under ideal atmospheric conditions.  These measurements represent the highest resolution (defined as the half power point where two down-range targets can be resolved) ever achieved for a LADAR system. The range to target can be determined to much better than the resolution and is a function of the signal-to-noise ratio of the returned signal.  A prototype product was delivered in August and is performing well at site.  A full product release is anticipated for the first quarter of 2010.  For more information on this and other breakthrough technologies at Bridger Photonics contact us at info@bridgerphotonics.com

09/01/2009 - Bridger Photonics to develop fast, metrology systems based on newly emerging lasers.

Bridger Photonics will partner with Montana State University to examine newly emerging laser sources for their fitness in providing next generation length metrology.  The goal for these systems is to operate at very fast update rates, provide very high resolution, repeatability and accuracy, and be low cost.  Bridger is working with industrial partners to accelerate the development and to directly meet customer needs.  COO Dr. Randy Reibel commented that "this project will uniquely combine Bridger's expertise in active stabilization of laser sources with MSU's expertise in absolute frequency stability to provide metrology customers with a lower cost and much higher performance metrology product."

05/28/2009 - (Now Closed) Open position for mechanical engineer

Bridger Photonics is now accepting applications through 5PM on June 11th for a mechanical engineer.  Please click here for the job announcement.

04/23/2009 - EPA Releases PodCast on CO2 Detection using Bridger Product

Please visit http://www.epa.gov/ncer or click here to listen.

04/15/2009 - Bridger signs two technology licenses with Montana State University

Bridger Photonics announced that it signed two technology licenses with Montana State University covering ultra-high resolution LADAR and MEMS mirror fabrication and control for confocal microscopy and other applications.

Dr. Randy Reibel, Cheif Operations Officer for Bridger Photonics, commented that, "These licenses are part of a strong push towards commercial product development and applications at Bridger Photonics."  For more information about these technologies visit the technology portion of our website.

02/25/2009 - (Now Closed) Open position for photonics engineer

  No longer accepting apps.  Bridger Photonics is seeking applicants for a Photonics Engineer.  Please click here for announcement.

02/15/2009 - Bridger Awarded NSF Phase II Contract For METH Detection

The National Science Foundation announced that it would award Bridger Photonics a follow on Phase II contract for its work to develop a hand-held laser based sensor for the remote detection of illicit METH production facilities.  This laser system would be used by law enforcement to help gather evidence of METH production and to speed the search warrant process to counter mobile METH production facilities.  During the Phase I portion of the effort Bridger Photonics and its Montana State University collaborators showed the commercial feasibility of the device.  This continuation will bring about the first ever hand-held remote sensing device for the detection of mobile METH production facilities.

02/01/2009 - Bridger to develop a remote sensing system for CO2 detection

Based on its innovative work to uncover illicit METH labs, Bridger Photonics is researching the possibility to utilize its novel lasers and remote sensing systems to help map CO2 concentrations.  CO2 is a known pollutant that leads to global warming.  Bridger Photonics CEO Pete Roos said "this device has the potential to revolutionize CO2 monitoring capabilities." See Bridger Photonics technology page for more information.

01/22/2009 - Bridger Photonics to develop active Feature Specific Imaging system

As is well known, conventional passive imagery data (2D) can be substantially compressed because the object space often contains redundant information.  Conventional cameras take measurements using a pixel-basis and form image-like representations of an object.  Whereas, Feature Specific Imagers (FSI) take measurements using non-image-like basis sets.  These basis sets are often times optimized for the specific features or objects in a scene and thus, require substantially less overall measurements.  This leads to higher system efficiencies.  Bridger Photonics has been awarded a contract to explore utilizing FSI with LADAR (i.e. 3D images) to substantially reduce the amount of redundant information gathered and to improve target identification, classification and tracking.

01/21/2009 - Bridger Awarded NSF Phase IB Funding

NSF Phase IB funding can be used to enhance investment capital that a small coompany brings to the table.  Under this project, Bridger Photonics and its collaborators at Montana State University will benchmark their innovative focus-control technologies based on deformable MEMS mirrors.  The goal is to show that this technology substantially outperforms conventional techniques for focus control.  See Technologies page for more information.

12/05/2008 - Bridger Photonics Recieves Outstanding Achievement Award

During TechRanch's annual holiday party, Bridger Photonics was awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award.
TechRanch can be accessed at http://www.techranch.org/

The award can be seen at:  http://www.techranch.org/downloads/Holiday%202008recoginvite.pdf

12/05/2008 - Bridger Photonics and MSU-Spectrum Lab Spotlighted on TV

Dr. Pete Roos, CEO of Bridger Photonics and Prof. Randy Babbitt, Director of Spectrum Lab at Montana State University, were the lead story on the local 6 o'clock news.  The story highlighted the collaborative research between the Company and the University, where a handheld laser based sensor is being developed to detect illicit Methamphetamine labs.  The story aired November 24th.

For more information on Montana State University Spectrum Lab see:  http://www.spectrum.montana.edu/

For more information contact KTVM 6&42.  http://www.ktvm.com/

01/27/2008 - Bridger Photonics awarded grant to develop innovative ultrafast laser

Bridger Photonics, Inc. was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grant with Montana State University to develop an innovative ultrafast laser. This laser will offer extreme flexibility in operation wavelength and the potential for very high average powers.  It therefore holds promise for dramatically improving the efficiency of laser machining and welding, and performing hyperspectral imaging.

01/27/2008 - Bridger Photonics to develop innovative high-resolution LADAR system

Bridger Photonics, Inc. has contracted to develop a high-resolution LADAR system. This system has the potential to enable micron-level resolution over kilometer baselines. It holds promise for applications including biometrics, and high-fidelity object identification, and precision positioning. Bridger Photonics, Inc. will concentrate on designing and developing a compact, high-performance device for both military and commercial markets.

01/22/2008 - Bridger Photonics awarded grant to develop meth lab sensor

Bridger Photonics was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grant with Montana State University to develop a low-cost, hand-held remote sensor for detecting methamphetamine labs.

Read the press release from Montana's U.S. Senators Tester and Baucus.

Read the write-up in Photonics.com from Laurin Publishing.

For more information, please email us.

01/22/2008 - Bridger Photonics awarded grant to develop wavefront sensor

Bridger Photonics was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I grant with Montana State University to develop a holographic wavefront sensor for improved adaptive optics capabilities.

01/22/2008 - Bridger Photonics to be featured in Confluence, an MSU publication

MSU College of Letter's and Science covers "Bridger Photonics ... an innovative technology company." The alumni magazine features the company and it's founders who are both graduates of the MSU Physics department.