physics

Optics Valley

Optics Valley is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Optics Valley rather than just read about it. In short: Optics Valley is a region in southern Arizona, centered on Tucson, that is home to a high concentration of optics companies spawned by research at the University of Arizona. Based on the idea of a technology cluster, akin Silicon Valley, Optics Valley is known not only for its optics industry and research but also for the astronomical observatories located in the mountains of southern Arizona.

Key takeaways

Optics Valley belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Optics Valley to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Optics Valley from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Optics Valley is a region in southern Arizona, centered on Tucson, that is home to a high concentration of optics companies spawned by research at the University of Arizona. Based on the idea of a technology cluster, akin Silicon Valley, Optics Valley is known not only for its optics industry and research but also for the astronomical observatories located in the mountains of southern Arizona. These observatories benefit from clear skies and isolated peaks, creating superior observing conditions.

History

The term "Optics Valley" was first coined by a BusinessWeek article in 1992, which identified the small but bustling region encompassing Tucson as home to many optics and nanotechnology companies. These companies were responsible for bringing in hundreds of millions in revenue and creating thousands of high-income jobs. Arizona’s optics cluster can trace its history back to 1992, when Robert Breault was a founding member of the Arizona Optics Industry Association (AOIA) and “mentored many light scientists eager to create companies that develop and sell different types of equipment, including lasers, telescopes, endoscopy machines and camera lenses, all of which use light, or optics, to enhance images.” AOIA, the predecessor to today’s Optics Valley Committee, held its first meeting with 55 companies, according to Breault. More recent estimates put the number at over 300 individual organizations in the optics industry in Arizona. In 2016, AOIA was dissolved, and the optics cluster initiative was transferred to Optics Valley, a committee of the Arizona Technology Council.

In January 2019, Strategy1, a Tucson-based strategic planning and business consultancy, was awarded a Small Business Administration (SBA) contract to foster the growth of Arizona’s optics industry. The contract's base year was 2019, with up to four additional option years. The Optics Valley Committee and its parent organization, AZTC, are strategic growth partners in the program. Other key program partners include Pima Community College, The University of Arizona Tech Launch Arizona, and Tech Parks Arizona. The SBA has renewed the contract each year.

Economy “Between 1996 and 2006, the state's optics industry went from generating $236 million and employing 2,300 people to generating $2.3 billion and employing 25,000, according to a 2008 report from the Office of Economic and Policy Analysis at the University of Arizona.” The industry continues to be an economic powerhouse on a global scale and remains lucrative for business leaders in Arizona. Recent reports indicate, "Global annual revenue from the production of optics and photonics core components amounted to $282 billion in 2018, with nearly 4,300 manufacturing companies producing those core components across more than 50 countries.” “Production of photonics-enabled products generates more than four million jobs worldwide and revenues for those products exceeded $2 trillion in 2019.” Thanks to the region’s commitment to higher education promoting optical and photonic careers, Optics Valley is poised to benefit from the growing deep-space and space tourism industries. “Morgan Stanley estimates that by 2040, the global space industry could surge to over $1 trillion.” Arizona features all the pieces needed to compete for new space investments, according to a 2018 Deloitte assessment. The firm compared Arizona with 13 other states with ties to the space industry across six focus areas including manufacturing, launch services area, validation and component testing, space situational awareness and mining. “Only Arizona boasts a presence in every category.”

Academic Institutions

The region is home to various colleges and universities. Some of the best-known institutions are listed below.

Research Centers and Astronomical Observatories Arizona is home to many research centers and astronomical observatories. Below is a list of well-known examples.

Companies Optics Valley has over 100 member companies of all sizes and backgrounds and is growing. Visit the Optics Valley Directory to learn more.

References

Further reading Ordoñez, Silvana (January 22, 2012). "Meet Robert Breault, the businessman behind Tucson's 'Optics Valley'". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved May 29, 2014.

External links Optics Valley

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Optics Valley

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Optics Valley claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Optics Valley before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Optics Valley ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Optics Valley

In research: Optics Valley appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Optics Valley in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Optics Valley is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Geography of Arizona, High-technology business districts in the United States, Optics institutions, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Optics Valley outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Optics Valley in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Optics Valley means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Optics Valley out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Optics Valley in simple terms?

Why does Optics Valley matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Optics Valley?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Optics Valley.