Applied Optical Sciences, Inc. is organized around conduct of advanced R&D around photonic devices and their applications. A key capability of the firm ihad been quantitative analysis of the physical properties of materials utilizing several unique analytical instruments that allow for detailed materials and surface analysis. AOS capabilities include Measure Surface Profiles & Perform Material Characterization: Optical Surface Profiling; Scanning Electron Microscopy; Atomic Probe Microscopy. Also made available for use by qualified and interested external parties, instruments offered include a Variable-Pressure Scanning Electron Microscope (FEI XL30 ESEM) equipped with an advanced Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (EDX) and Electron Back-Scatter Diffraction (EBSD) systems from EDAX, an Atomic Probe Microscope (di-Innova, Bruker), and an optical surface profiler (NT 8000, Wyko). Additional supporting equipment for sample preparation includes diamond saws, sample polishing, and optical microscopes. In general, AOS can assist in processing samples from preparation through final analysis. In the late Spring 2019 it was announced that aTucson-based company - Applied Energetics Inc. - that had earlier been working on directed-energy technologies but appeared to have gone dormant had acquired Applied Optical Sciences (AOS). The transaction was interesting in that the now-acquired company had been founded in 2010 by Applied Energetics - one of whose original co-founders was a co-founder of AOS. In May 2019 it was announced that Applied Optical Sciences had been acquired by fellow SBIR involved small firm and Arizona-based company, Applied Energetics.
