ABSTRACT
Nanotechnology has revolutionized a number of classical applications by allowing
the integration of optical sensing techniques into such applications. Advanced new
products in this category include optical microphones, fingerprint readers, and highly
sensitive seismic sensors. This section describes a highly advanced optical micro-
phone that was introduced very recently. The microphone uses a charge-coupled de-
vice (CCD) as its sensing mechanism. This new type of microphone will be available
commercially within a time span of 1 to 3 years.