Local company makes its mark on the new $100 bill

<p>New $100 bills premiering next year will include anti-counterfeiting features developed in Santa Rosa by JDSU's Advanced Optical Technologies unit, the company said Wednesday.</p><p>“AOT is providing color-shifting pigment on the new $100 bill,” CEO Tom Waechter told Wall Street analysts. “Specifically, it will be on the Liberty Bell and the number 100.”</p><p>Last month, U.S. Treasury officials said the new currency will have the latest security features. </p><p>“This note incorporates the best technology available to ensure we're staying ahead of counterfeiters,” Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said.</p><p>The $100 note is the most often counterfeited denomination outside the U.S., according to the Treasury Department.</p><p>The new bill shows a Liberty Bell that changes color from copper to green when the note is tilted, making it seem to appear and disappear within a copper-colored inkwell.</p><p>The number 100 also has shifting colors.</p><p>Such features are very difficult for counterfeiters to duplicate, according to the department.</p><p>“The new security features come after more than a decade of research and development to protect our currency from counterfeiting,” said U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios.</p><p>Currency users will be able to quickly tell the difference between the real notes and high-quality fakes, the department said.</p><p>JDSU's color-shifting pigments contain microscopic flakes with layers of ultra-thin film that reflect light or allow it to pass through, like a tiny prism.</p><p>Each flake displays a range of colors depending on the angle of view. The flakes are made in vacuum machines where metals are vaporized onto thin film sheets.</p><p>The pigment changes colors when viewed from different angles. JDSU's special pigments are used to print the currencies of more than 100 countries, including the U.S.</p><p>The company has about 540 employees in Santa Rosa, headquarters for its Advanced Optical Technologies business.</p><p>The division posted a record $58.6 million in sales for the third quarter ending April 3, due in part to its anti-counterfeiting products, Waechter said Wednesday.</p><p>AOT revenue was up 7 percent from the prior quarter and 15 percent from the same period a year ago.</p><p>JDSU's color-shifting pigments also are used for product decoration and security features on packages and labels.</p><p>In addition to pigments, the Santa Rosa unit develops 3-D images for bank card protection and 3-D glasses used for viewing movies such as “Avatar.”</p><p>It's also developing gesture recognition technology for video gaming and other applications, Waechter said.</p><p>JDSU acquired the Santa Rosa business from Optical Coating Laboratory in 2000. The company is headquartered in Milpitas.</p><p>Companywide, JDSU posted $332 million in third-quarter sales, up 19 percent from the same period a year ago. JDSU narrowed its loss to $12 million in the quarter, compared to a $102 million loss last year.</p><p>JDSU stock closed at $13.70 Wednesday, up 11 cents on the Nasdaq. Its shares fell in after-hours trading as the company missed analysts' revenue forecasts.</p>