Optics in 2024
OPN’s annual feature highlighting some of the most interesting research in optics and photonics published in recent months.
01 December 2024
After Image Photo Contest Winners
Congratulations to the winners of OPN’s 19th annual After Image photo contest!
01 December 2024
Illuminating Black Holes
Novel technique can detect the echo signature produced by light that has traveled around a black hole.
14 November 2024
Broadening the Bandgap for Tomorrow's Electronics
Heterostructures boost conductivity in transparent oxides for improved semiconductor design.
13 November 2024
IonQ Poised for Growth
The quantum-computing company announced new partnerships and an acquisition intended to strength its market position.
15 November 2024
Smartphone Diffraction
An incandescent light bulb illuminating a smartphone screen creates a colorful diffraction pattern due to the pixelated nature of the screen.
15 November 2024
December 2024 Issue
LATEST NEWS
Resonant Time Crystals Hit the Spot
Tweaked arrays of silicon nanospheres should yield large momentum bandgaps, even at optical frequencies.
20 November 2024
IonQ Poised for Growth
The quantum-computing company announced new partnerships and an acquisition intended to strength its market position.
15 November 2024
Illuminating Black Holes
Novel technique can detect the echo signature produced by light that has traveled around a black hole.
14 November 2024
Broadening the Bandgap for Tomorrow's Electronics
Heterostructures boost conductivity in transparent oxides for improved semiconductor design.
13 November 2024
Measuring Two-Photon Vision
Scientists have characterized the brightness of a phenomenon that allows the human eye to see a pulse of infrared laser light.
12 November 2024ADVERTISEMENT
EDITOR'S PICKS
How the Laser Found Problems to Solve
While some initially wondered about practical applications for the laser—an invention born out of basic research—within a few decades after its first appearance, it was offering solutions ranging from high-speed printing to crystal-clear music.
01 October 2024
Looking Beyond 5G
Even as 5G wireless moves into the mainstream, technologists are already looking ahead to the next generation—6G, expected to come on stream in the 2030s.
01 July 2020
Avoiding the Valleys of Death
A “System Readiness Level” metric could provide a baseline for lean product development.
01 September 2022
Axicon Light
A diffractive axicon under LED illumination produces a system of colorful rings that form nearly Bessel beams.
01 May 2023ADVERTISEMENT
Smartphone Diffraction
An incandescent light bulb illuminating a smartphone screen creates a colorful diffraction pattern due to the pixelated nature of the screen.
15 November 2024
Environmental Impact: Semiconductor Fabrication
A 2022 study in Science of the Total Environment analyzed the environmental impact of fabricating semiconductor chips, which involves large quantities of raw materials and waste generation.
01 November 2024
Looking Deeper into “Why?”
Anticipating questions and providing reasonable answers can significantly add to your credibility.
01 November 2024CAREERS
Journeys in Optics: Alejandro Velez-Zea
Velez-Zea discusses his career in academia, his research project that won the Optica Foundation Challenge and offers advice for students and early-career professionals.
05 November 2024
Ambassadors and Chapters Driving Optics Education and Career Advancement
Ana Karen Reyes talks about her work as an Optica Ambassador supporting optics and photonics education and professional development.
29 October 2024
A Career in Subsea: The Final (Fiber) Frontier
The Optical Fiber Communications Workshop, hosted by an Optica/SPIE Student Chapter, showcased career opportunities in the burgeoning field of subsea communications.
18 October 2024
Journeys in Optics: George Dwapanyin
Dwapanyin talks about his time as an Optica Ambassador, his involvement with Optica’s 2020 DEI Rapid Action Committee and the role community has had in his career.
15 October 2024
Journeys in Optics: Jason Adams
Adams discusses the genesis of his career in optics, his previous career as an audio engineer and the role of travel in his work.
03 September 2024