“Greener” Chemical Manufacturing via Plasmonics
Research News

“Greener” Chemical Manufacturing via Plasmonics

Laser light enables the use of water rather than hazardous peroxides to fabricate plastics and other polymers.

12 March 2026
Optical Networks Head to Space
Conversations

Optical Networks Head to Space

OFC plenary speaker Siegbert Martin spoke with OPN about how space-based optical networks are transforming worldwide communications.

01 March 2026
Ayar Labs Raises US$500 Million
Industry News

Ayar Labs Raises US$500 Million

The company plans to use series E funds to accelerate deployment of its co-packaged optics solution for AI scale-up.

 

17 March 2026
Laser Pulses Deliver Ultrafast Logic
Research News

Laser Pulses Deliver Ultrafast Logic

A future generation of faster digital devices could be controlled using extremely short light pulses.

16 March 2026
Nanostructure Tunes the Handedness of Light
Research News

Nanostructure Tunes the Handedness of Light

Device’s ability to vary the chirality of light could be exploited in sensing and communication.

18 March 2026
Circular Clouds at Sunrise
Image of the Week

Circular Clouds at Sunrise

Unusual circular clouds in the vicinity of the sunrise create a beautiful early morning sky.

20 March 2026

LATEST NEWS

Nanostructure Tunes the Handedness of Light
Research News

Nanostructure Tunes the Handedness of Light

Device’s ability to vary the chirality of light could be exploited in sensing and communication.

18 March 2026
Ayar Labs Raises US$500 Million
Industry News

Ayar Labs Raises US$500 Million

The company plans to use series E funds to accelerate deployment of its co-packaged optics solution for AI scale-up.

17 March 2026
Laser Pulses Deliver Ultrafast Logic
Research News

Laser Pulses Deliver Ultrafast Logic

A future generation of faster digital devices could be controlled using extremely short light pulses.

16 March 2026
Nvidia Invests US$4 Billion in Photonic Technology
Industry News

Nvidia Invests US$4 Billion in Photonic Technology

Lumentum and Coherent will each receive US$2 billion to support AI infrastructure development.

13 March 2026
“Greener” Chemical Manufacturing via Plasmonics
Research News

“Greener” Chemical Manufacturing via Plasmonics

Laser light enables the use of water rather than hazardous peroxides to fabricate plastics and other polymers.

12 March 2026

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EDITOR'S PICKS

Seeing What’s Up Down Below
From the Archive

Seeing What’s Up Down Below

Understanding and tracking climate change demands a more comprehensive visual picture of global seafloor—via cameras, lighting and other optics designed for the ocean’s inhospitable depths.

01 January 2026
The Rare Earths
Infographic

The Rare Earths

A look at the primary uses and potential sources for rare-earth metals, which are important to the production of numerous technologies.

01 June 2025
Staffing the Quantum Revolution
Industry

Staffing the Quantum Revolution

How should the emerging quantum technology industry educate and train its future workforce?

01 March 2023
Axicon Light
After Image

Axicon Light

A diffractive axicon under LED illumination produces a system of colorful rings that form nearly Bessel beams.

01 May 2023

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Image of the Week

Circular Clouds at Sunrise

Unusual circular clouds in the vicinity of the sunrise create a beautiful early morning sky.

20 March 2026
Then and Now

Fiber Becomes a Sensor

As low-loss optical fiber was developed for communications, researchers discovered that it could be leveraged for sensing.

01 March 2026
Ideas

Ultraintense Lasers: Reaching for the Brightest Light

NSF OPAL is a next-generation NSF research infrastructure for studying ultrahigh-intensity laser–matter interactions.

01 March 2026

CAREERS

Building the Optics-Professional Pipeline
Careers

Building the Optics-Professional Pipeline

Kipkemoi Elvis Samuel discusses his work in removing obstacles for students to get an optics education in Kenya.

28 October 2025
My Congressional Fellowship: A Career Door-Opener
Careers

My Congressional Fellowship: A Career Door-Opener

Eager to work toward solving big societal problems like climate change, Claire Cody left the lab for the world of scientific policy.

21 October 2025
Journeys in Optics: Falko Schmidt
Careers

Journeys in Optics: Falko Schmidt

Falko Schmidt discusses his career trajectory, cofounding a startup and sustainability in the lab. 

16 September 2025
Journeys in Optics: Winnie N. Ye
Careers

Journeys in Optics: Winnie N. Ye

Winnie Ye talks about overcoming challenges she faced during her career and the importance of diversity, collaboration and mentorship in research.

26 August 2025
AI-Generated Podcasts for Science Communication
Careers

AI-Generated Podcasts for Science Communication

Researchers found that artificial intelligence could help disseminate scientific studies in a clear, easy-to-understand format.

30 June 2025