July/August 2015 Issue
Feature Articles
Optoelectronics in Flatland
Initially energized by the isolation of graphene more than a decade ago, research in 2-D materials is exploding, taking advantage of emerging materials with different strengths that can be combined to create new nanophotonic devices.
by Palash Bharadwaj and Lukas NovotnyMaterials and Photonics: Some Recent Developments
An understanding of nonlinear phenomena and their relationship with materials is spurring creation of novel devices, techniques and schemes to control light-matter interactions. Here’s a look at a few recent advances.
by Valerie C. CoffeyCompact X-ray and Extreme-Ultraviolet Light Sources
Bringing the brightness and power of vast synchrotron and free-electron laser sources to the scale of the local lab and clinic marks an important next frontier—and could transform the landscape of X-ray science and technology.
by Lahsen Assoufid, Uwe Arp, Patrick Naulleau, Sandra Biedron and William GravesBreaking the Limits of Optical Energy Conversion
Attendees of a recent OSA Incubator Meeting explored new strategies to overcome the limits of optical energy conversion in conventional solar-fueled engines.
by Svetlana V. Boriskina, Jonathan K. Tong, Vivian Ferry, Jurgen Michel and Alexander KildishevDepartments and Columns
Scatterings
Headliners, policy news, industry updates and book reviews.
Career Opportunities in Intellectual Property
The ubiquity of IP in high-tech means IP-related jobs are close at hand.
Consolidation in a Global Marketplace
As M&A activity heats up, optics and photonics companies are increasingly looking across borders for a good strategic fit—and that creates both challenges and opportunities.
Breaking the Cost Barrier
Tom Hausken examines “the paradox of volume manufacturing” in chip-scale photonics—and some ways to resolve it.
John N. Howard, 1921–2015
In April, the OSA community lost a familiar and beloved leading light, John N. Howard—past president, OSA historian and pioneering editor. As these recollections, from fellow editor William Rhodes, make clear, Howard was also a man of humor and wide-ranging interests.
George Stegeman, 1942–2015
OSA Fellow George Stegeman—a gifted scientist, author and editor, and a long-term supporter and volunteer for The Optical Society—passed away on 2 May 2015. His son and colleague, Robert Stegeman, graciously offered OPN the following remembrance.
![An artist’s rendering of a pulse of circularly polarized light hitting a 2D semiconductor. [Illustration by S. Alvey / University of Michigan]](https://opnmedia.blob.core.windows.net/$web/opn/media/images/articles/2025/0125/departments/202501-cover-web.jpg?ext=.jpg)
