Photonics and AI: Industry Perspectives

OPN talked with six companies about some of the opportunities AI could open for the optics and photonics industry—in silicon photonics and beyond.

by Hannah Lanford, Rachel Sender and Stewart Wills 

Submarine Optical Fibers: A Window into Climate Change

Distributed acoustic sensing, increasingly recognized as a potential tool for seismic monitoring, can provide insights on ocean circulation, marine-mammal migration and other climate-relevant parameters.

by Miguel González- Herráez, María R. Fernández-Ruiz, Carlos E. Becerril, Pedro J. Vidal-Moreno and Sonia Martin-Lopez 

GPU-Accelerated Photonic Simulations

Hardware advances are enabling simulations of Maxwell’s equations at unprecedented speed and scale.

by Momchil Minkov, Peng Sun, Ben Lee, Zongfu Yu and Shanhui Fan

Newsroom

Research and Industry News

Giant-clam light conversion / Multichannel X-rays / Fine eye details / Ti:sapphire laser on chip / Holotomography / Climate change impacts / Industry news

Infographic

Whales and Climate Change

A half a decade ago, researchers were already sounding the alarm about climate change’s potential impacts on the delicate recovery of many whale species.

Education

Optics Education for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Embracing inclusivity and adapted teaching techniques in STEM for people with vision impairments benefits not just students, but society as a whole.

Career Focus

The Value in Creative Partnerships

A scientist at NEC Labs America talks with OPN about the benefits of working across research fields and the academia–industry divide.

Then and Now

Laser Cutting Comes to Fruition

Lasers were first used for machining applications in the early 1960s, and technological
advances in subsequent decades further increased their industrial potential.

President's Message

Challenges for Science in Times of Tension

Unfortunately, the trend toward international scientific cooperation lately seems to have reversed.

Looking Back

30, 20 and 10 Years Ago in OPN

X-ray amplifiers; lasers for fine-art conservation; diamond Raman lasers.

Optica in Focus

News from the Society

Quantum deep dives / Optica Fellow stories / Imaging and Sensing Congresses / Industry Summit / L’Oréal-UNESCO Women and Science Prize / Siegman School / Online industry meeting on cancer / Thank you, editors and meeting chairs

Optica Financials

Optica Financial Report

Summary of Optica’s 2023 financial statements.

After Image

Chemical Art

Thin crystalline film of cesium chloride imaged in compensated polarized light microscopy.