Feature Articles

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

Departments and Columns

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.


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Also in this Issue

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’OrĂ©al-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.