Glasses in a Fraction of a Second

The development of ultrafast lasers has revolutionized the study and processing of glasses, enabling new applications and drawing closer to a full understanding of the liquid-to-glass transition.

by S.K. Sundaram

Deep Design for Optical Devices

Neural networks can create blueprints for complex device designs that would be difficult if not impossible to generate with traditional techniques.

by Edwin Cartlidge

The Nonreciprocal Adventures of Light

Reciprocity of light and energy transport is not a fundamental law—and breaking it can enable the “one-way” flow of optical energy, unlocking applications in energy harvesting, signal processing and thermal-emission control.

by Svetlana V. Boriskina, Morgan Blevins and Simo Pajovic

Newsroom

Research and Industry News

Entanglement / Robot crabs / Novel interconnect / Wearable biosensors / Efficient solar cells / Student math, science scores / Artifical tissues / 3D images / Weather sensor / II–VI, Coherent merge / Metasurfaces come to market / ASML Q2 gains / Trumpf, Cellforce partnership

Career Focus

When Presenting, the Audience Is Always Right

Effective presentations require careful thought to put yourself in your listeners’ shoes.

Conversations

Avoiding the Valleys of Death

A “System Readiness Level” metric could provide a baseline for lean product development.

Tutorial

Vibration Sensing with Laser Speckle

How to record individual musical instruments playing in an ensemble, using laser light.

Infographic

Student Knowledge: Math + Science

Administered every four years since 1995, the IEA's Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) assesses mathematics and science knowledge of students around the world. 

President's Message

In the Blink of an Eye

Science, like the universe, has its “big bangs.”

Looking Back

30, 20, and 10 Years Ago in OPN

Cable television; paper management; Aden Meinel

Optica in Focus

News from the Society

Remembering Azzam and Weeks / Welker award / Imaging and sensing congresses / Optica Fellow stories / Optica Women Scholars / Siegman School / Congressional Fellows / Freeform optics / Thank you, editors and volunteers

Optica Financials

Optica Financial Report

Summary of Optica’s 2021 financial statements.

After Image

Birefringence

Birefringence of glass-metal seal viewed through crossed polarizers.