June 2026 Issue
Feature Articles
Building Quantum Networks on Classical Fiber Infrastructure
From QKD to teleportation, quantum technologies are increasingly operating alongside classical data in deployed fiber infrastructure.
by Prem Kumar and Jordan M. Thomas
New Optics for Interstellar Flight
A project to fire tiny spacecraft with futuristic sails to our next-nearest star using a huge laser appears to have bitten the dust. But some scientists still see photonics as a path to interstellar travel.
by Edwin Cartlidge
Optica is proud to honor and celebrate outstanding contributions to science, research, engineering, education, industry and society.
by Meredith Smith and Samantha HornbackDepartments and Columns
Squeezed phonon lasers / Fiber sensors for soil / Laser-guided nanorobot / Record triple-junction solar cell / Reviving entangled states / Dragonflies see deep red / Better holographic storage / Industry news
Building the First Useful Quantum Networks
Ronald Hanson spoke with OPN about the technical hurdles, photonic advances and opportunities shaping the future of quantum networking.
Earning Trust as Part of a Team
Alan Eli Willner explains how leaving behind your personal agenda can benefit both you and your organization.
After the discovery of the promising semiconductor nanoparticles, researchers devised manufacturing methods that would enable real-world applications.
Also in this Issue
Our field continues to enable discoveries and technologies that once seemed out of reach.
30, 20, and 10 Years Ago in OPN
Laser systems in the automotive industry; the science of negative index materials; optical dreams, virtual reality
In memoriam: Frank K. Tittel / Level Up / Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow / UofR Industrial Associates / Deutsch Fellowship / Industry Summit on Advanced Optics / Optica Foundation awards / Optica Silicon Valley / Stanford Photonics Retreat / Women in Optics reception / Thank you, editors and meeting chairs
A raindrop resting on a leaf forms a near-perfect sphere, transforming it into both a spherical mirror and a spherical lens.
![Lasers are essential for manufacturing flexible OLED and microLED displays. [Image by V. Lombardo / Getty Images]](https://opnmedia.blob.core.windows.net/$web/opn/media/images/articles/2026/0526/departments/202605-cover-web.jpg?ext=.jpg)
