Optics and Photonics News

The Lasers That Make Your Screen

Advanced laser technology stands behind one of the most common consumer products—displays. They are key to industrial production of flexible OLED and microLED screens.

by Andreas Thoss

Biomedical Optics: Bringing Bright Ideas into Clinical Use

Optical scientists are developing new technologies for cancer detection, microbe analysis and other medical marvels. But how do these advances make their way to the physician’s office?

by Patricia Daukantas

Restoring a Century-Old Zeiss Refractor

After a hundred-year journey and a restoration that revived its precision, a 1923 Zeiss refractor still serves sky watchers in Belgrade.

by Predrag Milojković

Newsroom

Research and Industry News

“Greener” chemical production / Light-based protein evolution / Deeper laser cuts / NIR microcavities for quantum / Low-cost thermal imaging / Measuring time / All-fiber acoustic sensing / Industry news

Infographic

Measuring Time

In 2025, a comparison of optical clocks across six countries marked a major step toward redefinition of the SI second and international time scales based on more accurate optical standards.

Conversations

New Applications for Frequency Combs

Nathalie Picqué spoke with OPN about novel uses for the established technique.

Market Report

Hanging onto the AI Juggernaut

The optics and photonics industry faces the possibility of both ups and downs in the burgeoning “AI Economy.”

Light Touch

Great Minds Make a Sun Dog Mistake

The failure of three physics luminaries to explain parhelia illustrates the difficulty of scientific progress.

President's Message

Compelling Science Enabling Technology

When new “next big thing” applications arrive, they stand on decades of photonics innovation that has matured into reliable, scalable processes.

Looking Back

30, 20, and 10 Years Ago in OPN

Laser diagnostics of CVD diamond film growth; quantum cascade lasers; space-based laser communications

Optica in Focus

News from the Society

Quantum legislative push / High-impact OFC / Executive Forum / BOEx best paper prize / Browaeys honored at DPG / Subscribe to Open for JOSA B / CREOL Industrial Affiliates / Women leaders in optics webinar / Thank you, editors and Optica reps to CLEO steering

After Image

Unfiltered Light in a Beam Splitter

A red filter smaller than the illumination beam allows peripheral unfiltered light to reach a beam splitter, generating a yellow edge halo.