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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 20h

Ahead of his #FiO26 plenary talk, Alexander Gaeta spoke with OPN about innovations in frequency combs that are leading to the commercialization of the technology. Check out the interview for a sneak peek of his talk, happening tomorrow at FiO! bit.ly/4iYdMm5 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 28/09/2026

Attalon announced a long-term supply agreement with AeroVironment (AV). Under the deal, Attalon’s new Valaris high-energy laser platform will be deployed as part of AV’s LOCUST system to counter drone threats. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/4yjXYyR 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optica @optica.org · 28/09/2026

#FiO26 has begun! 🤩 What are you attending today? Today, 28 September, you can find sessions covering #SpaceOptics, #quantum information processing, deep learning and more. Make sure you stop for a coffee break at Riverside Court to chat with your colleagues!

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 28/09/2026

Image of the Week: Painting with Infrared Beyond the visible spectrum, thermal radiation sketches a vibrant pattern of hot and cool regions, illustrating how infrared imaging reveals an otherwise unseen world of heat. Read more here: bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 24/09/2026

Solar cells struggle to charge underwater deeper than 10 meters because longer wavelengths of light attenuate. Now, researchers have developed perovskite solar cells with wide band gaps customized to the blue-green spectrum seen underwater, overcoming this limitation. bit.ly/3T2cHPB 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 23/09/2026

Researchers at @tuwien.at proposed a more efficient and reliable method for transferring #quantum information between qubits with photons. The new work leverages a dispersion-engineered waveguide that reshapes the photon pulse into its time-reversed counterpart. bit.ly/4yNVkkA 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 22/09/2026

Image of the Week: Explosion of Color Crystals of magnesium sulfate dissolving and crystalizing in solution, photographed using compensated polarization microscopy. [Winner Ireland Wiki Science Competition 2025; CC-BY-4.0] Read more here: bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 22/09/2026

Ever wonder why humans see color in four hues despite having three kinds of cone cells in the eye? In new work, scientists at @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social have developed a theory for just this! Read the OPN story for more: bit.ly/4xzOX3i

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 21/09/2026

📣 OPN's October issue is now live 📣 The latest issue has stories covering the 50 years of excimer-laser innovation, thin-film lithium niobate's potential for optical interconnects, the history and importance of Dark Sky Places and so much more! Read the issue: bit.ly/4ydyR0E 💡 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 18/09/2026

Check out OPN's latest Light Touch "From Newton to Eddington" to learn about the historical controversy around the theory of general relativity and the eclipse that helped validate it: bit.ly/4yE5K6e 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 17/09/2026

Researchers at Kobe University created a nanostructured coating that creates vivid, glossy colors. The coating provides a uniform and long-lasting color that is unaffected by the protective layers typically used for cars, planes and architectural structures. bit.ly/3UOIx2P 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 15/09/2026

"AI won’t make as many spelling mistakes, but it also can’t make as logical a story as you can." Check out OPN's latest Career Focus to learn all about using AI intelligently! Follow the link for more: bit.ly/4iw3mdc 💡 ⚛️ 🧪 #academicsky #academicsky

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 14/09/2026

In the OPN feature article "Computational Optical Sensing and Imaging at 25" Joseph Mait gives a brief history of the inaugural Integrated Computational Imaging Systems meeting in 1999, discusses the meeting’s impact, and assess current computational imaging. bit.ly/4yEYNSD 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 14/09/2026

Image of the Week: Psyche Approaches Mars This composite photo shows the crescent of Mars grow as NASA’s Psyche spacecraft approached the planet for a gravity assist from 2 to 15 May 2026. Read more here: bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 12/09/2026

Start-up iPronics has raised $125 million in funding to accelerate deployment of its optical circuit-switching (OCS) technology for AI data centers. OCS is not a new concept, but the scale and power requirements of AI computing are giving the technology fresh momentum. bit.ly/4A9nhVk 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 11/09/2026

OPN's September Profile "Shining Light on Silk" highlights Fiorenzo Omenetto and the work he and his team are doing at SilkLab. Check it out to learn more about the many innovative ways the multipurpose lab is using this remarkable material. Read the story: bit.ly/46iVzbk 💡⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 10/09/2026

Image of the Week: The Corona Image of a corona formed behind the Dreifaltigkeits-Pestsäule in Graz, Austria. Andrea Aiello, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany Read more here: bit.ly/3Vny7qQ

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 10/09/2026

Researchers have combined a semiconductor multi-quantum-well material with a metasurface to enable giant effective nonlinearities in the near-infrared to visible spectrum—all in a device less than a micrometer thick. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/3V6vYjf 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 09/09/2026

In new work, researchers developed a low-cost multispectral imaging system that helps archaeologists distinguish between different dirt layers as they excavate. The system uses 16 different wavelengths of light to evaluate the properties of the dirt layers. bit.ly/4gLe0eD 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 08/09/2026

In OPN's September feature "The Invisible Half of Light," researchers Seemesh Bhaskar and Brian Cunningham talk about how engineered nano-assemblies are opening a new route to biosensing by tapping the long-overlooked magnetic component of light. Read the article: bit.ly/4yojpOy 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 04/09/2026

Researchers at the University of Innsbruck found that entangling a molecular ion with an atom creates a “Schrödinger’s cat” state that is more sensitive to external disturbances than the individual particles. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/4igJdrr 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 04/09/2026

⌛ TIME IS RUNNING OUT ⌛ The deadline for OPNs photo contest is fast approaching! Submit your large, high-impact images that showcase an aspect of optics. Winning entries will be featured in OPN's December special issue! Deadline: 15 September. More information: bit.ly/4iugLT5 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 02/09/2026

In new work, researchers sent skyrmions, a form of structured light, across several hundred meters of turbulent air with very little distortion. They hope the scheme will one day speed up free-space communication. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/4gxyqI7 @univbordeaux.bsky.social💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 31/08/2026

Image of the Week: Painting the Rainbow Bright structural colors emerge from nanoscale metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) Fabry-Pérot cavities fabricated by sputtering. Read more here: bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 31/08/2026

The hardware that supports AI is facing a growing energy and sustainability barrier. The OPN September feature "When Microring Resonators Behave Like Neurons" explores a potential solution to this issue: integrated silicon microring resonators. Read the story: bit.ly/4gu4fS5 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 29/08/2026

📣 DEADLINE IN TWO DAYS 📣 Each year, the December issue of OPN highlights the most exciting optics research to emerge in the preceding 12 months. For a chance to be included, submit a summary of your notable peer-reviewed research before the 31 August deadline! bit.ly/4gDzvwQ 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 28/08/2026

Germany is establishing three national fusion-technology hubs. The initiative is designed to bring together research institutions and industry in an effort to accelerate development of commercial fusion power. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/4wPNndd #fusion #energy #technology 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 27/08/2026

Researchers developed purple fabric that can keep people cooler in hot weather. The fibers incorporate a purple metal-organic framework to achieve both a high mid-infrared emissivity and solar reflectance. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/3UaS1VP 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 26/08/2026

Researchers used distributed acoustic sensing to detect seismic activity in glaciers. The Swiss team used a single fiber cable to visualize glacial crevasses down to a depth of 25 m. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/4ggsHGo 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 25/08/2026

Lumilens, a company developing optical interconnects for AI infrastructure, announced that it will begin shipping its first products to AI data centers under a multi-billion US-dollar deal and that it had received more than $700 million in new funding. Read the story: bit.ly/4xvzSAs 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 24/08/2026

Image of the Week: Atomic Layer Precision Thin films of oxides are deposited with atomic layer precision using pulsed laser deposition. Read more here: bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 22/08/2026

In new work, researchers recorded 3D videos of seizure events in zebrafish larvae with a new imaging system they developed based on light-sheet fluorescence microscopy. They hope their study could inform improved treatments of brain diseases and disorders. bit.ly/3S1TRrl 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 21/08/2026

⏰ Due in 10 days ⏰ OPN is looking for this year's most interesting optics and photonics advances! Submit the summary of your notable peer-review research for OPN's Year in Optics for possible inclusion in the magazine's December issue. More information: bit.ly/3UuySOx 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 21/08/2026

A new study found that children’s books about the careers of famous scientists may contain inadvertently discouraging messaging. “They’re typically written to inspire, but what counts as inspirational has been left up to each author’s intuitions." bit.ly/4quQiqk 💡 ⚛️ 🧪 #academicsky #edusky

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 20/08/2026

OPN's September issue is now live! 🥳 The issue includes features about leveraging microring resonators for AI hardware, bio-sensing with the magnetic component of light, the past and future of computational imaging and so much more! Check it out online 👉 bit.ly/3Sg3i6z 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 19/08/2026

Researchers from @ucsandiego.bsky.social and @tuwien.at have generated previously unobtainable X-ray harmonics by firing intense ultraviolet laser pulses at helium gas in a hollow-core waveguide. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/3S2LprP

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Optica @optica.org · 19/08/2026

Micro-sized water droplets + sunlight = a breathtaking "Iridescent Contrail"! ✈️🌈✨ Celebrate #WorldPhotographyDay by entering the OPN 21st Annual Photo Contest! 📸 Submit your photo by 15 September: bit.ly/4wmEqIk #PhotographyContest #Optics

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 18/08/2026

"Lohmann was one of the pioneers who introduced novel concepts and terms into the field of optics." OPN's July/August Profile celebrates the life and optics achievements of Adolf W. Lohmann in honor of what would have been his 100th birthday. Read the story: bit.ly/3Uq3yjX 💡 ⚛️

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Optica @optica.org · 17/08/2026

Nature’s vibrant blues aren't made of pigment—they're physics! 🦎✨ Light-reflecting platelets in this granite spiny lizard create structural color via interference & scattering. Celebrate #WorldPhotographyWeek2026 with us! bit.ly/3TMN996 #NaturePhotography #Optics

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 17/08/2026

Image of the Week: Aurora Australis The aurora australis arcs over Earth during an active solar event in this photograph taken on 5 June 2026, from the International Space Station. Source: nasa.gov/image-article/aurora-australis-7/ NASA / Jessica Meir Read more here: bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 17/08/2026

Scientists used lidar and computational technology to assess trees’ risk of mechanical failure and develop a pruning strategy for preserving tree lifespans. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/4wCr7TX 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 17/08/2026

📣 DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING📣 Each year, the December issue of OPN highlights the most exciting optics research to emerge in the preceding 12 months. Submit a brief summary of your peer-reviewed research to be considered for publication! bit.ly/4idV7Cb 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 13/08/2026

Researchers used a miniaturized laser system to generate high-flux Bose-Einstein condensate in microgravity conditions. The work will help test the relationship of gravity with the quantum world. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/4fYCFw4 @unimainz.bsky.social 💡 ⚛️ #quantum

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Optica @optica.org · 12/08/2026

From initial contact to brilliant solar flares, total solar eclipses are a triumph of celestial optics! 🌒☀️✨ Explore 3 captures featured in OPN: 🌕 Phases: bit.ly/4qbJSMC ☀️ 2024 Eclipse: bit.ly/4bJ4E06 🔥 Solar Flares: bit.ly/4q6LCGO #SolarEclipse

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 10/08/2026

AI and geopolitics have caused supply-chain disruptions affecting optics and photonics companies. This month's Market Report explores these challenges while offering some insight into potential solutions. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/45k0mIV 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 10/08/2026

Image of the Week: Inverted Illumination This image presents a flower in its negative form. By inverting the light values, the petals transform into glowing forms. #2025OPNPhotoContest Read more here: bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 05/08/2026

Do you have an image that highlights an aspect of optics? Why not submit it to OPN's photo contest? The first-place winner will receive a canvas-stretched print of their entry AND publication of the winning image in OPN. Enter now! bit.ly/3TyoPaV 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 04/08/2026

Image of the Week: The Sun's Frozen Crown A luminous ring encircles the sun above Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico—a celestial crown suspended in the midday sky. Read more here: bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 04/08/2026

A newly developed photonic crystal operates in both time and space. The team leveraged a plasmonic metamaterial to manipulate light at terahertz frequencies to modulate incoming radiation at speeds comparable to those of the light cycle itself. bit.ly/3RRUFPk @tudresden.bsky.social 💡 ⚛️

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Optics & Photonics News @optica-opn.org · 03/08/2026

In the July/August feature "Hollow-Core Fiber Redefines Long-Haul Optical Networks" @microsoft.com researchers explore experiments showing that hollow-core fibers can achieve quasi-real-time transmission over thousands of kilometers. Read the OPN story: bit.ly/3S7VkfC 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

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