An International Meeting of Optical Minds

SPIE Optics + Photonics, scheduled for Aug. 6-10 at the San Diego Convention Center in California, is an international, multidisciplinary optical sciences and technology meeting that annually presents the latest research in optical engineering and applications, nanotechnology, sustainable energy, organic photonics and astronomical instrumentation.

Four conference topics are held, providing an in-depth look at specific research and other work:

Nanoscience + Engineering: Advancement of nanotechnology is enabling new applications in medicine, computing, information storage and others. In this track, researchers focusing on such areas as metamaterials, nanophotonic materials, plasmonics, quantum science and technology, nanomedicine, optical trapping, nanostructured thin films, spintronics, nanostructured devices, nanoengineering, nanoimaging, nanospectroscopy, and low-dimensional materials will present their work.

Optics + Photonics for Sustainable Energy: This segment focuses specifically on the development of new and sustainable energy sources. These include next generation solar cell technology, thermal radiation management, PV reliability, photovoltaics, thin film solar, hydrogen fuels, cell technology, BIPV and perovskites.

Organic Photonics + Electronics: This comprehensive track features research and work with organic-based materials and devices that advance renewable energy sources and other commercial applications. Technologies of focus will include OLEDs, OFETS, OHPVs, perovskite PVs, organic sensors, bioelectronics, liquid crystals, and hybrid memory devices and printed circuits.

Optical Engineering + Applications: The latest developments in optical design and engineering — photonic devices and applications, x-ray, gamma-ray, and particle technologies, image and signal processing, astronomical optics and instrumentation, remote sensing, and space optical systems — will be the focus of this conference segment.

The Technology Hot Topics program features scientists and engineers who will discuss topics relating to “How Optics and Photonics Drives Innovation.” Cesare Soci, of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, will focus on quantum devices; speaking about bioelectronics, wearables and implantables will be Nanshu Lu, of the University of Texas at Austin; Scott McEldowney, from Oculus, will discuss augmented and virtual reality; Tanja Cuk, of the University of California, Berkeley, will focus on solar fuels; and Charles D. Edwards Jr., from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, will round out the program with a talk on autonomous vehicles.

Features again this year will be numerous plenary sessions. There will be speakers and presenters from around the world, representing industry and academia — Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the U.S. Department of Energy, the University of Washington, Amazon.com Inc., and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, among others.

Among courses offered this year are Imaging Spectrometry, Physiological Optics of the Eye for Engineers, Deep Learning and its Applications in Image Processing, and A Crash Course on Spin Physics. Others include Introduction to Interferometric Optical Testing, Advanced Composite Materials for Optomechanical Systems, Fundamentals of Molded Optics, Intermediate Lens Design, Infrared Focal Plane Arrays, and Detectors and Imaging.

An expansive exhibition is held throughout the conference, as well. Among the featured technologies:

• test and measurement equipment
• optical components, lenses
• detectors, sensors
• cameras and imaging systems
• lasers, laser systems
• fiber optics
• chemicals, optical coatings, thin films
• nanoprecision
• LED and OLED technology

SPIE Optics + Photonics also holds a job fair, offering the opportunity for attendees to connect with recruiters from companies in all optics fields for positions such as optical engineers, military optics engineers, software development and others.

Visit SPIE Optics + Photonics 2017 for more information. And be sure to visit Photonics Media at the show, at Booth 739!