SPIE Optics + Photonics returns to San Diego

29 Jul 2021

A comprehensive conference program, an associated exhibition, demonstrations, courses and a jobs fair all available.

The latest optics and photonics advancements will be highlighted over the coming week at the SPIE Optics + Photonics conference and exhibition in San Diego, California, which runs Sunday 1st – Thursday 5th August.

The in-person event – the first such hosted by SPIE since the pandemic broke out in 2020 – will feature conferences covering the hot topics of nanosciences, organic photonics, optical engineering and applications, and astronomical instrumentation.

With 49 conferences, over 2,000 technical presentations, over 1000 attendees in person and 1000 more online, and over 100 exhibiting companies, SPIE Optics + Photonics offers what the organizer describes as “both classic and cutting-edge optics and photonics research, training, and product information.”

Professor David Andrews, SPIE 2021 President, (who leads the Nanophotonics & Quantum Electrodynamics research group at the University of East Anglia, UK), says in his welcome to the event, “Over the next five days attendees will experience thought-provoking sessions, plenary talks, networking events, and a 100+ company exhibition. You will have the opportunity to learn from the experiences and insights of world experts, researchers, and innovators.”

The attendees of Optics + Photonics will be able to safely enjoy the technical conferences as well as many outdoor networking receptions in line with the latest safety guidelines that came into effect on July 29th.

SPIE welcomes return of the event which it says will “emphasize the value of personal interactions made possible by face-to-face meetings.“ However, there are also online options for remote participation should interested parties be unable to attend.

Plenary presentations

The full program of plenary talks, other presentations and events is available on the SPIE website. Following are some of the highlights, which are also illustrated in the graphic, right.

• The Future Vision for NASA Astrophysics – Paul Hertz, NASA Headquarters
• Nanoscience + Engineering Plenary Session; Engineering New Nonlinear Optical Nanomaterials and Nanophotonic Structures – P. James Schuck, Columbia University
• Organic Photonics + Electronics Plenary Session II; Perovskite Solar Cells – Anita Ho-Baillie, The University of Sydney
• Light Manipulation of Photonic-Structured OLEDs – Franky So, North Carolina State University
• Astronomical Optics and Instrumentation Plenary Session; Voyage 2050: An Outlook to the Next ESA Science Programme – Martin Linder, Head of the Science Instrumentation Division at European Space Agency
• Signal, Image, and Data Processing Plenary Session; Infrared Technology: What is on the Horizon? – Nibir K. Dhar, U.S. Army CCDC C5ISR Center Night Vision and Electronics Sensors Directorate

Optics + Photonics Exhibition

Optics + Photonics 2021 will also host a marketplace for essential optical components, materials, devices, and more between August 3rd – 5th.

The free exhibition is an opportunity for researchers and engineers to connect with leading companies as they showcase the newest products and the latest technologies. optics.org has selected a range of exhibitor and company announcements that give a flavor of the breadth of the event:

• PCO-Tech (Wilmington, DE). The pco.dicam C1 UHS is the first intensified camera system, which exploits the full performance inherent to scientific CMOS sensor technology in combination with commonly used 18 mm intensifiers. With an optical coupling of 18 mm high resolution image intensifiers with an outstanding high efficiency tandem lens system to a 16 bit 2.3 MPixel sCMOS sensor makes the camera unique.
• Zygo (Middlefield, CT) The Nexview 650 is a production-oriented tool which can accommodate large parts at the point of need within the factory. This system combines the Nexview NX2 3D Microscope head with a robust platform that delivers 2D & 3D measurements with sub-nanometer vertical precision and sub-micron lateral precision - a level of performance critical in the production of micro lenses for mobile devices.
• Optronic Laboratories (Orlando, FL) The OL 459 is a 5-channel LED based source capable of providing a continuous spectrum from 380 to 1000 nm, suited for applications such as colorimeter and camera calibration, diagnostic medical imaging, and technical/ industrial photography. When paired with the OL 770 Spectroradiometer System, transfer calibrations can be performed to precisely determine the spectral output.
• Optikos (Wakefield, MA) The company has expanded its contract manufacturing and assembly capability in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Optikos provides optical engineering product design services and manufactures electro-optical assemblies and instrumentation. Its designs and assemblies can be found in a range of end-use optical imaging and photonic products such as those used in life sciences, AR/VR, LIDAR, aerospace, and defense.
• Alluxa (Santa Rosa, CA) The company has developed 15-band optical filters for the ETSI Astronomy Project. Alluxa’s optical filter design is integral to Texas A&M’s Exoplanet Transmission Spectroscopy Imager (ETSI) instrument.
• Hoya Optics USA (Milpitas, CA) The company has added coated neutral density (NDAR) filters to our product portfolio. These offer a solution for optical systems that require optically suppressed reflectivity from the filters surfaces and mechanical requirements without compromising thickness specifications.

Job fair and courses

Besides the conferences and exhibition Optics+ Photonics 2021 offers a one-day Job Fair on Tuesday 3rd August, sponsored by SPIE Career Center. There is also a wide range of specialized courses being offered onsite.

These include: Optical Design, Fabrication, and Testing; Introduction to Interferometric Optical Testing; Polarized Light and Optical Design; Stray Light Analysis and Control; Introduction to Optical Alignment Techniques; Optical Materials, Fabrication and Testing for the Optical Engineer; Practical Optical System Design; Optomechanics and Optical Manufacturing; Introduction to Optomechanical Design; Integrated Opto-Mechanical Analysis; Remote Sensing and Atmospheric Propagation; Introduction to Lidar for Autonomous Vehicles. More information at spie.org/education.