Laser Technology

A multidisciplinary group of scientists led by Nikolai N. Klimov, Ph.D., principal investigator and project leader of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Photonic Thermometry Program, created a new approach to couple optical fibers to a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) across an extraordinarily wide temperature range—from deep cryogenic conditions to very high […]

For laser scanning and adaptive optics, there are often tradeoffs in terms of speed, range, and beam size. Pick two, because you can’t have all three due to the inertia limits of high-speed laser scan mirrors, deformable mirrors, and other components. Whether you are a neuroscientist trying to map thousands of neurons firing across the

In this episode of Photonics Hot List: Light’s movement on a chip is typically restricted. But what if it could move more freely, including off of the chip, instead? A team led by researchers at MIT is now working on the possibility, which could potentially precisely broadcast and steer light into free space. Business news

Moving beyond passive alignment MicroAlign developed a micromanipulation platform to actively align individual fibers with nanometer-level precision. Traditional fiber arrays rely on passive placement into precision V-grooves, where mechanical tolerances accumulate across channels. Active alignment, by contrast, dynamically adjusts fiber position during assembly, correcting pitch deviations before permanent fixation. This approach enables multichannel arrays optimized

Xiaoke Yi’s group at the University of Sydney in Australia designed and built an AI nanophotonic chip prototype that manipulates light to perform calculations at a picosecond timescale (trillionths of a second)—the time it takes light to travel through its nanostructures (each one is tens of micrometers). The group’s combined on-chip nanostructures form a neural

This episode features Vivek Raghunathan, cofounder and CEO of Xscape Photonics, a Columbia University spinoff focused on silicon photonics and artificial intelligence (AI). He has nearly two decades of experience in the silicon photonics sector, including at Intel.  In this chat, he talks with host Justine Murphy about Xscape Photonics and its innovative work, as

In this episode of Photonics Hot List: Existing fiber-optic cables underground and under the sea in much of Europe could soon become more than just lines of communication. Thanks to a new initiative, they could someday double up as environmental monitoring sensor networks, too. Business news roundup: Strategic partnerships are in the works between Oxide

As electronic devices shrink and computing power demands soar, chip designs must become even more compact. This requires lasers with tighter beam stability, higher pulse‑to‑pulse energy consistency, and nanometer‑scale positioning accuracy. Bloom Laser, based in Pessac, France, designs and produces pulsed lasers of exceptional beam quality—with laser beam quality factor (M2) values <1.2. To achieve

In this episode of Photonics Hot List: A new laser platform by a team at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, which integrates optical components and hundreds of microscopic lasers on a one-centimeter chip, is paving the way for tiny biosensors that could potentially move lab testing from hospitals to homes. Business news roundup: Photonics

This edition of Following the Photons features Brian O’Connor, vice president of Growth and Strategy at Aerotech, a globally reaching developer of advanced precision motion control and automation technologies for industries including optics and photonics, precision manufacturing, and life sciences. He recently sat down with our host Justine Murphy at the SPIE Photonics West exhibition