Articles from SPIE

Registration has opened for SPIE Photonics West 2026, which will run from 17 to 22 January at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. The largest annual conference and exhibition in optics and photonics, Photonics West brings together researchers, innovators, engineers, and business leaders from across the globe for an exciting week of research sharing, thought leadership, and innovation-inspiring exchanges. With more than 100 technical conferences and 150 special events complementing the 1,200-plus companies at the exhibitions, the dynamic week will once again provide all attendees with an exhilarating experience that showcases the best of photonics.

Applications are now open for the 2026 SPIE Startup Challenge. The annual entrepreneurial pitch competition is held by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, as part of SPIE Photonics West. In 2026, Photonics West will be held 17-22 January in San Francisco's Moscone Center, with the SPIE Startup Challenge finals being held 20 January.

On 18 September, in Washington, DC, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, will host its fourth annual Photonics Industry Summit. The event will bring together leaders from the optics and photonics community, executives from related businesses, high-level US government agency representatives, and US congressional representatives. Collectively, they will be sharing their plans and expectations for optics and photonics-related programs in key areas such as directed energy, semiconductors, space, biotechnology, quantum, and other emerging technologies.

Applications are now open for the 2026 SPIE Prism Awards. The awards, presented by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recognize the most innovative products on the market, across the growing range of optics and photonics applications. The annual industry event will celebrate its 18th anniversary on 21 January, during a gala evening at SPIE Photonics West.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, registered 24,000 optics and photonics professionals from over 75 countries for Photonics West, as the Society hosted the largest international annual photonics meeting at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. The dynamic week, which ran from 25 to 30 January, featured 1,588 exhibitors and 5,000 technical presentations across four focused tracks – BiOS, LASE, OPTO, Quantum West – four exhibitions, and the co-located AR | VR | MR conference.

On 29 January, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recognized the top-rated new optics and photonics products with the industry-focused Prism Awards. The gala evening, held during SPIE Photonics West, marked the Prism Awards’ 17th anniversary of honoring companies that are bringing transformative products to market.

On 28 January, at a ceremony during SPIE Photonics West, Max-IR Labs was announced the winner of the $10,000 top prize at the 15th annual SPIE Startup Challenge. Its AquaCarbon Monitor is set to facilitate carbon credits with precise CO2 monitoring in water systems.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and the National University of Singapore (NUS) announced the establishment of the SPIE-CDE Fellowship in Optical Science and Engineering during SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco. The US$500,000 gift from SPIE is matched by an equivalent US$500,000 contribution from the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) at NUS to form a US$1-million endowed fund.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and Boston University (BU) announced the establishment of the SPIE-Boston University Scholarship in Photonics during SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco. The $500,000 gift from SPIE will be matched 100% by BU. Part of the SPIE Endowment Matching Program, this new endowment will support annual scholarships for BU students pursuing research in photonics at the Boston University Photonics Center. This is the 12th major SPIE gift to universities and institutes as part of the Society's ongoing program to support the international expansion of optics and photonics through increased educational capacity, funding of research, and the development of talent pipelines for industry.

Today, the Awards Committee of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, announced the recipients of its prestigious annual awards. Honoring transformative advancements across a range of professional areas — including medicine, astronomy, lithography, optical metrology, optical design, and community leadership — the Society's awards recognize technical accomplishments as well as committed service to SPIE and support of its organizational mission.

This year, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, welcomes 47 Members as new Fellows of the Society. They join their Fellow Member colleagues in being honored for their excellent technical achievements, as well as for their substantial service to the optics and photonics community and to SPIE. Fellows are Members of the Society who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics, photonics, and imaging. Since the Society's inception in 1955, more than 1,800 SPIE Members have become Fellows.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center have selected Patrick Flanigan, a principal investigator at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), as this year’s recipient of the IBM-SPIE HBCU Faculty Accelerator Award in Quantum Optics and Photonics.

Seven early-stage startup companies have been selected to compete for a top prize of $10,000 at the 15th annual SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West on 28 January.

The best new photonics products have been named finalists for the 2025 SPIE Prism Awards. The 24 products – from companies ranging from emerging innovators to industry stalwarts – selected in eight categories, will be honored during a 29 January gala evening at SPIE Photonics West. The annual event, which will be celebrating its 17th year, recognizes commercialized innovation in photonics, honoring companies that are bringing transformative products to market.

Registration has opened for SPIE Photonics West 2025, which will run from 25 to 30 January at San Francisco’s Moscone Center. The largest annual conference and exhibition in optics and photonics, Photonics West brings together researchers, innovators, engineers, and business leaders from across the globe for an exciting week of research-sharing, collaboration opportunities, and innovation-inspiring exchanges. This year, the week will include 4,500-plus technical presentations across more than 100 technical conferences, as well as hosting over 1,200 companies in four focused exhibitions.

Applications are now open for the 2025 SPIE Startup Challenge. The annual entrepreneurial pitch competition is held by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, as part of SPIE Photonics West. In 2025, Photonics West will be held 25-30 January in San Francisco's Moscone Center, with the SPIE Startup Challenge finals being held 28 January.

On 25 September, in Washington, DC, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, will host its third annual Photonics Industry Summit. The event will bring together leaders from the optics and photonics community, executives from related businesses, high-level US government agency representatives, and US congressional representatives. Collectively, they will be sharing their plans and expectations for optics and photonics-related programs in key areas such as: directed energy, quantum, fusion ignition, and updates on the CHIPS for America program and EDA Tech Hubs.

Applications are now open for the 2025 SPIE Prism Awards. The awards, presented by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recognize the most innovative optics and photonics products on the market, across the growing range of the technologies’ applications. The annual industry event will celebrate its 17th anniversary on 29 January, during a gala evening at SPIE Photonics West.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, held an impactful and vibrant Photonics West last week at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, with 24,000-plus technical professionals registered from more than 70 countries across the international optics and photonics community. The largest annual photonics conference, which ran from 27 January to 1 February, hosted over 1,500 exhibitors, and featured over 5,000 technical presentations across an interactive and engaging week that included BiOS, LASE, OPTO, Quantum West, the BiOS Expo, the Photonics West exhibition, the Quantum West Expo, and the co-located AR|VR|MR conference and exhibition.

Yesterday, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recognized the most innovative new optics and photonics products with the industry-focused Prism Awards. The gala evening, held during SPIE Photonics West, also marked the Prism Awards’ 16th anniversary.

Yesterday, at a ceremony during SPIE Photonics West, TRAQC was announced the winner of the $10,000 top prize at the 14th annual SPIE Startup Challenge. Their real-time inspection solution for the printed electronics industry utilizes THz radiation and metamaterial technology to ensure quality while reducing waste.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and The University of Manchester announced the establishment of the SPIE-Manchester Postgraduate Scholarship in Photonics, today during SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco. The $500,000 gift from SPIE will be matched 100% by the University. Part of the SPIE Endowment Matching Program, this new endowment will support both early-career researchers and returning researchers at the University’s Photon Science Institute in partnership with the Royce Institute, the UK’s national institute for advanced materials research and innovation. This is the 11th major SPIE gift to universities and institutes as part of the Society's ongoing program to support the expansion of optical engineering teaching and research.

The Awards Committee of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, today announced the recipients of its prestigious annual awards. Honoring transformative advancements in a variety of professional areas — including medicine, astronomy, lithography, optical metrology, optical design, and community leadership — the Society's awards recognize technical accomplishments as well as committed service to SPIE and support of its organizational mission.

This year, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, welcomes 47 Members as new Fellows of the Society. They join their Fellow Member colleagues in being honored for their technical achievements, as well as for their service to the optics and photonics community and to SPIE.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center have selected a group of researchers and educators at Tuskegee University as this year’s recipient of the IBM-SPIE HBCU Faculty Accelerator Award in Quantum Optics and Photonics. The group includes the head of the university’s physics department Akshaya Kumar; Dimitar Dimitrov, a fellow physicist and committed student mentor; Fan Wu, who facilitates cutting-edge computational tools for this research group’s students; and S. Keith Hargrove, a scientist, industry-alliance expert, and the university’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Seven early-stage startup companies have been selected to compete for a top prize of $10,000 at the 14th annual SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West on 30 January.

The best of new photonics technologies are among the finalists for the 2024 SPIE Prism Awards. The 27 companies – ranging from emerging innovators to industry stalwarts – selected in nine categories, will be honored during a 31 January gala evening at SPIE Photonics West. The annual event, which will be celebrating its 16th year, recognizes industrial innovation in photonics, honoring companies that are bringing transformative products to market.

Registration has opened for SPIE Photonics West 2024, which will run from 27 January to 1 February at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The largest annual conference and exhibition in optics and photonics, the week will include more than 4,500 technical presentations as well as showcasing over 1,200 companies in three focused exhibitions. Photonics West brings together researchers, innovators, engineers, and business leaders from across the globe for an engaging week of research sharing, collaboration forming, and innovation-inspiring exchanges.

Applications are now open for the 2024 SPIE Startup Challenge. The annual entrepreneurial pitch competition is held by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, as part of SPIE Photonics West. In 2024, Photonics West will be held 27 January to 1 February in San Francisco's Moscone Center, with the SPIE Startup Challenge finals held 30 January.

On 27 September, in Washington, DC, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, will host its second Photonics Industry Summit. The one-day event will bring together leaders from the optics and photonics community, executives within related businesses, US government agency representatives, and elected officials. Collectively, they will be sharing their plans and expectations for optics and photonics-related programs in key technology areas, including focused panel discussions on the semiconductor industry, STEM workforce development, and the latest innovations in quantum.

Applications are now open for the 2024 SPIE Prism Awards, an event which will celebrate its 16th anniversary on 31 January, during a gala evening at SPIE Photonics West. The awards, held annually by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recognize and honor the most innovative products on the market across the wide range of optics and photonics applications.

With global revenues exceeding $300 billion annually, the core optics and photonics industry – enabling everything from medical imaging, communication, and food safety to self-driving cars, exoplanet exploration, and virtual-reality technology – is worth celebrating. Showcasing this industry’s success and future promise, a series of career vignettes of optics and photonics engineers and scientists will drive the International Day of Light (IDL) “Possible Through Light” campaign this year.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, marked a triumphant Photonics West last week, with more than 22,000 registered attendees from 85 countries across the international optics and photonics community. Held at San Francisco's Moscone Center from 28 January to 2 February, the largest annual photonics conference – which includes BiOS, LASE, OPTO, Quantum West, the BiOS Expo, the Photonics West exhibition, and the co-located AR|VR|MR conference and exhibition – hosted over 1,400 exhibitors, and featured over 4,500 technical presentations.

Yesterday, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recognized the top-rated new optics and photonics products with the industry-focused Prism Awards. The gala evening, held during SPIE Photonics West, also marked the Prism Awards’ 15th anniversary with a champagne toast, a timeline gallery of past winners, and a video showcasing a decade and a half of Prism highlights.

Yesterday, at a ceremony during SPIE Photonics West, Swave Photonics – with their Holographic eXtended Reality chips based on proprietary diffractive photonics technology – was announced the winner of the $10,000 top prize at the 13th annual SPIE Startup Challenge.

The Awards Committee of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, today announced the recipients of its prestigious annual awards. Honoring transformative advancements in a variety of professional areas — including medicine, astronomy, lithography, optical metrology, optical design, and community leadership — the Society's awards recognize technical accomplishments as well as committed service to SPIE and support of its organizational mission.

This year, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, welcomes 83 Members as new Fellows of the Society. They join their Fellow Member colleagues in being honored for their technical achievements, as well as for their service to the optics and photonics community and to SPIE.

Brendan McBennett has been announced as the 2023 recipient of the $10,000 Nick Cobb Memorial Scholarship by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and Siemens EDA – formerly Mentor, a Siemens company – for his potential contributions to the field related to advanced lithography. McBennett will also be honored during 2023’s SPIE Advanced Lithography + Patterning conference.

Ten early-stage startup companies from six countries have been selected to compete for a top prize of $10,000 at the 13th annual SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West on 31 January.

Cutting-edge technologies and companies ranging from exciting and emerging startups to longtime industry stalwarts are among this year’s finalists for the SPIE Prism Awards. The 24 companies, across eight categories, will be honored during a 1 February 2023 gala evening at SPIE Photonics West. The annual event, which recognizes industrial innovation in photonics, will also be celebrating its 15th year. For consideration in the 2023 Prism Awards, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, received 76 applications from 19 countries.

Registration is now open for SPIE Photonics West 2023. The largest annual conference and exhibition in optics and photonics, hosted by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, will take place 28 January to 2 February at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, bringing together researchers, innovators, engineers, and business leaders from across the globe for a dynamic and engaging week of networking and learning.

Applications are now open for the 2023 SPIE Startup Challenge. The annual entrepreneurial pitch competition is held by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, as part of SPIE Photonics West. In 2023, Photonics West will be held 28 January to 2 February in San Francisco's Moscone Center, with the SPIE Startup Challenge finals held 31 January.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and IBM Quantum have selected Wesley Sims, an assistant professor of physics at Morehouse College, as this year’s recipient of the IBM-SPIE HBCU Faculty Accelerator Award in Quantum Optics and Photonics. Sims is also the director of the college’s Micro/Nano Optics Research & Engineering Laboratory.

The SPIE Prism Awards, which will celebrate their 15th anniversary in 2023 at SPIE Photonics West, are open for applications now through 15 September 2022. The awards, held annually by SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, are a celebration and recognition of the growing range of technical innovations across optics and photonics products on the market today.

Quote attribution in eighth paragraph of release dated July 11, 2022 should read: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation Symposium Chair and Jet Propulsion Laboratory Fellow and Senior Research Scientist Shouleh Nikzad (instead of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation Symposium Co-Chair and Jet Propulsion Laboratory Fellow and Senior Research Scientist Shouleh Nikzad).

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, will host its first-ever Photonics Industry Summit on 21 September in the heart of Washington, DC. This one-day event is aimed toward companies manufacturing optics and photonics products as well as executives within related industries. Attendees will hear from multiple high-level US government agency and Congressional speakers who will discuss their latest plans for optics and photonics-related programs in key technology areas – including AI, quantum, hypersonics, energy, and semiconductors – as well as ways in which the industry can align to support and benefit from these efforts.

An action-packed video styled as a blockbuster-movie trailer provides the linchpin for this year’s International Day of Light (IDL) campaign, “Our future is light. Play your part.” Released today, Day of Light features diverse characters successfully solving global-level problems using photonics-enabled technologies.

SPIE safely welcomed the international photonics community back to San Francisco’s Moscone Center from 22-27 January for Photonics West. The largest annual photonics conference and exhibition, including its BiOS, LASE, and OPTO symposia and the AR|VR|MR conference, garnered more than 10,000 registered attendees, hosted more than 950 exhibitors, and included 2,100 technical presentations.

Earlier this evening, following a festive reception during SPIE Photonics West, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and Photonics Media recognized the top optics and photonics products on the market with their industry-focused Prism Awards.

Yesterday, at a ceremony during SPIE Photonics West, VitreaLab, with its laser-lit chip focused on the 2D and 3D display market – a technology which enables more power-efficient displays – was announced the winner of the $10,000 top prize at the 12th annual SPIE Startup Challenge.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and the University of Rochester have announced the establishment of the SPIE Graduate Fellowship in Optical Sciences and Engineering. The $500,000 gift from the SPIE Endowment Matching Program will be matched 100% by the University of Rochester. The new endowment was announced today during SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco. This is the tenth major SPIE gift to universities and institutes as part of the Society’s ongoing program to support the expansion of optical engineering teaching and research.

The Awards Committee of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, today announced the recipients of its prestigious annual awards. Honoring transformative advancements in multiple areas — including medicine, astronomy, lithography, optical metrology, optical design, and community leadership — the Society's awards recognize technical accomplishments as well as committed service to SPIE and support of its organizational mission.

This year, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, welcomes 58 Members as new Fellows of the Society. They join their Fellow Member colleagues in being honored for their technical achievements, as well as for their service to the optics and photonics community and to SPIE.

Ten early-stage startup companies from six countries have been selected to compete for a $10,000 top prize at the 12th annual SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West on 25 January. In addition, five companies currently in the process of early-stage fundraising – Comptek Solutions Oy, Fastree3D, Raydiant Oximetry, Stratio, Inc., and UbiQD – will be presenting their new technologies to prospective investors.

Industry giants and emerging challengers will be honored at the Prism Awards in a ceremony in January 2022 at SPIE Photonics West. The annual event, now in its 14th year, recognizes industrial innovation in photonics in multiple categories. For the consideration of the 2022 Prism Awards, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and media partner Photonics Media received 120 applications from 18 countries.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, has announced Ivan Kosik, who received his PhD in 2018 from the University of Western Ontario, as the winner of the 2022 SPIE-Franz Hillenkamp Postdoctoral Fellowship in Problem-Driven Biomedical Optics and Analytics. The annual award of $75,000 supports interdisciplinary problem-driven research and provides opportunities for translating new technologies into clinical practice for improving human health.

Registration has opened for SPIE Photonics West 2022, which will take place 22-27 January at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The largest annual international conference in optics and photonics will bring together researchers, innovators, engineers, and business leaders from across the globe.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and the University of Birmingham have announced the establishment of the SPIE Optics and Photonics Champion Academy fund. The new endowment was announced this morning, during SPIE Photonex + Vacuum Technologies in Glasgow, Scotland.

Renu Tripathi, a professor of physics and engineering at Delaware State University (DSU), has been named the inaugural recipient of the IBM-SPIE HBCU Faculty Accelerator Award in Quantum Optics and Photonics. The announcement was made 1 August, during the opening plenary event at SPIE Optics + Photonics.

Today, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and Vanderbilt University announced the establishment of the SPIE Faculty Fellowship in Optics and Photonics. The $500,000 gift from the SPIE Endowment Matching Program will be matched 100% by Vanderbilt. This is the eighth major SPIE gift to universities and institutes as part of the Society’s ongoing program to support the expansion of optical engineering teaching and research.

In the bulleted section of the release dated June 2, 2021, all of the references to June should be July.

On 12-16 July, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), will present the 2021 Photonics for Quantum Digital Forum. Previously an RIT initiative, this year marks a new iteration of this event in the form of a partnership between RIT and SPIE.

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, is fully supporting the new version of the Endless Frontier Act by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Todd Young (R-IN) in the Senate and Congressmen Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI) in the House of Representatives today.