A person wearing protective gear examines a furnace emitting bright light in an industrial setting.

A person wearing protective gear, including a cap and gloves, is working with a glass object in a Schott facility. The environment appears industrial, with machinery and equipment in the background.

2D ray trace of the five-mirror freeform viewfinder design superimposed on a 3D model system housing.

Glass is the foundation for modern #photonics, but making it is energy-intensive. ♻️

New approaches, from hydrogen-fueled production to freeform optics and reuse strategies, are pushing the industry toward a more sustainable future. 💡⚛️🧪

Read more in #PhotonicsFocus. https://bit.ly/3NA5ofj

Two people are shaking hands across a desk in an office setting. An American flag is prominently displayed on the desk, and another is in the background. One person is wearing a suit and glasses, and the other is casually dressed. Documents are visible on the desk.

Many international researchers in the US are navigating immigration rules with incomplete or bad advice.

This #PhotonicsFocus article breaks down visa options, green card pathways, and why planning early matters for scientists at every career stage. 💡

Check it out: https://bit.ly/4rSIUV6

A photo of a woman in the lab, wearing glasses with dark hair.

Jelena Vučković helped drive the photonic chip revolution by integrating light and electronics on a single platform! 💡

Learn more about her work in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4aBzQhu

A mouse cancer cell at the onset of cell division. On the left, conventional microscopy with a resolution of 250 nm or so. On the right, super-resolution structured illumination microscopy with a resolution of about 110 nm. Four key structures are fluorescently labelled: microtubules (magenta), actin filaments (cyan), mitochondria (yellow), and DNA (white, packed in chromosomes). The cell diameter is about 30 μm. Photo credit: Markus Sauer, University of Wuerzburg.

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy is breaking the visible diffraction limit.

Techniques like STED, single-molecule localization, and expansion microscopy reveal nanoscale cell structures, sometimes approaching electron-microscope detail.

Learn more in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4qmXAL4

An abstract depiction of an optical skyrmion.

Skyrmions are moving from magnetism into #photonics.

Researchers are creating stable, topologically protected structures of light, opening new possibilities for imaging, communication, and quantum tech. 💡

Learn more in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4bFWBBX

An image depicting the use of an endoscope to view the movement of cilia.

For decades, fallopian tubes have been largely overlooked in reproductive science. Miniature endoscopes, OCT, and advanced algorithms are now revealing how cilia move, how embryos travel, and how endometriosis may affect fertility.

Read the article in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4re76kI

Tracking more than a heartbeat Future sports wearables could track multiple biometrics at once, generating a comprehensive picture of performance and health

Health tracking is moving beyond heart rate. 🫀 New optical wearables and tattoos monitor hydration, temperature, and metabolic signals from a single patch, giving athletes a full picture of performance in real time.

This article appears in the latest issue of #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4nMKa9W

Aerial view of a modern sustainable housing complex with solar panels on the roofs and holographic projections above some buildings, surrounded by greenery.

#Photonics researchers are rethinking how we keep things cool. ❄️

Radiative cooling uses reflective materials to send heat into space, no electricity needed. These coatings could help cool buildings and even generate power at night.💡

Read more in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/47OsKUp

A person is captured in mid-swing at a golf simulation station, where their movements are analyzed on a large monitor displaying a 3D model and various motion graphs.

Markerless motion capture is bringing pro-level performance analysis to more athletes. Using AI and standard cameras, it captures natural motion in 3D, no suits or markers required. 🏌️ ⛳

Learn how this technology is reshaping sports science in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4qPsUU2

Photograph of Harold Edgerton in a laboratory with imaging equipment visible in the background.

Harold “Doc” Edgerton transformed imaging with the electronic stroboscope, freezing motion in microseconds. His innovations paved the way for modern high-speed imaging systems. 📸

💡Read more about "Papa Flash" in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4hUQWsZ

A person's wrist, adorned with a small tattoo, is being scanned by a handheld device, operated by a hand wearing a blue glove.

Future wearable devices could track far more than heart rate. 🫀

Using optical materials and AI, researchers are developing multimodal sensors that monitor lactate, electrolytes, and more, offering a complete picture of performance and health.

Learn more in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4nMKa9W

Astro-color alchemists Astronomers have a method for colorizing grayscale images from various space- and groundbased observatories.

Scientists don’t use ordinary cameras to capture space—they use data. In #PhotonicsFocus, discover how invisible wavelengths turn telescopic data into vivid images of temperature, composition, and structure. 🌌 #astro #photonics

A most curious absence of color outside your head Neuroscientists are still working to unravel how humans perceive color.

Color seems simple - until you realize it’s all in your head.

From John Dalton’s 1794 essays to modern #neuroscience, we’re still unraveling how we perceive color. But how do we pick apart what is one of the most subjective experiences? 🏵️

Read about it in the Sept/Oct issue of #PhotonicsFocus!

Far-UVC fix: The wavelength that harms viruses, not humans Safe for skin but deadly to pathogens, far-ultraviolet C light could help fight the next pandemic—but only if engineers can build a cheap and efficient light source first.

Hospitals have used UVC light to disinfect surfaces for decades, and in 2017, CUIMC researchers showed its promise: far-UVC could safely inactivate airborne pathogens from living creatures without harming its host. ☀️

...So why isn’t it everywhere yet?

Find out in the newest #PhotonicsFocus Issue:

Sensing troubled waters under the big sky Networks of smart multi-spectral sensors may help monitor pollution like algal blooms in bodies of water.

Like many rivers, Montana’s Gallatin River faces algal blooms that threaten its ecosystem. Researchers at MSU are building low-cost optical sensors to track river health in real time, turning #photonics into a tool for conservation.

Read more in the Sept/Oct issue of #PhotonicsFocus! #optics

Solving the optics technician shortage starts with education A new Technician Training series published by SPIE Press addresses optics technician training in light of technician shortages.

The optics industry can’t run without skilled technicians, and there aren’t enough of them.

MCC’s revived training program + the new SPIE Technicians Series aims to bridge the gap & keep innovation moving forward. 💡📕

Read more about the technician shortage in the Sept/Oct issue of #PhotonicsFocus!

A most curious absence of color outside your head Neuroscientists are still working to unravel how humans perceive color.

Color doesn’t exist outside the brain. 🧠

From fruit flies to humans, perception transforms raw light into hues, even nonspectral ones like purple. New work is mapping the neural circuits that make color possible. 🎨

Learn more about color perception in the Sept/Oct issue of #PhotonicsFocus!

Image of innovation: Edwin H. Land, developer of instant photography Edwin H. Land, founder of the Polaroid Corporation, has been an inspiration for some of today's top technology founders.

Before Silicon Valley, there was Edwin H. Land. The Polaroid founder pioneered instant photography, polarized lenses, & even advised on US spy satellites, shaping imaging tech long before the digital era.

Read more about Land's life & career in the #PhotonicsFocus Sept/Oct issue! #optics #photonics

Astro-color alchemists Astronomers have a method for colorizing grayscale images from various space- and groundbased observatories.

Space images from Hubble, Webb, Rubin, and Chandra don’t show “true” colors; they translate invisible wavelengths into visible ones. Colorization reveals hidden details and helps us understand the universe. 🔭 🛰️

Read more in the Sept/Oct issue of #PhotonicsFocus!

Far-UVC fix: The wavelength that harms viruses, not humans Safe for skin but deadly to pathogens, far-ultraviolet C light could help fight the next pandemic—but only if engineers can build a cheap and efficient light source first.

Far-UVC light (222 nm) can kill viruses and bacteria without harming skin, making it a potential pandemic fighter. Now, researchers are trying to develop efficient, low-cost light sources so the technology can move from labs to everyday use.

Read more in the Sept/Oct issue of #PhotonicsFocus!

Our team covered the life & legacy of "The Sun Queen" in #PhotonicsFocus! #WomenInSTEM

"She knew that research programs would only fully embrace solar research if the public got excited about it. She frequently appeared in popular magazines..."

Read the full profile here: spie.org/news/photoni...

Illustration of a laser-thermal propulsion spacecraft in orbit, awaiting its 45-day transit to Mars. Photo credit: E. Duplay for the Interstellar Flight Experimental Research Group.

This illustration shows the solar-sail concept. Photo credit: NASA/Aero Animation/Ben Schweighar.

#Lasers for space travel aren’t sci-fi anymore. Advances in scalable, phased-array lasers have opened up new propulsion methods.

"One possibility involves using the laser not so much as a source of light but of heat."💡

Read more about these developments in #PhotonicsFocus: spie.org/news/photoni...