We are teaming up with Optica to bring you insights into the latest studies that are leading to breakthroughs in optics and photonics. In this episode, we’re joined by, Jannick Rolland, the Brian J. Thompson Professor in Optical Engineering at the University of Rochester, to explore how freeform optics are reshaping modern optical design. Following her work in a study published in the journal Optica, Rolland discusses her successes and setbacks in her early works with freeform optics and talks about the potential for this technology in a range of applications.

PhotonDelta CEO Eelko Brinkhoff joins the podcast to discuss the recently concluded PIC Summit Europe. It is no secret that the present need to upscale in the PICs sector is top of mind for industry leaders. But do stakeholders at different reaches of the value chain perceive this bottleneck in the same light? Brinkhoff discusses this dynamic challenge and recaps this year’s summit.

The global race to realize the potential of laser fusion is heating up. We’ve already seen ignition; now the question is, how do we get to commercialization? Focused Energy is working to develop Europe's first pilot plant for laser fusion by converting the former Biblis nuclear power plant into a fusion power plant. Thomas Forner, CEO and Co-Founder of Focused Energy, joins us to share details on those plans and to talk about the different paths nations are taking towards laser fusion.

While the threat of MPOX may not be making headlines in the U.S., the virus is still present. The World Health Organization says it has been on the rise in more than 40 countries, and the latest strain is more severe and more infectious. Partha Ray and Mete Aslan are part of a research team from the University of San Diego School of Medicine and Boston University. Hear them discuss a newly developed optical biosensor that can quickly detect the virus at the point of care, without the wait for lab results.

Detailed digital displays are leaping out of our video games and onto the front lines. Vuzix specializes in AI-powered smart glasses, waveguides, and augmented reality. It just secured a contract to provide customized waveguides for one of America's leading defense contractors. Those waveguides will be designed to operate in new, lightweight, head-up displays for military personnel. This technology could provide men and women with maps, vital statistics, and mission-critical intelligence, right in front of their eyes. Rob Schultz, vice president of optics for Vuzix, joins us to discuss how technology is transforming video game fiction into real tactical equipment.

A conversation with Tal Carmon, a professor at Tel Aviv University, who led the team behind the recently unveiled method of photonic origami. The conversation covers the technology’s origins, how it works, and what its potential applications may be.

There is an ever-growing demand for power, whether it is to supply electricity for our power-hungry AI servers or to keep the lights on in more homes. Inertial confinement fusion has been referred to as one of the most promising paths to thermonuclear fusion, and it could one day provide a path to more efficient power. Omar Hurricane and Mike Campbell formed a professional relationship and a lasting friendship through their time together at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In this episode of All Things Photonics, they discuss the progress made in inertial confinement fusion and what this technology will need to reach its full potential.

Photonics industry luminary Jason Eichenholz discusses hollow core fiber (HCF). Eichenholz is co-founder and CEO of Relativity Networks, a Florida-based startup pioneering the development and rollout of this transformative technology. It is hardly Eichenholz’s first such undertaking, and the Spotlight conversation looks back at some of his most consequential and influential projects.

In the lead-up to the European Conference on Optical Connectivity 2025 in Copenhagen, “All Things Photonics” chats with OIF board president Nathan Tracy and board member Mike Klempa. The discussion focuses on the Forum’s agenda for the conference, including a multi-vendor demonstration with 35 members from its partner ecosystem. Current networking and connectivity bottlenecks are also featured in the conversation.

Professor Graham Reed is a pioneer in silicon photonics. In 1989, he founded the Silicon Photonics group at the University of Surrey, and in 2012, Professor Reed brought his team to the University of Southampton as the deputy director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre. Today, he serves as the director of the Cornerstone Photonics Innovation Center, an open-source, license-free silicon photonics prototyping foundry. In this Spotlight conversation, Professor Reed discusses the future of silicon photonics and the role Cornerstone will play in its advancement in the U.K. and around the world.