Aug 13 2007
Optics and photonics experts from around the globe will meet in San Diego, August 26th through the 30th for the largest conference on optics and photonics in the world. Leading technologists will present and discuss the latest breakthroughs in optical engineering, solar energy, nanotechnology, photonic materials and devices, and energy-efficient lighting technology.
Located at the San Diego Convention Center, Optics + Photonics includes over 3100 technology presentations, highlighted by numerous plenary and keynote sessions, 70 educational courses, and a free exhibition featuring 280 companies with the latest lasers, lenses, detection and measurement devices, image capture systems and software for optical design and image processing. This is one of the largest R&D meetings in the world in this field, covering topics such as:
- Nanophotonics
- Optics and Optomechanics
- Organic Materials
- Metrology
- Detectors and Imaging Devices
- Optical Instrumentation
- Illumination Engineering and Solid State Lighting (SSL)
- Solar and Hydrogen Energy
The opening plenary talk on August 26, "Technology to Enable our Solar Technology Future" is being delivered by Thomas Feist, GE Global Research. Feist will give an assessment of the current state of the art in the field and show that photovoltaic technology has achieved an important role in real world applications.
Also the evening of Sunday August 26, Marlan Scully of Texas A&M University and Princeton University will present "The Concept of the Photon - Updated." Recent developments view basic photon physics as much deeper than simple 'classical wave plus vacuum fluctuations' picture. In this talk Scully will revisit the photon concept based on examples from these sources as well as recent work on Dicke superradiance in the one photon limit.
Nanotechnology is the spotlight of several stimulating plenary speakers on Monday 27 August. Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Pennsylvania State University, will present "Brave New Nanoworld, Without Apologies to Aldous Huxley." Lakhtakia contends that scientific progress has inspired futurists for centuries to conjure visions of utopias and dystopias. The emergence of nanosciences and nanotechnologies is bringing us closer to the realization of both types of visions, and their confluence with life sciences as well as information sciences.
Other nanotechnology sessions will focus on new tools for diagnosing and treating cancer, optically driven mechanical systems at nano-scale, and commercialization of nanotechnology from a business perspective.
Solar energy is a big topic at Optics + Photonics, including a plenary session August 27 during which key principles from the major companies making headlines in the field of energy speak, such as Eco-Engineers, Inc. (Warren Reynolds); Spectrolab, Inc. (Richard King); SunPower Corp. (Doug Rose); SunEdison (Mark Culpepper); Applied Materials (Winfried Hoffmann); along with NREL's consultant Steve Eglash, and Tokyo Univ. of Science's Hinonori Arakawa.
On Wednesday, 29 August, Kristina Johnson, who was recently named provost at Johns Hopkins University, will give a plenary presentation on 3D home theatre systems. The state of the art in stereoscopic and holographic 3D displays will be reviewed and compared.
The Optics + Photonics exhibition runs August 28 through August 30, starting at 10:00 am daily, with a career fair August 28 and 29, all at the San Diego Convention Center.
For further information about Optics + Photonics or other SPIE events, please visit SPIE.org