The photonics industry is booming. Technological advancements and increasing demand are driving this growth. But in America, the workforce needed to drive this boom is struggling to keep up. In this Spotlight conversation with Tara Fortier of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), we discuss the need to attract more bright young minds to this field to build the next generation of photonics professionals. Along with discussing ways to expose students to this field, we also talk about the importance of networking and what those already in the workforce need to know to advance their own careers in this area.
Spotlight from "All Things Photonics"® is a special series of intimate sit-down conversations with preeminent figures in our industry.
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From space exploration and quantum optics, to biomedical imaging and defense, today’s top scientific minds are using lasers, spectroscopy, sensors, and optics to deliver cutting-edge innovation to our society. In intimate conversations with those pushing the boundaries of human knowledge, “All Things Photonics” spotlights photonics industry progress from beyond the lab. Hear how 3D printed microscopes — and those developed for a fraction of the cost — offer our best hope for diagnosing disease in the developing world; why spectroscopy might be the most valuable tool in the crime scene technicians’ arsenal; how light can motorize drug delivery; and how the quantum cascade laser, CMOS image sensor, and robot-assisted surgery became realities. Notable guests include Nobel Prize winner Donna Strickland; Columbia University Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering Michal Lipson; inventor of the CMOS image sensor Eric Fossum; serial entrepreneur Jason Eichenholz; co-namesake of the Hockney Falco Thesis Charles Falco; and SPIE President and founder of the Vanderbilt Biophotonics Center Anita Mahadevan-Jansen. “All Things Photonics”® is produced by Photonics Media and airs biweekly, on Tuesdays. The podcast was a shortlisted finalist in two categories — Best Science & Medical Podcast and Best Technology Podcast — for The Publishers Podcast Awards in 2021. It has again earned shortlist honors in the Best Science and Medical Podcast category for 2022. Contact us at Allthings@photonics.com.
Episodes
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Iñigo Artundo, CEO of photonic test and design house VLC Photonics, breaks down the function of test as it relates to PICs and integrated photonics. How developers advance chip and wafer architectures through the design stage and toward productization cannot happen without adequate testing. But the sophistication of current and future designs does not always align with established test protocols. This episode explores that dynamic and discusses how the gap can be bridged.
"All Things Photonics"® is produced by Photonics Media and airs biweekly, on Tuesdays.
Sponsored by:
Hamamatsu – www.Hamamatsu.com
LightPath Technologies Inc. – www.LightPath.com
Monday Mar 17, 2025
Monday Mar 17, 2025
John Ballato is a professor of materials science and engineering at Clemson University. He knows the importance of glass in the photonics industry, even if some downplay its importance. Across his more than 200 published papers, his research focuses on new optical materials and structures for photonic and optoelectronic applications. In this spotlight conversation, he shares his thoughts on what’s driving a resurgence in glass, and its future in our industry.
"All Things Photonics"® is produced by Photonics Media and airs biweekly, on Tuesdays.
Sponsored by:
Hamamatsu – www.Hamamatsu.com
LightPath Technologies Inc. – www.LightPath.com
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
For this episode, we are joined by Brad Booth, CEO of NLM Photonics, the developer of a hybrid electro-optic technology combining high-performance organic materials with semiconductor photonics platforms. The conversation covers some recent research advances, the part played by materials in optical networking, and a look at what the future may hold for NLM Photonics.
"All Things Photonics"® is produced by Photonics Media and airs biweekly, on Tuesdays.
Sponsored by:
Hamamatsu – www.Hamamatsu.com
LightPath Technologies Inc. – www.LightPath.com
Monday Mar 03, 2025
Monday Mar 03, 2025
Lightmatter is pushing the envelope of AI interconnect and networking standards. It’s all in an effort to bring AI infrastructure into a photonic era. MIT graduate Nick Harris founded Lightmatter in 2017. In this Spotlight conversation, he offers a look into the formation, and the future of his company, as well as the breakthroughs driving the photonic supercomputing group today.
Spotlight from "All Things Photonics"® is a special series of intimate sit-down conversations with preeminent figures in our industry.
Sponsored by:
Hamamatsu – www.Hamamatsu.com
LightPath Technologies Inc. – www.LightPath.com
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Tuesday Feb 18, 2025
Discussions around packaging — the art, the challenge, and the roadmap — have ramped up over the last 18 months. A bona fide industry trend, packaging is commanding the focus of leading companies and individuals. Abdul Rahim, ecosystem manager at PhotonDelta, joins the "All Things Photonics" podcast to discuss microelectronics packaging and how the concept applies in and for photonics. Also in this episode, Carlos Lee, director general of the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), checks in with Joost van Kerkhof, COO of PHIX Photonics Assembly, and Michal Nejbauer, CEO of Fluence.
"All Things Photonics"® is produced by Photonics Media and airs biweekly, on Tuesdays.
Sponsored by:
Hamamatsu – www.Hamamatsu.com
LightPath Technologies Inc. – www.LightPath.com
Monday Feb 10, 2025
Monday Jan 20, 2025
Monday Jan 20, 2025
In the premiere episode of Spotlight, from "All Things Photonics," Dr. Andrew Brown with SPIE joins us to preview this year's Global Business Forum at Photonics West in San Francisco. Brown predicts that it will once again be a packed house for the forum. As we approach the biggest event in the photonics industry, hear Brown give us some insights on the biggest names set to speak, and some of the trending topics he expects to take center stage.
Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
In season ten’s finale, "All Things Photonics" speaks with its first knighted guest: Sir David Payne, Director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Southampton. Sir David is recognized as a pioneer in fiber laser research, having broken the kilowatt output barrier, and in fiber optics research, where he contributed to the development of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. Later, we speak with Tara Fortier, project leader at the Time and Frequency Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Fortier’s research is focused on precision optical and microwave metrology, and the development of optical clocks.
"All Things Photonics"® is produced by Photonics Media and airs biweekly, on Tuesdays.
Sponsored by:
PolyScience – www.PolyScience.com
Thorlabs Inc. – www.Thorlabs.com
Avantes – www.Avantes.com
LightPath Technologies Inc. – www.LightPath.com
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
Lightwave Logic CEO Michael Lebby discusses his company’s electro-optic polymer technology, what it means for the data center and artificial intelligence industries, and his company’s path to commercial success. Stephen Milton, Vice President of Accelerator Science at TAU Systems provides a look at his company’s miniaturized particle accelerators, their expected uses, and what they could mean for the future of research.
"All Things Photonics"® is produced by Photonics Media and airs biweekly, on Tuesdays.
Sponsored by:
PolyScience – www.PolyScience.com
Thorlabs Inc. – www.Thorlabs.com
Avantes – www.Avantes.com
LightPath Technologies Inc. – www.LightPath.com
Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
David Shelton, President and CEO of AmeriCOM, discusses ongoing efforts to strengthen the United States’ optical manufacturing industry and how they relate to defense and national security. Andrea Alù, Einstein Professor of Physics at The City University of New York, provides a primer on metamaterials, including ongoing research efforts and hot topics, and a look to the future.
"All Things Photonics"® is produced by Photonics Media and airs biweekly, on Tuesdays.
Sponsored by:
PolyScience – www.PolyScience.com
Thorlabs Inc. – www.Thorlabs.com
Avantes – www.Avantes.com
LightPath Technologies Inc. – www.LightPath.com