Do you have an image that highlights an aspect of optics? Why not submit it to OPN's photo contest? The first-place winner will receive a canvas-stretched print of their entry AND publication of the winning image in OPN. Enter now! https://bit.ly/3TyoPaV 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

Image of the Week: The Sun's Frozen Crown A luminous ring encircles the sun above Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico—a celestial crown suspended in the midday sky. Read more here: http://bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

A newly developed photonic crystal operates in both time and space. The team leveraged a plasmonic metamaterial to manipulate light at terahertz frequencies to modulate incoming radiation at speeds comparable to those of the light cycle itself. https://bit.ly/3RRUFPk @tudresden.bsky.social 💡 ⚛️

In the July/August feature "Hollow-Core Fiber Redefines Long-Haul Optical Networks" @microsoft.com researchers explore experiments showing that hollow-core fibers can achieve quasi-real-time transmission over thousands of kilometers. Read the OPN story: https://bit.ly/3S7VkfC 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

Trumpf reports an uptick in orders in preliminary figures for the financial year. “The increase in order intake makes us optimistic about the current fiscal year, in which we expect further growth,” said Trumpf CEO Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller. Read the OPN story: https://bit.ly/3TuE6te 💡 ⚛️

📣 DEADLINE ONLY A MONTH AWAY 📣 Each year, the December issue of OPN highlights the most exciting optics research to emerge in the preceding 12 months. Submit a brief summary of your peer-reviewed research to be considered for publication! https://bit.ly/3Txxf26 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

New work leverages inverse design to create photonic components on a silicon nitride platform that are up to 500 times smaller than conventional designs. The mini-devices can be readily integrated into nonlinear and quantum photonic circuits. https://bit.ly/4wuYclw @mpi-scienceoflight.bsky.social💡⚛️

NSF has awarded its Engine Award to a group led by the University of Rochester to establish a regional innovation hub across upstate New York focused on laser technologies and applications. Read the OPN story: https://bit.ly/4hBP89X 💡 ⚛️

Image of the Week: Crystal Landscape Crystal structures formed from a mixture of beta-alanine and Coca Cola create a colorful, abstract landscape when viewed under a microscope using polarized light. Read more here: http://bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

A new X-ray technique leverages ghost imaging to reconstruct X-ray pictures from a tiny fraction of the photons normally required in medical diagnostics. The method could make medical imaging safer for patients. Read the OPN story: https://bit.ly/4fOSMMp 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

New work from @ibecbarcelona.eu uses light to activate retinal cells, reversing the effects of degenerative eye disease. The study leverages photo-activated compounds, administered to the eye with drops or an injection, that mimic lost photoreceptors in the retina. https://bit.ly/4ywBqex 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

New work from @istaresearch.bsky.social demonstrates how squeezed #light can be used to discretely entangle two distant quantum bits. The technique could serve as the basis for large-scale, multi-node #quantum #networks. Read the OPN story: https://bit.ly/4b5Hq3U 💡 ⚛️

📸 OPN is hosting its 21st Annual Photo Contest 📸 We are looking for large, high-impact images that highlight an aspect of optics. Find more information via the link: https://bit.ly/3TcaSzc 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

📣 DEADLINE ABOUT A MONTH AWAY 📣 Submit a brief summary of your peer-reviewed research to be considered for publication in the Optics in 2026 special issue of Optics & Photonics News. For more information, check out OPN's Year in Optics page: https://bit.ly/4wSjyJw 💡 ⚛️

Thales Group announced that it will acquire a 35.51% controlling stake in Exail Technologies, with future plans to purchase 100% of Exail by 2028. Thales says the acquisition will increase its presence in the underwater defense market. Read the OPN story: https://bit.ly/4vDFgQv 💡 ⚛️

A new digital security system—based on chaotic vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers—offers scalable, real-time authentication. “This work demonstrates how photonics and artificial intelligence can be combined to address [large-scale digital security].” Read the story: https://bit.ly/4fFhgYh 💡⚛️

Researchers discovered that sea stars have light-guiding optical structures in their endoskeleton. The team hopes that the microstructure design of the sea star skeleton can lead to new, ultralight glass- and ceramic-based materials. Read the OPN story: https://bit.ly/3T4lv76 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

Image of the Week: Microgravity Physics Tiny ball bearings surround a larger central bearing during a fluid particles experiment, conducted inside the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG). Read more here: http://bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

OPN's latest Journeys in Optics features 2025 Optica Ambassador Andrea Pacheco, who discusses why she became a physicist, the importance of collaboration, and balancing her academic career with family life. Read the interview: https://bit.ly/4pf0dj2 #academicsky #edusky💡 ⚛️

📣 OPN is hosting its 21st Annual Photo Contest 📣 We are looking for large, high-impact images that highlight an aspect of optics. Find more information via the link: https://bit.ly/4fxPRHL 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

✨Be included in OPN's "Optics in 2026" issue✨ Have you conducted notable peer-reviewed research in the optics and photonics field? Send us a brief summary to be featured in the year-end special! More information via the link: bit.ly/4vVvFFd 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

A new ultra-black spray paint could reduce the light pollution caused by satellites traveling in low-Earth orbit. The researchers from the University of Surrey hope this will mitigate the impact of future satellites on ground-based astronomical observations. https://bit.ly/4ydHSXG 💡 ⚛️ 🧪

A new lidar technique leverages a pair of frequency combs to measure absolute distances with micrometer precision. The study's authors think the method could one day be used to inspect otherwise hard-to-measure parts on industrial production lines. Check it out: https://bit.ly/4pu1Cmd 💡 ⚛️

Image of the Week: Rainbow in a Bubble Light hitting a soap film creates magical rainbow stripes—nature’s artwork in the tiniest place. Read more here: http://bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

Check out OPN’s biennial Optics in Art feature! https://bit.ly/3QIY5TY This installment examines how artists in the late 19th and 20th centuries found new ways of looking at light, matter and color. #art💡 ⚛️ 🧪

“We can give these factories the ability to scan every part on the belt and have those data recorded and stored in the cloud.” OPN spoke with Cibby Pulikkaseril, Zabidou founder, about his company's laser-augmented, AI-powered computer vision systems. https://bit.ly/3QIZTMK 💡 ⚛️

Researchers in Japan have devised a new, solid-state material that converts visible rays of sunlight to UV photons with a conversion efficiency of 1.9%. Read the OPN story: https://bit.ly/4eF1IU7

"Can partially coherent light outperform coherent light in applications involving optical information processing? Recent developments indicate that the answer is yes." Read the OPN feature article to learn more about structured coherence: https://bit.ly/3QpR8am 💡 ⚛️

Image of the Week: Crossed Diffraction A simple white light source transforms into a radiant burst of color through the interaction of crossed diffraction gratings. Read more here: http://bit.ly/3Uj2QCf

A new light-responsive molecular switch can "wake-up" dormant cancer cells, making them receptive to treatment. This could help stop patients from experiencing disease relapse. Read the OPN story: https://bit.ly/3SOEW3z 💡 ⚛️ 🧪