Agenda

**Please note: all times are ET

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM (EDT)

In optomechanical sensing, mechanical oscillators respond to external forces, magnetic and acoustic signals, while optical probes read out the motion of mechanical oscillators to infer the external signal. Researchers can use an array of optomechanical sensors to scale up measurement performance, but the measurement precision of optomechanical sensors is fundamentally limited by the measurement noise arising from quantum fluctuations of the probe light and mechanical oscillators. Zhang’s team is currently working on integrated quantum chips for entanglement-enhanced sensing. Assembling all of these components on-chip will eliminate the need for optical alignment and make the sensors much more stable—and overcome the two main challenges of their current experiment. Zhang’s talk on quantum sensing will cover some of the fundamental concepts and their recent research in this area.

Zheshen Zhang

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM (EDT)

Production scale testing of silicon photonic devices continues to be a challenge due to the multi degree of freedom, high precision optical alignments required for wafer and die level testing. Wide variances in chip designs and coupling features complicate test procedures making it difficult to identify a system capable of producing repeatable measurements across various topologies. This webinar is intended to serve as a guide for selecting precision motion equipment to minimize the impact of positioning errors on your optical alignment test results. First, terminology typically used in the precision automation industry and their relationships to optical alignments will be introduced. Next, fundamental principles of motion control and their impact on alignment quality will be discussed. Finally, a case study on error motions induced by 6 degree of freedom positioning devices and their impact on optical alignments will be presented to illustrate the importance of selecting the optimal positioning equipment for a given alignment application.
 

Brett Heintz

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM (EDT)

Multiphysics simulation plays an important role in driving faster and more cost-effective research and development (R&D) of optical components, which can vary in size from subwavelength range to optically large devices.

COMSOL Multiphysics® offers unique multiphysics modeling capabilities, which enables users to predict and optimize these couplings, exploiting the benefits to develop superior product ideas or suppress unwanted effects. In addition, with its built-in Application Builder and Model Manager, COMSOL Multiphysics® provides an ecosystem of functionality that facilitates collaboration across departments as well as structured and lean management of simulation data.

In this session, you will learn about current optics and photonics modeling trends at leading research institutes and R&D departments within the industry. You will see how these trends are inspired or enabled by multiphysics modeling and simulation apps.

Sven Friedel

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM (EDT)

Compact, flat metalenses are emerging as viable alternatives to traditional bulky refractive lenses for use in industrial and scientific applications, such as cell phone cameras, CMOS imaging sensors, spectrometers, and augmented reality systems. Designing metalens systems, however, typically requires deep physics knowledge and significant design experience. MetaOptic Designer, a fully automated technology developed by Synopsys, has dramatically simplified metalens design complexity. With minimum inputs required, designers at all levels of expertise can create novel metalens designs quickly and easily. Based on market demand and feedback, significant improvements have been made in MetaOptic Designer since its initial release in 2022. Join the session to learn more about this groundbreaking metalens design tool.

Chenglin Xu

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)

High-throughput metrology control of optical components is critical for lens development, process optimization, and mass production.

In this TechTalk it will be discussed how white light interferometry (WLI) has the capability to encompass several optical components in a large field of view while maintaining subnanometer height resolution and micron-level lateral resolution. WLI is an ideal optical measurement technique for characterizing these types of surfaces. Bruker’s industry-leading WLI solutions combine automation and on-the-fly analysis to enable comprehensive reports on lens parameters. This TechTalk also covers curvature analysis through the Zernike coefficient, defect monitoring and deviation from ideal aspheric shape. 

Sandra Bergmann

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT)

For UV, EUV, and X-ray wavelength applications, optics must be extremely smooth to avoid scattering, which affects image quality, signal-to-noise, and other critical optical performance properties. The typically high incident energy can also degrade optics quickly.  In order to ensure sub-nanometer level smoothness for optical performance, a reliable, reproducible measurement method is critical.  But, while newer manufacturing techniques have enabled production of supersmooth optics, the metrology to accurately measure these surfaces has lagged behind.

This presentation will discuss some of the challenges of measuring sub-nanometer level surface roughness and compare the different measurement techniques for these types of measurements available today.  It will also introduce a novel vibration-insensitive measurement technique that has demonstrated advanced capabilities in measuring super-smooth optics, especially in noisy environments.

Last, the talk will discuss different factors to consider while choosing a technology to measure super smooth optics, such as spatial requirements, repeatability, size of the optic, and environmental considerations such as vibration, turbulence, and automation requirements.

Erik Novak

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM (EDT)

Deep learning techniques create new opportunities to revolutionize tissue staining methods by digitally generating histological stains using trained neural networks, providing rapid, cost-effective, accurate and environmentally friendly alternatives to standard chemical staining methods. These deep learning-based virtual staining techniques can successfully generate different types of histological stains, including immunohistochemical stains, from label-free microscopic images of unstained samples by using, e.g., autofluorescence microscopy, quantitative phase imaging (QPI) and reflectance confocal microscopy. Similar approaches were also demonstrated for transforming images of an already stained tissue sample into another type of stain, performing virtual stain-to-stain transformations. In this presentation, I will provide an overview of our recent work on the use of deep neural networks for label-free tissue staining, also covering their biomedical applications

Aydogan Ozcan Ph.D

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM (EDT)

A new Fs laser writing regime without heat accumulation enables the use of a smartphone to expand the potential spectroscopy application growth. The process creates a spectrometer capable of covering the visible band from 401 to 700 nm with a 0.4 nm/pixel detector resolution and 3 nm optical resolution. The proof of concept paves the way to in-the-field absorption spectroscopy for quick information gathering. The keynote speaker, Jean-Sébastien Boisvert, will discuss the research process, potential next steps, and the remaining challenges.  

 

Dr. Jean-Sebastien Boisvert

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM (EDT)

Silicon photonics is now a mainstream platform for high-volume applications far from its launchpad of data-center connectivity. New applications from LIDAR to biosensors to quantum computing to consumer optical cables mean the industry is confronted with a three-order-of-magnitude leap in device demand by mid-decade. In this presentation, we review lessons from the semiconductor’s similar escalation nearly forty years ago; from this emerges three critical tools that successful players must embrace and leverage if the industry is to succeed in this dramatic upshift: Innovation, Cooperation, Automation. Illustrative examples of each will be discussed, including broadening options for addressing the number-one cost driver of photonic test and assembly: active alignment, with subsystems capable of simultaneous, multi-degree-of-freedom alignment across multiple I/Os now implemented in fast, large-format configurations capable of processing circuit boards, trays, carriers, and other bulky substrates.

Scott Jordan

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM (EDT)

High-speed laser transceivers have played a critical role in optical communications for several decades, while in recent years there has been an explosion in laser technology-based applications far beyond standard telecom wavelengths.

Key Takeaways

  • Gain insight into key parameters that are crucial for proper laser analysis using an optical spectrum analyzer
  • Learn automation methods to accurately identify properties critical to the latest non-telecom applications
  • Discuss research examples of non-telecom applications including biophotonics, industrial, transportation, consumer electronics, quantum optics, and flat optics (metasurfaces)
Michael Kwok

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM (EDT)

High volume manufacturing of products like smartphones, medical devices and semiconductors all require laser processing during the manufacturing process. Industry and consumer demand for smaller, faster and cheaper products add to the complexity of the process and the increasing cost pressures felt by manufacturers. As a result, laser processing speed and tighter dimensional specifications are always in conflict. There have been significant advances in the electronics, software and hardware for laser scan heads used to perform these processes. This presentation covers advancements in the capabilities of multi-axis laser scan heads and precision automation controls used to address these challenges.

Bryan Germann

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)

Retroreflectors can be found in all aspects of our daily life from bicycle reflectors, traffic signs and reflective tape through to ‘cat’s eyes’ on roads and reflectors on airport runways. In science and industry they are found in a number of metrology applications such as surveying and open path gas detection as well as in Michaelson type interferometers and laser based tracking systems.

This TechTalk focuses on solid hollow corner cube retroreflectors and the advantages they offer in industrial applications.

David Cook

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT)

Quantum technology is an emerging field of physics and engineering focused on utilizing the principles of quantum mechanics to enable new functions and applications. Specifically, the recent progress in controlling, detecting, generating, and manipulating single quantum objects, like photons, has enabled new advancements, and even the commercialization of new quantum-based systems, in three main areas: quantum sensors, quantum communications, and quantum computing. In this talk, Luna Innovations will discuss its photonics-based solutions and technologies used to overcome some of the challenges faced with quantum technology development. 
 

Wajih Daab

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM (EDT)

Superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) are excellent detectors for light from the UV to the mid-IR. These cryogenically cooled detectors can measure individual particles of light with high system detection efficiency (the record is over 99%), picosecond-level timing resolution and sub-hertz dark counts. I will describe recent technological developments in SNSPDs including operation in the mid-IR range, kilo-pixel detector arrays, and photon number resolution. These advances mean that SNSPDs are being used in an increasing number of applications including deep space optical communication, quantum information, dark matter searches, biomedical imaging, and astrobiology.

Ioana Craiciu