Science and Innovations

1. Light-Matter Interactions and Materials Processing
2. Laser Systems and Facilities
3. Semiconductor Lasers
4. Nonlinear Optical Technologies
5. Terahertz Science and Technology
6. Optical Materials, Fabrication and Characterization
7. Micro- and Nano-Photonic Devices
8. Ultrafast Optics, Optoelectronics and Applications
9. Photonic Integration
10. Biophotonics and Optofluidics
11. Fiber Photonics
12. Lightwave Communications and Optical Networks
13. Active Optical Sensing
14. Optical Metrology

 

S&I 1: Light-matter Interactions and Materials Processing

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in the general area of fundamentals of light-matter interactions and advances in materials processing. Example topics include:

• Fundamentals of Light-Matter interactions.
• Short and ultrashort laser materials synthesis and processing
• Laser ablation of materials
• Pulsed laser deposition of materials
• Laser induced effects in organic and inorganic matter.
• Laser synthesis of clusters and nanostructures. Formation, deposition and characterization.
• Plasmonic properties and devices based on nanostructured systems.
• Analytical spectroscopies based on laser-matter interactions (LIBS, ICP-MS...)

S&I 2:  Laser Systems and Facilities

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in the general area of advanced laser systems and facilities. Example topics include:

• Laser sources and gain materials: solid-state; liquid; gas and vapour; Raman; FELs.
• Associated laser technology: pump sources; resonator geometries; laser diagnostics; laser beam shaping and combining; temporal pulse shaping; adaptive optics and wavefront control.
• Fundamental laser science: theoretical studies and numerical modelling of laser-physical phenomena and processes.
• High-average-power and high pulse energy lasers: thermal management and thermo-optical effects.
• Large systems and facilities: terawatt to multi-petawatt systems; fusion lasers; CPA, OPCPA, and hybrid systems.
• Technology for large systems: front end lasers; ancillary sources, e.g. for seeding, diagnostics, pump-probe studies, photo-injectors; pulse stretchers and compressors; prevention of laser-induced damage; beam transport.
• Secondary sources: high-intensity radiation sources based on laser-plasma interactions in the relativistic regime.

S&I 3: Semiconductor Lasers

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in the general area of semiconductor lasers. Example topics include:

• UV lasers, visible lasers, near-infrared lasers, mid to-far-infrared lasers
• Cascade lasers (intersubband and interband) from near-IR to THz
• Nano-scale, sub-wavelength sized, plasmonic lasers, polariton lasers
• Quantum well, wire, and dot lasers
• High-power and high-brightness lasers including 1- and 2-D laser arrays, semiconductor laser amplifiers
• Tunable and/or single mode lasers and lasers for wavelength division multiplexing and sensing
• Laser dynamics, high-speed modulation mode-locked lasers, feedback effects, chaos, frequency stability, narrow linewidth lasers
• Integrated laser structures hybrid and epitaxial Si-based lasers
• Novel laser structures and applications, effects of materials on laser performance , lasers with novel functionality
• Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers, external cavity surface emitting lasers, photonic crystal lasers

S&I 4: Nonlinear Optical Technologies

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in advanced technologies based on nonlinear optics. Example topics include:

Nonlinear wavelength conversion

• Applications of three- and four-wave mixing, stimulated scattering, self- and cross-phase modulation
• Supercontinuum generation and applications involving propagation instabilities, filamentation and optical solitons
• Optical parametric oscillation
• Quasi-phase-matching techniques and devices
• Applications of nonlinear optical effects in nanostructures and metamaterials
• Exploitation of waveguide, surface, and near-field nonlinear optics
• Applications of novel nonlinear materials and structures
• Nonlinearities in gain media, laser cavities, and optical amplifiers
• Methods and techniques of nonlinear spectroscopy
• Novel optical applications of nonlinear phenomena

S&I 5: Terahertz Science and Technology

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in Terahertz Science and Technology, where the THz spectral range is approximately defined as from 200 GHz to 30 THz. We invite the submissions on THz-specific technologies (e.g. THz sensing, guiding, imaging, modulation etc), as well as the submissions of cross-disciplinary impact: such as THz studies relevant to energy, communications, memory, catalysis, and other technologies. Example topics include:

• THz characterization of novel materials
• THz properties of materials for technology
• THz phenomena, in particular relevant for technology
• THz generation, detection, modulation and propagation
• Novel concepts in THz spectroscopy and imaging
• Devices and systems for THz technology
• Novel applications of THz radiation

S&I 6: Optical Materials, Fabrication and Characterization

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in the development, fabrication and characterization of optical materials. Example topics include:

• Fabrication and characterization techniques of optical materials and devices
• Material properties of optical materials and devices
• Fabrication, characterization, or material properties of various photonic platforms (III-V, group IV, glass and rare earth doped, nanostructures, 2D, etc.)
• Heterogenous integration techniques
• Optical fiber materials
• Nonlinear optical materials
• Optoelectronic materials

S&I 7: Micro- and Nano-Photonic Devices

This sub-committee seeks original submissions covering micro/nano-photonic structures and chip-scale devices, with a primary focus on advanced concepts rather than new applications of established designs. Example topics include:

• Passive structures and devices: waveguides; microresonators; mode converters; photonic crystals; metamaterials and surface plasmons for chip-scale devices
• Active structures and devices: classical and quantum light sources and photodetectors; modulators and switches; photovoltaic devices
• Materials: group IV, III-V, III-nitride and organic semiconductors; polymers; semiconductor nanostructures; 2D materials; hybrid integration platforms
• Nonlinear photonics: second-order and Kerr nonlinearities; Raman and Brillouin scattering; frequency conversion; frequency combs, supercontinuum generation
• Engineered light-matter interactions: optomechanics; spontaneous emission control; microcavity polaritons; surface plasmon-polaritons
• Complex integrated photonic devices: photonic integrated circuits and architectures in novel and advanced applications
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S&I 8: Ultrafast Optics, Optoelectronics and Applications

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in ultrafast optics. The time scale of "ultrafast" is defined as < 10 ps. Papers in this category should be related to the "ultrafast" time scale, but can include related technologies. Example topics include:

• Ultrashort pulse characterization: FROG, SPIDER, etc. including novel methods of dispersion measurement
• Application of ultrashort pulses, e.g ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy, imaging using ultrashort pulses
• Pulse shaping: including pulse compression, pulse dividing, pulse stacking, coherent synthesis, etc.
• Carrier-envelope phase stabilization of low repetition-rate lasers (<10 MHz), including generation of phase-stable few-, single-, or sub-cycle pulses
• Ultrafast lasers: femtosecond solid state, semiconductor, fiber, gas lasers. including amplifiers
• Femtosecond optical parametric amplifiers including OPCPA;

S&I 9: Photonic Integration

This sub-committee seeks original submissions related to components, integration, interconnections and signal processing. Example topics include:

• Optical interconnects
• Photonic and microwave signal processing
• Hybrid integration of optical components
• Photonic integrated circuits and microsystem integration
• Microwave photonics
• Optical modulators, switches, and detectors
• Applications of optical resonators and microcavities

S&I 10: Biophotonics and Optofluidics

This sub-committee seeks original submissions related to the intersection of optics and fluidics or biology. Some applications may even target the merger of all three fields: Optics, fluidics, and biology. Example topics include:

• Advanced microscopy and on-chip imaging techniques
• Superresolution microscopy and computational imaging
• Molecular imaging and spectroscopy, photochemistry and photobiology
• Image reconstruction and processing, including diffuse optical imaging
• Optogenetics and optical manipulation
• Optofluidic systems and sensors
• Lab-on-chip systems and devices with photonic readout
• Optoacoustic imaging
• Biomedical optics, diagnostics and therapeutics including endoscopy
• Optical coherence tomography
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S&I 11: Fiber Photonics

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in fiber optics including linear and nonlinear effects, lasers, devices, and materials. Example topics include:

• Physics of linear and nonlinear propagation in fibers including dispersion control, polarization effects, soliton formation, Raman/Brillouin scattering, wave mixing, etc.
• Fiber-based nonlinear devices, such as supercontiuum sources, nonlinear switches, regenerators, etc.
• Fiber lasers such as wavelength-tunable lasers, mode-locked lasers, Q-switched lasers, high-power lasers, random lasers, etc.
• Fiber amplifiers, such as rare-earth doped amplifiers, parametric amplifiers, Raman amplifiers, etc.
• Design, fabrication, and characterization of optical fibers, including photonic bandgap fibers, microstructured fibers, multimode fibers, few-mode fibers, single-mode fibers, multi-core fibers, highly nonlinear fibers, microfibers, etc.
• Fiber materials, such as fluoride glass, chalcogenide glass, crystal, multi-component glass, etc.
• Fiber devices, such as gratings, couplers, mode multiplexers, filters, multimode interference devices, etc.
• Fiber sensors for physical, chemical, and biomedical sensing, sensor multiplexing, and distributed sensors

S&I 12: Lightwave Communications and Optical Networks

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in optical communications. Papers submitted to this committee are expected to present the results characterized by system performance metrics, e.g., bit error rates, error vector magnitudes, constellations, or eye diagrams. Example topics include:

• Fiber-optic communication systems for long-haul, metro, and access networks
• WDM, OTDM, and optical subcarrier-multiplexed technologies
• Free-space optical communication links and mitigation of atmospheric effects
• Effects of fiber nonlinearities and other transmission impairments on system performance
• System applications of optical amplifiers and other devices
• All-optical processing in devices and networks
• Advanced optical modulation formats, coherent detection, and advanced receivers
• Digital signal processing and forward error correction techniques for optical systems
• Telecommunications applications of microwave photonics
• Optics-based network elements and architectures for routing and switching

S&I 13: Active Optical Sensing

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in active optical sensing. Example topics include:

• Tunable laser spectroscopy and sensing, including cavity-enhanced techniques and heterodyne/homodyne detection
• Active standoff and remote sensing, including LIDAR and multi/hyperspectral imaging
• Spectroscopy and sensing using broadband laser sources and frequency combs
• Micro- and nano-optical sensors, including MEMS and integrated waveguide devices
• Fiber-based sensors for detection of chemicals (gas, liquid) or physical properties (temperature, pressure, strain, etc.)
• Optical sensors for biological and medical applications
• Raman, SERS, CARS, Brillouin, and fluorescence sensing
• Optical microscopy combined with chemical or physical sensing
• Active optical sensing of solids, liquids, gases, plasmas, and mixed material systems

S&I 14: Optical Metrology

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in optical metrology. Example topics include:

• Optical devices, instruments, and technologies for precision measurements
• Time, frequency, length, distance and dimensional metrology
• Optical transmission and dissemination of time and frequency
• Optical frequency standards
• Lasers, supercontinua, and broadband sources for optical metrology
• Frequency-comb generation, control, and applications
• Conversion between optical and microwave frequencies
• Precision interferometry, spectroscopy and other novel measurement methods

QELS/ Fundamental Science

1. Quantum Optics of Atoms, Molecules and Solids
2. Quantum Science, Engineering and Technology
3. Metamaterials and Complex Media
4. Optical Interactions with Condensed Matter and Ultrafast Phenomena
5. Nonlinear Optics and Novel Phenomena
6. Nano-Optics and Plasmonics
7. High-Field Physics and Attoscience

FS 1: Quantum Optics of Atoms, Molecules and Solids

This subcommittee seeks original contributions in the general area of atomic, molecular and optical physics that address quantum state characterization, quantum interactions and their applications. Contributions involving quantum dots, color centers and superconductors are encouraged, in addition to those concerning neutral atoms, ions, and molecules. Example topics include but are not limited to:

• Quantum interactions of light with matter
• Optical characterization of quantum states of matter
• Matter-light and matter-matter entanglement
• Quantum memories and repeaters
• Electromagnetically induced transparency, four-wave mixing, slow and fast light, and other coherent effects
• Novel quantum precision measurement systems and optical frequency standards
• Laser cooling and trapping, cold molecules, trapped ions, optical lattices, cold collisions and degenerate atomic gases
• Atom optics and lithography

FS 2: Quantum Science, Engineering and Technology

This subcommittee seeks original contributions in the general area of quantum information science, its applications to communication, computation and metrology, as well as supporting optical technologies for its realization. Example topics include but are not limited to:

• Quantum information processing
• Quantum measurement and control
• Quantum metrology and quantum imaging
• Single-photon sources and detectors
• Entanglement, squeezed states, and other non-classical states of light
• Quantum communications and cryptography
• Quantum computing and quantum error correction
• Fundamental studies in decoherence
• Quantum algorithms and protocols

FS 3: Metamaterials and Complex Media

This subcommittee seeks original contributions in the general area of optical effects enabled by metamaterials and other complex media, including both linear and nonlinear behaviors and their uses. Example topics include but are not limited to:

• Light manipulation with metamaterials, transformation optics, extreme values of refractive index
• Optics of photonic crystals
• Wavefront shaping and other optics of metasurfaces and other complex planar composites
• Random and aperiodic media, light localization, optical chaos
• Structured light with composite materials/surfaces
• Gain and loss compensation in composites
• Enhancement of light-matter interaction, photon/exciton/polariton interaction, and nonlinear optics in structured media/surfaces
• Near-field examination and other characterization of inhomogeneous media/surfaces

FS 4: Optical Interactions with Condensed Matter and Ultrafast Phenomena

This subcommittee seeks original contributions in the general area of optical processes in condensed matter systems such as quantum wells, wires and dots, graphene and nanotubes, metals, insulators, organics, magnetic materials, and superconductors. Example topics include but are not limited to:

• Continuous-wave and time-resolved optical spectroscopy of elementary and collective excitations, including excitons, magnons, phonons, and polaritons
• Low-energy phenomena at GHz, THz, and infrared frequencies, including cyclotron resonance, cyclotron resonance, gap dynamics and intersubband transitions
• Ultrafast and nonlinear optical phenomena in condensed matter, including strongly driven systems, non-perturbative light-matter coupling, and optically induced structural changes
• Coherent control of condensed matter systems

FS 5: Nonlinear Optics and Novel Phenomena

This subcommittee seeks original contributions in the general area of nonlinear optics and associated novel optical phenomena, encompassing a broad range of material systems and wavelengths. Example topics include but are not limited to:

• Nonlinear optics in condensed matter, fluids, gases, and plasmas
• New nonlinear optical materials, devices and nonlinear plasmonics
• Supercontinuum phenomena, optical combs, UV and X-ray generation
• Nonlinear dynamics of light, including solitons, vortices, light bullets, and related phenomena
• Optics of few-cycle light pulses
• Nonlinear phenomena in the THz region
• Self-accelerating beams and novel beam shaping techniques
• Nonlinear optics in photonic crystals, waveguide arrays, nano-cavities, nonlinear optical resonators, slow light media, soft-matter, metamaterials, PT and other synthetic structures or materials
• Local field effects, near-field and sub-wavelength linear and nonlinear optics, and single-photon nonlinear optics
• Novel linear and nonlinear surface phenomena, multi-photon spectroscopy, other novel methods for sensing and optical micro-manipulation of particles

FS 6: Nano-Optics and Plasmonics

This subcommittee seeks original contributions in the general area of plasmonics and nano-scale optics, including novel materials and structures, ultrafast and quantum phenomena, and a broad range of related applications. Example topics include but are not limited to:

• Fundamental plasmon and polariton optics
• Novel physics and applications of plasmonic and nanophotonic devices
• Near-field optics, subwavelength resolution imaging, lithography, and recording
• Novel materials and fabrication methods for plasmonic and nanophotonic devices
• Ultrafast, nonlinear, and active plasmonics and nanophotonics
• Quantum nanophotonics and plasmonics, including electron-plasmon interactions
• Sensing and spectroscopy using plasmonic and nanophotonic structures
• Optomechanics, trapping and manipulation using plasmonics and nanophotonics
• Plasmonic and nanophotonic systems for energy applications

FS 7: High-Field Physics and Attoscience

This subcommittee seeks original contributions in the general area of high-power lasers and attosecond sources, as well as fundamental phenomena and applications that are enabled by interactions between the resulting fields and material systems. Example topics include but are not limited to:

• Novel technologies, such as table-top lasers and free electron lasers, for high-field physics and attoscience
• Generation and characterization of high peak/average power few-cycle laser pulses
• Advanced laser-plasma technologies for secondary sources
• Attosecond and strong-field phenomena in atoms, molecules, cluster, liquids, solids, and plasmas
• Light filamentation
• Rescattering and recollision physics
• Relativistic nonlinear optical phenomena
• Nonlinear quantum electrodynamics, including work towards pair production, radiation reaction, nonlinear Compton scattering, etc.
• Generation and characterization of extreme wavelengths (THz to X-rays) and particle sources using table-top and free electron lasers
• Applications of extreme wavelength and particle sources for dynamic imaging of ultrafast phenomena in atoms, molecules, clusters, liquids, solids, and plasmas.

Applications & Technology

1. Biomedical Applications
2. Industrial Applications
3. Photonic Instrumentation & Techniques for Metrology & Industrial Process
4. Laser & Photonics Applications for Energy & Environment

A&T 1 Biomedical applications

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in the general area of photonics and related techniques for biology, chemistry, medicine and any healthcare related fields. Example topics include:

• Biomedical Imaging and Sensing
• Clinical Technologies and Systems
• Photodynamic Therapy and Laser Surgery
• Optical Endoscopy and Virtual biopsy
• Neurophotonics and Optogenetics
• Light Source and Devices for Biomedical Imaging
• Novel imaging contrast dyes, nanoparticles, and optical clearing reagents
• Label-free optical technologies in clinical applications

A&T 2 Industrial Applications 

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in the field of industrial applications for lasers and photonics technology. Papers in this category should be related to manufacturing equipment, materials processing methods, manufacturing related inspection and sensing, and closely related technologies. Example topics include:

• New or improved laser sources and beam delivery devices for industrial applications
• Advanced laser machining techniques for materials processing
• Laser micro-machining based manufacturing processes
• Products and manufacturing methods based on laser-modified surfaces
• Photonic production and inspection methods for micrometer to nanometer scale parts
• Methods and devices for in situ analysis, monitoring or sensing of manufacturing equipment or industrial processes
• Demonstrations of co-development between new materials and photonic manufacturing methods
• Laser based methods and devices for monitoring and sensing of industrially relevant species in the environment

A&T 3 Photonic Instrumentation and Techniques for Metrology and Industrial Processes 

This sub-committee seeks original submissions on maturing photonic instruments/techniques for metrology or industrial processes. Submissions should demonstrate progress toward implementation including maturing hardware or processes; or in-situ/field/real-time demonstrations of the following:

• Chemical sensing (liquid/gas, spectroscopy, nanomaterials, functional materials, distributed sensing)
• Security applications (standoff detection, THz imaging, thermal sensing, detection of ionizing radiation, explosives sensing)
• Process monitoring (composition, curing, combustion, camera techniques, safety)
• Metrology (dimensional, thermal, compositional, tool or product measurements, laser beam characterization)

A&T 4 Lasers and Photonic Applications to Energy and Environment

This sub-committee seeks original submissions in the field of alternative energy generation and environmental sensing. Example topics include:

• Optical sensing techniques or sensors for measuring greenhouse gases and air pollutants and/or demonstrations of such systems in real-world, field environments
• Novel applications of existing optical technologies to help address environmental/energy problems (including new applications of, or modifications to, existing commercial sensors or approaches)
• New discoveries in the environmental/energy areas for which integrative and multi-disciplinary approaches to optical sensing were critical
• Techniques used to overcome the inherent challenges of deploying in challenging field and industrial environments
• Optics related to solar cell operation (i.e. spectrum splitting and concentrator optics)
• Photonic schemes to enhance solar cell performance