A mouse cancer cell at the onset of cell division. On the left, conventional microscopy with a resolution of 250 nm or so. On the right, super-resolution structured illumination microscopy with a resolution of about 110 nm. Four key structures are fluorescently labelled: microtubules (magenta), actin filaments (cyan), mitochondria (yellow), and DNA (white, packed in chromosomes). The cell diameter is about 30 μm. Photo credit: Markus Sauer, University of Wuerzburg.

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy is breaking the visible diffraction limit.

Techniques like STED, single-molecule localization, and expansion microscopy reveal nanoscale cell structures, sometimes approaching electron-microscope detail.

Learn more in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4qmXAL4

A photo of a woman in the lab, wearing glasses with dark hair.

Jelena Vučković helped drive the photonic chip revolution by integrating light and electronics on a single platform! 💡

Learn more about her work in #PhotonicsFocus: https://bit.ly/4aBzQhu

Two people are shaking hands across a desk in an office setting. An American flag is prominently displayed on the desk, and another is in the background. One person is wearing a suit and glasses, and the other is casually dressed. Documents are visible on the desk.

Many international researchers in the US are navigating immigration rules with incomplete or bad advice.

This #PhotonicsFocus article breaks down visa options, green card pathways, and why planning early matters for scientists at every career stage. 💡

Check it out: https://bit.ly/4rSIUV6

How can lasers sculpt tiny optics inside glass? Selective laser etching precisely carves 3D micro‑optics within a single piece of glass. The result: high‑accuracy features that enable compact systems for sensing, imaging, & photonics. Read the #SPIE_JOM article: https://bit.ly/46JwlDo.

“Ecophotonics”:Turning Nature’s Light Management Strategies into Sustainable Technology

Excited to be starting my group “Ecophotonics” with a Minerva FastTrack fellowship! Big thanks to @vignolinilab.bsky.social for your support! Also grateful to my PhD supervisor Malte Gather, and collaborators & students from marine biology to physics. 🧪👩🏼‍🔬💡https://www.mpikg.mpg.de/6920542/ecophotonics

Fraunhofer CAP team develops laser tech to detect hydrogen leaks from distance - Working with UK nuclear industry, to address safety challenges posed by H2 storage. - optics.org/news/17/2/25
#nuclear #fraunhofer

Low-cost sulfur lens enables cheaper IR thermal imaging cameras - Development by Flinders University could cut need for costly lenses based on silicon and rare earths. optics.org/news/17/2/26
#thermalimaging #imaging #flindersuniversity #spie

A scientist in a laboratory with a mask and gloves on, conducting an experiment. The caption below reads "Calling all Women in Optics! Nominations are open for next year's notebook".

Behind every breakthrough in optics and photonics is someone whose passion drives the field forward. 💡

If you know a woman whose work inspires you, nominate her for the 2027 Women in Optics Notebook!

Nominations close soon. Honor a colleague (or yourself!): https://bit.ly/3ZByiOu #WomenInSTEM

Algorithms are critical, but we also need people to make them accurate + efficient + trustworthy! ⚡️

The first poster session at #SPIEMedicalImaging 2026 highlighted how machine learning continues to reshape medical imaging across modalities. Thank you to all the presenters! 👏

Left, right, centrist, you'll find lots of technology to be excited about on optics.org

Speaker wearing a gray suit stands behind a lectern with an orange branded SPIE Medical Imaging logo. They are gesturing at a screen, which is barely visible on the left side of the image.

You know your actual age, but do you know your biological age? 🎂🥼

By harnessing AI tools for value-added opportunistic CT screening, Perry Pickhardt @uwiscradiology.bsky.social shares how assessing “biological age” can help predict chances of future cardiometabolic events.

#SPIEMedicalImaging

A speaker stands on stage presenting a slide with medical imaging data. In the foreground are many people in chairs.

“AI is not going anywhere… we need to develop Al tools with careful consideration for challenges in adoption including data quality, reader biases, and ethical dilemmas.”

Pallavi Tiwari, professor @wiscmedphys.bsky.social, wrapped up today’s keynote with words of wisdom. #SPIEMedicalImaging

Colorful graphic with a quote from Rekha Gautam at the top, with a photograph of Gautam below smiling in a professional headshot.

It’s #WiOWednesday!

We’re celebrating Rekha Gautam, Senior Scientist and Raman Team Lead at @tyndallinstitute.bsky.social. Her research in Raman spectroscopy & biological screening continues to advance #optics and #photonics. 💡

Read her 2026 SPIE Women in Optics profile: https://bit.ly/4trhqYp

Infleqtion and NASA taking quantum gravity sensor into space. With $20 M funding so far, Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder Mission is intended to “advance U.S. space sensing”. optics.org/news/17/2/6 #gravity #NASA #space #quantum

An individual is working with scientific equipment in a lab setting. The ICFO logo and text indicate opportunities for undergraduate and master's internships for Spring 2026. There's a focus on STEM fields, with potential research under ICFO's Research Groups. The SPIE@ICFO Maria Yzuel Fellowship Awards are highlighted. Application deadline is March 15, 2026. Logos of various partners and sponsors are shown at the bottom.

@icfo.eu is now accepting applications for three SPIE@ICFO Maria Yzuel Fellowship Awards!🎗️

This fellowship program enables students to pursue a final degree, master's thesis, or research project. 💡

The application deadline is 15 March 2026. Learn more and apply here: https://bit.ly/4rwwT7G

Strathclyde deploys machine learning to design mirrors for high-power lasers optics.org/news/17/1/43 #lasers #opticsorg #physics #photonics

Zeiss-led alliance to drive holographic windshield display mass-production optics.org/news/17/1/44
#opticsorg #holography #zeiss #automotive

CUNY metasurface turns infrared into steerable visible light
optics.org/news/17/1/45 #opticsorg #photonics #CUNY

Coherent sees early signs of industrial uptick; completes Rofin sale to Bystronic - optics.org/news/17/1/46 #opticsorg #coherent #lasers #photonicswest #spie

ICFO enhances organic solar cell by optimizing fluorescence quantum yield - optics.org/news/17/1/47 #quantum #opticsorg #photonics

Corning reports ‘outstanding’ 2025 results with annual sales up 13% to $16.4B - optics.org/news/17/1/48

ams-Osram sells non-optical & mixed-signal sensor division to Infineon for €570M - optics.org/news/17/1/49
#opticsorg #photonics #sensors #imaging

Quantum is moving from theory to deployment. ⚛️
SPIE Quantum West 2026 showcased Quantum 2.0 scalable, applied tech for real-world systems. The winter Quantum Focus covers key breakthroughs, funding wins, and photonic advances shaping quantum’s future. optics.org/quantum

#Quantum #Photonics #SPIE

Panoramic view of Mount Baker near a fire lookout tower, with snow-capped peaks and surrounding lush green forests under a clear blue sky.

ULTRASIP, mounted on a tripod, set up on a rooftop with mountains in the background.

ULTRASIP, a new tool from the University of Arizona, could detect wildfire smoke by tracking how it alters sunlight’s polarization, helping spot fires even when they’re out of sight.

Learn about this project in the latest issue of #PhotonicsFocus! ➡️ spie.org/news/photon...

Free copy of the Laser WoP show focus magazine. Latest news from the photonics industry, interviews and products. We'll be reporting from the laser show all week. booth B2. 549. Come by and say hi. - optics.org/focus/prod25... #LASERWorldOfPHOTONICS #WorldOfPhotonicsCongress #opticsorg

Promotional image for SPIE Optics + Photonics event, featuring a scenic view of San Diego's skyline at sunrise, with bold text stating 'PLAN TO ATTEND,' event dates '3-7 August,' and location 'San Diego, California.'

#SPIEOpticsPhotonics is approaching fast! 🔆

With a new astronomy symposium and top quantum, nano, and organic photonics research, San Diego will leave you inspired. ⚛️ Join us from 3-7 August!

Browse the program: spie.org/conferences...

Promotional poster for Quantum West at SPIE Photonics West, featuring an artistic representation of quantum technology with 'Call for Papers' text and a deadline of July 9.

Attention #quantum researchers! 🚨⚛️💡

The SPIE #PhotonicsWest Quantum West #CallForPapers is open. Conferences cover topics such as quantum information systems, quantum communications, quantum sensing, and more.

Abstracts due 9 July.

Find the right place for your work: spie.org/conferences...

LMU Munich develops ultrathin components that capture light better - Atomically layered systems promise smaller, more efficient photonic parts. optics.org/news/16/5/45
#optics #nano #physics #nanophotonics

Infrared contact lens gives wearers vision in the dark -USTC project puts photosensitive nanoparticles into lenses adding infrared- to visible-light perception. optics.org/news/16/5/39
#nano #lens #infrared

Zeiss and Tesa partner on large-scale holographic technology - Agreement targets mass production of functional holographic films, with key aim being automotive windshields. optics.org/news/16/5/36
#zeiss #tesa #holography #holographic #automotive #optics