The Science & Industry Showcase:
Exhibitors, Posters, Presentations and Demonstrations
The FiO exhibition transforms into the Science & Industry Showcase — in which exhibiting companies are partnered with technology demonstrations, networking events, poster presentations, e-Posters and Rapid-fire Oral Presentations.
Exhibit Hall Activities
Posters, e-Posters and Rapid-fire Oral Presentations
Tuesday, 17 September
10:00 - 15:30
Science & Industry Showcase
More than 500 posters are scheduled for presentation across four sessions, including a select number of e-Posters. In addition, some poster presenters have been selected to offer a rapid-fire oral presentation. This format enables presenters to preview key results from their research in brief, three-minute segments offered in the Science & Industry Showcase Theater. At the conclusion of the Rapid-fire Oral Presentations, presenters return to their posters to facilitate more in-depth discussions.
Wiki Needs the Women of Optics -- Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
Tuesday, 17 September
10:00 - 12:00
Science & Industry Showcase Networking Area
What’s an Edit-a-thon? It’s a community organized event focused on editing, updating, and adding articles on Wikipedia. At FiO we will focus on ensuring the Women of Optics get the pages they deserve.
Fast Facts: Only 18% of the 1.6 million biographies in the English Wikipedia are about women. The figure is lower for people tagged as scientists – 16% of almost 150,000 articles.
You will learn how to create and edit pages and will then have an opportunity to work together to research and write the biographies. Bring your laptop, enthusiasm and passion for honor the women of our field. Instructions, potential honorees and on-site guidance will be provided. No previous experience is needed!
Reaching for the Brightest Light: High Intensity Ultrafast Lasers
Tuesday, 17 September
11:05 - 11:45
Science & Industry Showcase Theater
Since the release of a December 2017 U.S. National Academy of Sciences report on high intensity ultrafast lasers the U.S. community has been organizing to identify science and technology opportunities for new potential capabilities. In March 2019 over a hundred experts from around the world gathered at OSA for a workshop to begin articulating a U.S. strategy in the global context. Learn from workshop Technology Co-Chair Jon Zuegel from the Laboratory for Laser Energetics in Rochester, New York, USA about the meeting’s conclusions and the path forward for the community.
Plenary Presentation: Donna Strickland
Tuesday, 17 September
12:00 - 12:40
Science & Industry Showcase Theater
Generating High-intensity, Ultrashort Optical Pulses
With the invention of lasers, the intensity of a light wave was increased by orders of magnitude over what had been achieved with a light bulb or sunlight. This much higher intensity led to new phenomena being observed, such as violet light coming out when red light went into the material. After Gérard Mourou and I developed chirped pulse amplification, also known as CPA, the intensity again increased by more than a factor of 1,000 and it once again made new types of interactions possible between light and matter. We developed a laser that could deliver short pulses of light that knocked the electrons off their atoms. This new understanding of laser-matter interactions led to the development of new machining techniques that are used used in laser eye surgery or micromachining of glass used in cell phones.
OSA Nonlinear Optics Technical Group Panel Discussion- Transitioning into a Career in Optics
Tuesday, 17 September
12:40 - 13:45
Science & Industry Showcase Networking Area
Join the OSA Nonlinear Optics Technical Group for a special panel discussion on Tuesday afternoon. Our feature panelists, Gabrielle Thomas of M2 Lasers, Govind Agrawal of the University of Rochester and Alison Taylor of OSA Publishing, will share their perspectives on how their skills have translated to the workplace. Following the conclusion of the discussion, attendees are invited to network with colleagues over refreshments. Please RSVP to let us know you will be joining us for this event.
Frontiers in Funding
Tuesday, 17 September
14:00 - 14:45
Science & Industry Showcase Theater
This program, featuring representatives from funding agencies, will provide attendees with the opportunity to hear about the latest in science funding with a focus on the conference themes. Throughout the exhibit attendees will be able to further explore and discuss funding opportunities at agency alley on the show floor.
Meet the APS Physical Review Journal Editors Reception
Tuesday, 17 September
14:00 - 15:30
Science & Industry Showcase Networking Area
The editors of the Physical Review journals invite you to join them for conversation and light refreshments. The editors will be available to answer questions, hear your ideas and discuss any comments about the journals.
Congressional Fellowship Q&A: How Scientists and Engineers can Contribute to Public Policy
Tuesday, 17 September
14:50 - 15:20
Science & Industry Showcase Theater
Hear from PhD scientists and engineers who spent one year working for a member of the U.S. Congress through the Congressional Fellowship program. They will discuss their Congressional Fellowship experience, what they learned about the influence that scientists and engineers can have on public policy, and why it is important for the technical community to be involved.
Fiber Optic Explosions
Wednesday, 18 September
10:00 - 11:00
Science & Industry Showcase Networking Area
The Stanford Optical Society developed fiber optic explosions as a craftable outreach demo to teach students about total internal reflection. It combines plastic optical fibers with a color changing LED into a colorful bouquet that can be worn and shared with friends. An OSA Special Programs Grant funded the first batch of explosions, which were assembled with students at large science expos and smaller elementary school science nights throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Join us for a discussion about the design and impact of this engaging demo and take one home to share with your community.
The U.S.’ Quantum Leap: The National Quantum Initiative
Wednesday, 18 September
11:05 - 11:45
Science & Industry Showcase Theater
In December 2018 the U.S. embarked on a formal Naitonal Quantum Initiative. What has changed since then? Find out from University of Maryland quantum physicist and IonQ founder Christopher Monroe at this session.
Plenary Presentation: Ronald Hanson
Wednesday, 18 September
12:00 - 12:40
Science & Industry Showcase Theater
The Dawn of a Quantum Internet
Entanglement is arguably the most counterintuitive yet potentially most powerful element in quantum theory. Future quantum networks may harness the unique features of entanglement in exciting applications by connecting multi-qubit nodes through photonic channels. Today we are at the brink of realizing the first multi-node quantum networks. This talk discusses the concepts, current status and prospects of quantum internet research.
OIDA / OSAF Professional Development & Networking Lunch and Learn
Wednesday, 18 September
12:45 - 14:15
Science & Industry Showcase Networking Area
This program will provide a unique opportunity for students and early career professionals, who are close to finishing or who have recently finished their doctorate degree, to interact with key industry and academic leaders in the community.
OIDA Leaders include:
Amy Eskilson, President and CEO, Inrad Optics
Tom Tongue, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Toptica Photonics, Inc.
Danielle Wuchenich, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), Liquid Instruments
Jessica Nelson, Director of Technology and Strategy, Optimax Systems
Ken Kaufmann, Business Development, Photonics Management Corp a Hamamatsu company
Students interested in all career paths – from those seeking an academic position, to those wishing to start a technology business, to those interested government/public service, to those looking to translate their bench work skills to product development – are encouraged to attend. Students will have an opportunity to discuss their ongoing research and career plans with the attending leaders, while they will share their professional journey and provide useful tips to those who attend. Lunch will be provided.
Attendees are requested to upload their resume to be shared with the attending leaders. RSVP Here
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Sponsored by 
Social Impact of AR/VR
Wednesday, 18 September
14:00 - 14:40
Science & Industry Showcase Theater
This talk, given by one of the longest continuous users of augmented reality, will explore the social implications of augmented reality, virtual reality and related technologies.
Speaker: Thad Starner, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
OSA Holography and Diffractive Optics Technical Group Networking Session
Wednesday, 18 September
14:15 - 15:30
Science & Industry Showcase Networking Area
As an attendee, you will be asked to indicate your position on the question ‘must AR headsets reproduce accommodation?’ when you enter the networking area, which will help kick-off your conversations with fellow attendees. The session will be a great opportunity to connect with your fellow attendees who share an interest in this field, learn more about this technical group, and provide your input on future technical group activities. Please RSVP to let us know you will be joining us for this event.
Autonomous Platforms: Safety Challenges and Opportunities
Wednesday, 18 September
15:30 - 16:45
Science & Industry Showcase Theater
As autonomous platforms start to move to higher levels of autonomy, there are multiple barriers to full acceptance, and many of them involve the optics and photonics community. Our panel today will explore several of these challenges and how our community can contribute to a safe and more rapid acceptance. Some of the issues involve laser eye-safety and obstacle recognition, both of which are due to multiple sensors on vehicles, and are being explored by many LiDAR-based companies developing these technologies. Other opportunities to be discussed will include the roles of industry in setting standards for sensors on autonomous platforms. Many of these standards for local and global implementation of electronics on autonomous platforms are set by the Society for Automotive Engineers International (SAE) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, and these will be highlighted by this esteemed panel.
Moderator: Anthony Cooke, Luminar, USA
Speakers:
S. William Gouse, Society for Automotive Engineers International, USA
Erwin K. Lau, Exponent, USA