• Technical Conference:  23 – 26 September 2024
  • Science + Industry Showcase:   24 – 25 September 2024
  • Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado, USA

2023 Science + Industry Showcase

The Science + Industry Showcase

FiO LS is where science and applications intersect, and nowhere is this collision more realized than in the Science + Industry Showcase — an exhibition that introduces the technologies of tomorrow built with the research of today.

This is where exhibiting companies are partnered with industry- and advocacy-focused show floor programs, innovative demonstrations, networking events and poster presentations.

Learn about new products, find technical and business solutions and gain the most up-to-date market perspective of your industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit companies representing a broad range of the best products and applications in the optics and photonics industry. 

Exhibit Hall Activities

Optica Career Fair

Monday, 09 October 12:30 – 15:30
Science + Industry Showcase, Booth 413

Join us for the FiO LS Career Fair, where job seekers gain visibility with top companies, explore diverse opportunities and network with peers; and employers meet industry talent and enjoy promotional perks like logo placement, online listings and job postings.

Monday: 12:30 - 16:30
Tuesday: 10:00 - 15:30
Wednesday: 10:00 - 15:30

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with industry professionals and advance your career.

Learn more. >

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Starting Point: Meet the Exhibitors
NextGen Lounge

Monday, 09 October 13:00 – 13:15
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

Engage with members from our industry team as well as Optica Ambassadors whom will guide you through the Science and Industry Showcase. You’ll meet at the NextGen Lounge to hear some tips on making your interactions with exhibitors more effective. From there, you’ll break out into groups and explore!

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Lens Tolerancing for Success!

Monday, 09 October 13:15 – 14:00
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

Join Rick Plympton from Optimax to learn about the fundamentals of optical component tolerancing with examples of what can go wrong and an overview of manufacturing standards.

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Black in Optics Meetup

Monday, 09 October 14:15 – 14:45
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

This meetup is designed to support black scientists in optics and photonics. Hear from 2023 Optica  Ambassador, Joshua Burrow, Brown University, on how to maximize opportunities in the field for optimum success as a researcher.

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Managing Stress in Unprecendented Times

Monday, 09 October 14:30 – 15:30
Science + Industry Showcase, Booth 409

Presenter: Ruth Rodgers

From cutting-edge technical courses to professional development workshops, an Optica Membership has something for you at every stage of your career — from student to retiree.

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Latin Americans in Optics Meetup

Monday, 09 October 15:00 – 15:30
NextGen Lounge, Science & Industry Showcase

This meetup is designed to support Latin American scientists in optics and photonics. Hear from Ambassadors, Perla Marlene Viera Gonzalez and Samuel Serna Otalvaro, on how to maximize opportunities in the field for optimum success as a researcher.

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Asians in Optics Meetup

Tuesday, 10 October 10:00 – 10:30
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

This meetup is designed to support Asian scientists in optics and photonics. Hear from 2022 Ambassador, Sangyeon (Fred) Cho, Massachusetts General Hospital, on how to maximize opportunities in the field for optimum success as a researcher.

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Plenary Q&A - NextGen Lounge

Tuesday, 10 October 11:30 – 12:00
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

Adaptive optics is a technology used in the last decades in vision and ophthalmology. Pablo Artal, University of Murcia, will present a historical perspective of the field with emphasis in the current efforts to develop wearable devices for both vision testing and correction. The Plenary will occur from 10:30 – 11:30. Q&A will happen at the NextGen Lounge from 11:30 – 12:00.

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Tech Talk: The Engineering of Industrial Laser Products

Tuesday, 10 October 11:30 – 12:30
Science + Industry Showcase, Booth 409

Presenter: Michael Mielke

From cutting-edge technical courses to professional development workshops, an Optica Membership has something for you at every stage of your career — from student to retiree. 

 

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Career Perspectives Roundtable: Academia

Tuesday, 10 October 12:00 – 12:45
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

This session will provide you with multiple perspectives on academia as a career path. You’ll hear from three Optica Ambassadors on their journeys, challenges and strategies for success. Speakers include Mitchell Cox, University of the Witwatersrand and Mateusz Szatkowski, Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

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Quantum Systems Out-of-the-Lab: Successes, Challenges and Opportunities

Tuesday, 10 October 12:15 – 13:15
Science + Industry Showcase Theater

This panel discusses the state and outlook of deployed quantum systems among industry leaders. There is tremendous excitement around the disruptive potential of quantum-enabled systems, from computers to sensors and from clocks to networks. While laboratory-grade prototypes teach us what is possible, the real value will come from deployed or “out-of-the-lab” devices. Results from early demonstrations and the challenges going forward will be discussed, as well as an industry perspective on timelines and opportunities. While the quantum 2.0 revolution is nascent, real-world demonstrations are happening fast, and the pace is accelerating.

Moderator

Scott Davis, CEO and Cofounder, Vescent, USA

Panelists

Chris Haimberger, Director of Laser Technology, Toptica, USA

Corey McClelland, Chief Revenue Officer, Qubitekk, USA

Mehdi Namazi, Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder, Qunnect, USA

Mark Wippich, Principal, MPW, USA

Chris Wood, Chief Technology Officer, Infleqtion, USA

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Tech Talk: Femtosecond Laser Cleaving of Polymers Using a Non-Diffracting Beam

Tuesday, 10 October 12:30 – 13:30
Science + Industry Showcase, Booth 409

Presenter: llya Tkachuk

From cutting-edge technical courses to professional development workshops, an Optica Membership has something for you at every stage of your career — from student to retiree. 

 

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Optica President Meet and Greet

Tuesday, 10 October 13:00 – 13:30
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

Optica President Michal Lipson is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering and Professor of Applied Physics at Columbia University. Lipson pioneered critical building blocks in the field of Silicon Photonics, which today is recognized as one of the most promising directions for solving the major bottlenecks in microelectronics. Hear from the current Optica President on her journey in optics and the steps she took along the way.

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Outreach and Gender Equity in Pakistan

Tuesday, 10 October 13:30 – 14:30
Science + Industry Showcase, Booth 409

Dr. Imrana Ashraf, Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan, discusses her outreach efforts around gender equity in Pakistan. Imrana, a devoted scientist and educator, was a recipient of the 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Advocacy Recognition for her tireless work to promote optics and photonics careers in emerging economy nations, with a special emphasis on women, the transgender community and rural areas.

Learn more about her efforts at optica.org/divrec.

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NextGen Innovators: Engineering a Greener Future in Tech

Tuesday, 10 October 13:45 – 15:30

In an exhilarating collaboration with the NSF, MIT and BSU, we're diving into the vibrant world of integrated circuits, spotlighting how our emerging generation of engineers is revolutionizing sustainability from the ground up. Samuel Serna Otalvaro, Bridgewater State University, will discuss how as the digital age propels forward, there's an unmatched urgency to address every environmental facet: from the ethics of raw material sourcing to innovative methods in electronic waste recycling.

Blending cutting-edge expertise with core sustainability principles, today's young researchers are not just advancing optics and nanofabrication; they're crafting a greener, brighter future for the realm of integrated circuits with principles that could be extended to any other industry.

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What Chatbots Mean for Scientific Publishing

Tuesday, 10 October 13:45 – 14:30
Science + Industry Showcase Theater

ChatGPT triggered a conversation around increasingly intelligent chatbots based on large-language models and the potential impact on society — good or bad. But what do they mean for scientific publishing? This panel brings together Optica Publishing Group editors, authors and reviewers to discuss the use of chatbots and other generative AI tools for writing research articles, peer review, publishing and new standards for accountability. Join the conversation on this important and evolving topic.

Moderator

Kelly Cohen, Senior Publisher, Optica Publishing Group, USA

Panelists

Amol Choudhary, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India

Alexander Gaeta, David M. Rickey Professor of Applied Physics and Materials Science, Columbia University, USA

Mengjie Yu, Assistant Professor, University of Southern California, USA

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Tech Talk: LiDAR, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Systems, Free Space Optical (FSO) Satellite Links

Tuesday, 10 October 14:30 – 15:30
Science + Industry Showcase, Booth 409

Presenter: Eugene Sokalau. From cutting-edge technical courses to professional development workshops, an Optica Membership has something for you at every stage of your career — from student to retiree.

Note: The Optica Member Happy Hour is presented during this time.

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Career Perspectives Roundtable: Industry

Tuesday, 10 October 14:45 – 15:30
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

Get multiple perspectives on industry as a career path. You’ll hear from three Optica Ambassadors on their journeys, challenges and strategies for success. Speakers include Fae Gholami, IBM, and Gabrielle Thomas, Menlo Systems.

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State of the Industry

Tuesday, 10 October 14:45 – 15:30
Science + Industry Showcase Theater

Join an insightful discussion from laser and optics industry leaders about current and future opportunities and challenges facing the industry. Panelists discuss the new post-pandemic supply chain issues, what problems the research community should be working on and other topics. 

Moderator

Amy Eskilson, President and CEO, Inrad Optics, USA

Panelists

Sandra Biedron, Executive Director and CEO of the Directed Energy Professional Society, USA

Jim Kafka, Fellow and CTO, MKS Instruments, Inc. I Spectra-Physics, USA

Eric Mottay, President, Amplitude Laser Group, France

Gregory Quarles, CEO and Board Member, Applied Energetics, Inc., USA

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Meet the Optica Foundation Team

Wednesday, 11 October 10:00 – 10:30
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

Did you know that the Optica Foundation offers over 60 programs to the community each year? These opportunities include travel grants, scholarships and fellowships, and are designed to support students, early and established career professionals. Hear from members of the team who make the magic happen.

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Tech Talk: Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

Wednesday, 11 October 11:30 – 12:30
Science + Industry Showcase, Booth 409

Presenter: Ilirjana Anna Sino Toptani Mariani, PhD

From cutting-edge technical courses to professional development workshops, an Optica Membership has something for you at every stage of your career — from student to retiree.

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Plenary Q&A - NextGen Lounge

Wednesday, 11 October 11:30 – 12:00
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

Following her Plenary talk, Karen Trentelman, Getty Conservation Institute, will discuss how the scientific analysis of works of art is carried out to answer questions related to artist’s technique, provenance, historic technologies, and material properties. Utilizing primarily non-invasive imaging and spectroscopic techniques, studies on objects ranging from mummies to Medieval manuscripts to paintings by masters such as Rembrandt and van Gogh will be presented. The Plenary will occur from 10:30 – 11:30. Q&A will happen at the NextGen Lounge from 11:30 – 12:00.

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Tech Talk: Optical Access Networks for Broadband Services

Wednesday, 11 October 12:30 – 13:30
Science + Industry Showcase, Booth 409

Presenter: Jun Shan Wey, Distinguished Engineer, Technology Strategy, Architecture and Planning, Verizon, USA

From cutting-edge technical courses to professional development workshops, an Optica Membership has something for you at every stage of your career — from student to retiree.

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Interviewing 101

Wednesday, 11 October 13:45 – 14:30
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

Are you a student entering the job market? Or are you a career professional looking for tips on improving your ability to land a position? Check out this session as 2023 Optica Ambassador, Atrouli Chatterjee, Yale University, shares strategies to help you ace an job interview.

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How to Avoid Common Mistakes in Patent and Trade Secret Laws

Wednesday, 11 October 13:45 – 14:30
Science + Industry Showcase Theater

Discover the important role that patent and trade secret protections play for optics and photonics in the United States and abroad. The session covers the global landscape of patent laws and trade secrets that researchers, scientists and organizations face when considering options for safeguarding their research, inventions and discoveries.

The presentation gives an overview of patent law in the United States and international patenting considerations and treaties, and provides insights using optics-related examples (and others) as case studies that will help you understand the challenges you may face.

Whether you are a student, an established researcher, an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned industry professional, this presentation equips you with the knowledge and tools to understand better — and speak confidently about — patenting considerations you will encounter in the ever-evolving areas of optical and laser research.

Speaker

Alexander Stein, Partner, Morgan Lewis, USA

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Tech Talk: Camera Optics Miniaturization Towards Form Factor AR

Wednesday, 11 October 14:30 – 15:30
Science + Industry Showcase, Booth 409

Presenter: Di Xu

From cutting-edge technical courses to professional development workshops, an Optica Membership has something for you at every stage of your career — from student to retiree.

 

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Outreach on a Tight Budget

Wednesday, 11 October 14:45 – 15:30
Science + Industry Showcase, NextGen Lounge

Are you a student, member of a student chapter or someone looking to impact your local community through science education? Do you find yourself challenged by not having the resources to accomplish this effectively? Perla Viera Gonzalez, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, an expert in community impact, highlights methods to showcase the powers and principles of optics with limited funds.

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