The Optical Society

About Optics

What are Optics and Photonics?

Optics and photonics are specialized fields of physics and engineering.

Optics and Photonics TV

Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science

OSA has partnered with the American Institute of Physics (AIP) to develop television news segments on the latest advances in optics and photonics.

Explore the Science of Light

This interactive education web site is devoted to everything optics! It is a resource for young students, parents, and educators that includes: experiments & tutorials, an optics timeline, career profiles, an optical illusions section and much more!

Lighten Up! Discover the Science of Light

This resource guide is a collaboration between the OSA Foundation and Girl Scouts of the USA.

Optics & Photonics in the News

Biomedical Optics

• What Really Happens During Laser Surgery - Scientific American (Audio)
  
• Lasers Demonstrate the Power to Heal Without Scarring - Scientific American
  
• World's Most Powerful Optical Microscope Lets Researchers See Inside Viruses - Popular Science

Defense & Security

• How Laser Weapons Work - HowStuffWorks.com
• U.S. Navy's Ship-Mounted Laser Weapon - Discover
• 'Star Wars' Meets Reality? Military Testing Laser Weapons - USA Today
• Laser Target Shooting - National Geographic (YouTube video)
• How to Build the Ultimate Naval Defense:  Uber-Powerful Lasers - Discover Magazine

General Optics

• OSA Past President Tom Baer on NPR: The Optics of Setting Leaves Aflame - NPR Science Friday (video)
• Power of Light - National Geographic
• What Happens When You Excite an Atom? - Discovery Channel (video)
  
• Illuminated Life - Discover Magazine
• Gallery: The Top 10 Telescopes of All Time - Popular Science
  
• Electrons Are Incredibly Close to Being Perfect Spheres - Popular Science
  
• The Enduring Mystery of Light - LiveScience

Imaging

• Camera Sees Around Corners - Discovery News
  
• Alternative to X-Rays Uses Visible Light - Discovery News

Invisibility Cloaking

• How Invisibility Cloaks Work - HowStuffWorks.com

LEDs

• Learn About LEDs - EnergyStar.gov
• What Does LED Stand For and How Does it Work?- National Geographic
• The Advantages & Benefits of LED Lighting - National Geographic
  
• Scifri Videos: Painting With Light - NPR Science Friday

Laser Fusion

• Laser Fusion - New Scientist (YouTube video)
• The Power of Light - U.National Ignition Facility & Photon Science
• 192 Lasers, Nuclear Weapons and Fusion Power - Wired (Video)
  
• Laser Could Rival Sun's Energy - LiveScience
  
• Powerful Ideas: Fusing Atoms Just Might Work - LiveScience

Lasers

• How Lasers Work - HowStuffWorks.com
• World's Most Powerful Lasers - Wired Science (YouTube video)
• About Lasers - LaserFest.org
• Pictures: Massive Maya City Revealed by Lasers - National Geographic
• Laser Tricks: Making a New Color - Discovery News
• How Can Lasers Cook Something? - Discovery Channel
• Sci Fi Science: Using Laser Beams - Discovery Channel (video)
  
• How Does Laser Light Differ from Ordinary Light? - Discovery Channel (video)
• Key Moments in the Laser's First Half Century - Scientific American
  
• How Do Rewriteable CDs Work? - Scientific American
  
• Happy Birthday, Lasers: Wired.com's Best Laser Stories - Wired
  
• Harvard Scientists Control and Steer Live Worms Using Laser Light - Popular Science
• Laser Scanning Flyovers of NYC Will Yield Most Accurate 3-D Map - Popular Science
  
• Trick of Light Bends Beams - LiveScience
  
• Fun With Laser Light And Sound - NPR (video)
  
• Happy 50th Birthday to the Laser - CNN.com
  
• Lasers Are Everywhere - CNN.com
  
• Education: How Lasers Work - U.S. National Ignition Facility & Photon Science

Nanophotonics

• Tiniest Lasers Aim for the Optical-Computing Frontier - Laser Focus World
• OSA Board Member Naomi Halas on Nanoshells - CNN (YouTube video)

Optical Fiber Communications

• Fiber Optic Cables: How They Work - Engineer Guy (YouTube video)
  
• The Future Is Calling - National Geographic
  
• How Do Fiber Optic Cables Work? - Discovery Channel (video)
  
• Light-Wave Communications - Scientific American

Quantum optics

• Quantum Physics Overview - About.com
• What Is the Big Deal about Quantum Theory? - Discovery Channel (video)
• What Is Quantum Mechanics Good for? - Scientific American (video)
• How Does Solar Power Work? - Scientific American
• How It's Made - Solar Panels - Discovery Channel (YouTube video)