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OSA News Releases

Welcome to the OSA News Releases page. This page contains news from the Optical Society, including research highlights from OSA's journals, conference news, award announcements and more. Sort releases by category below to see all the news releases in a particular area.

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News Releases

Sean R. Bagshaw Joins OSA as Chief Information Officer
09 January 2009
The Optical Society (OSA) announced today that Sean R. Bagshaw has joined its staff as chief information officer (CIO). In this position, Bagshaw will oversee the information technology department and work with the executive team to enhance innovative technology at OSA.
Engineering Algae to Make Fuel Instead of Sugar
17 December 2008
In a paper in a special energy issue of Optics Express, the Optical Society’s (OSA) open-access journal, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley describe a method for using microalgae for making biofuel.
Enhancing Solar Cells with Nanoparticles
17 December 2008
A paper in a special energy issue of Optics Express, the Optical Society’s (OSA) open-access journal, describes a relatively new approach to solar cells: lacing them with nanoscopic metal particles. As the authors describe in the article, this approach has the potential to greatly improve the ability of solar cells to harvest light economically.
The Green (and Blue, Red, and White) Lights of the Future
17 December 2008
A revolution in energy-efficient, environmentally-sound, and powerfully-flexible lighting is coming to businesses and homes, according to a paper in latest special energy issue of Optics Express, the Optical Society’s (OSA) open-access journal.
OSA Congratulates Member Steve Chu on Secretary of Energy Nomination
16 December 2008
The Optical Society (OSA) congratulates Steve Chu, OSA honorary member and award winner, for his nomination to secretary of energy by President-elect Barack Obama.
Optical Society Selects Two New Honorary Members
12 December 2008
The Optical Society (OSA) Board of Directors has selected two new honorary members of the society. Roy J. Glauber and Theodor Wolfgang Haensch were chosen for their extraordinary contributions to the field of optics.
OSA's OpticsForKids Web Site Receives Parents' Choice Foundation Award
02 December 2008
The Optical Society’s (OSA) youth education Web site, OpticsForKids.org, recently received the Recommended Award by the Parents’ Choice Foundation for the Fall of 2008.
Supercontinuum Generation and Soliton Dynamics Milestone Achieved
21 November 2008
A research team led by Fetah Benabid, University of Bath, has observed for the first time the simultaneous emission of two resonant dispersive waves by optical solitons (waves that maintain their shape while traveling at constant speeds).
OSA, DPG Name David J. Wineland Winner of First Herbert Walther Award
20 November 2008
The Optical Society (OSA) and the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG) are proud to announce the inaugural Herbert Walther Award will be presented to David J. Wineland of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for his seminal contributions to quantum information physics and metrology, and the development of trapped ion techniques for applications to basic quantum phenomena, plasma physics and optical clocks.
Improved Spectrometer Based on Nonlinear Optics
12 November 2008
Scientists at Stanford University and Japan’s National Institute of Informatics have created a new highly sensitive infrared spectrometer. The device converts light from the infrared part of the spectrum to the visible part, where the availability of superior optical detectors results in strongly improved sensing capabilities.