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19 October 2012
Frontiers in Optics 2012 Wraps up in Rochester with Increased Attendance
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lyndsay Meyer
The Optical Society
+1.202.416.1435
lmeyer@osa.org
Frontiers in Optics 2012 Wraps up in Rochester with Increased Attendance
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19, 2012—The Optical Society’s (OSA) Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics 2012, wrapped up Rochester, N.Y. yesterday, featuring nearly 900 presentations over five days—96 years after OSA was founded in this very city. Collocated with the American Physical Society Division of Laser Science’s annual meeting, Laser Science XXVIII, FiO brought together more than 1,700 attendees—a significant increase over last year—covering the latest advances in all areas of optics and photonics – from adaptive optics and optical sensing to silicon photonics and quantum information science.
The first day of the conference featured a variety of short courses on timely optics topics, as well as a tribute to Emil Wolf—a well-known optics luminary whose work at the University of Rochester and elsewhere has had a considerable impact on the optics community today.
The second day kicked off with a Plenary Session and Awards Ceremony, showcasing presentations from five world-renowned researchers in optics and beyond. OSA’s Frederic Ives Medal Winner Marlan Scully discussed quantum photocells, followed by APS’s Schawlow Award Winner Michael Fayer of Stanford, who covered ultrafast 2D IR vibrational echo spectroscopy. Attendees were then treated to a special guest keynote presentation by Al Goshaw, a Duke University researcher who worked directly on the likely discovery of the Higgs boson particle that rocked the physics world this summer. Rounding out the session were David Williams of the University of Rochester and Paul Corkum of Canada’s NRC and University of Ottawa, who discussed retinal imaging and attosecond photonics, respectively.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the show floor was abuzz with the latest products and features from 80 leading optics and photonics companies. The exhibits were supplemented by enlightening programming, including a Town Hall discussion with key members of the National Academy of Sciences’ Harnessing Light Committee, as well as an intimate conversation with IDEX Optics & Photonics President Michael Cumbo as part of OSA’s Executive Speaker Series.
Networking opportunities were plentiful with several receptions—including OSA’s disco-themed member reception—as well as more formal opportunities at the Minorities and Women of OSA breakfast featuring Digital Rochester’s 2012 Tech Woman of the Year Jennifer Kruschwitz, OSA’s Network of Entrepreneurs session, the OSA Foundation breakfast, and a luncheon for OSA Fellows.
Highlighted technical session papers included a new technique for halting the progression of myopia in children, the use of pure spider silk in optical applications like biosensors, detection of explosives using a laser pointer and Raman spectroscopy, a new 3-D handheld scanner for point-of-care diagnostics, and the first report of a direct violation of Heisenberg’s famous uncertainty principle.
Back by popular demand, registered technical attendees have free access to recorded sessions from more than 40 percent of the technical conference. In addition, all conference papers are now accessible through OSA’s Optics InfoBase.
Next year, OSA begins its road trip to the 100th anniversary of the society – first stop: Orlando, Fla. for Frontiers in Optics 2013, Oct. 6-10.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Photos from FiO 2012 are available to members of the media upon request. Contact Lyndsay Meyer, lmeyer@osa.org.
About the Meeting
Frontiers in Optics (FiO) 2012 is the Optical Society’s (OSA) 96th Annual Meeting and is being held together with Laser Science XXVIII, the annual meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Laser Science (DLS). The two meetings unite the OSA and APS communities for five days of quality, cutting-edge presentations, fascinating invited speakers and a variety of special events spanning a broad range of topics in optics and photonics—the science of light—across the disciplines of physics, biology and chemistry. FiO 2012 will also offer a number of Short Courses designed to increase participants’ knowledge of a specific subject in the optical sciences while offering the experience of insightful teachers. An exhibit floor featuring leading optics companies will further enhance the meeting. More information at www.FrontiersinOptics.org.
About OSA
Uniting more than 180,000 professionals from 175 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.
