| The young, star-forming region NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula, captured in infrared light by the NIRCam instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope. [Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI] |
As it wraps up its first year of science operations, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is generating breathtaking images and spectra that surprise and delight both scientists and the general public. The cover story in the July/August issue of Optica’s Optics and Photonics News (OPN) looks at JWST’s “better-than expected” performance and considers some of its early discoveries and lessons.
Although now a cultural star in its own right, the observatory was once derided as “the telescope that ate astronomy” for its budget overruns and launch delays, generating controversy about whether its value could be worth the trouble. As Optica President Michal Lipson writes in her President’s Message also in the July/August issue, JWST’s stunning success after more than three decades of painstaking development is a testament to the diligence and dedication required for the long journey to scientific discovery. |
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| Image Credit: Getty Images |
| A June 2023 article in the Discover Optica blog explores the importance of quantum information science and technology (QIST) and how it is poised to change the world. To harness QIST’s potential, we need a breadth and depth of talent that is difficult to recruit and retain. |
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| Image Credit: Holger Schmidt, ECE Department, University of California, Santa Cruz |
| A recent news release featuring work published in Optica describes new signal-processing techniques used with an optofluidic biosensor chip to detect a mixture of nanobeads across concentrations that varied by eight orders of magnitude. |
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| Image Credit: Milana Kendrisic, Medical University of Vienna in Austria |
| In this featured article from Optics Letters, researchers have shown that a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diode could offer a less expensive light source for swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT). This advance could lead to ophthalmologic OCT systems that are practical for use outside the clinic, even at home. |
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| Image Credit: Optica |
Voting is now open for the 2024 Optica Vice President and two Directors at Large. Instructions to access your ballot were sent on 12 July 2023 via Survey and Ballot Systems (SBS). The election will remain open until 08 September 2023. To learn more about the candidates, visit optica.org/vote, and then take a few moments to cast your ballot sent by SBS. The ballot is fully accessible from your smartphone/mobile device. Questions related to the Optica elections should be sent to voting@optica.org.
Results will be announced during the Optica Annual Business Meeting on 10 October 2023 in Tacoma, Washington, USA. |
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 Image Credit: Cather Simpson |
| Senior Member Insights |
| OPN talks with Cather Simpson, a physicist and chemist at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and a partner at Pacific Channel, Ltd. |
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 Image Credit: Getty Images |
| Making A Difference |
| The Optica Board of Directors recognizes new Senior Members for their experience and professional accomplishments in optics and photonics. |
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 Image Credit: Optica |
| Call for Nominations |
| Celebrate the outstanding achievements of your colleagues. Nominees that reflect and support diversity across all areas are especially encouraged. |
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 Image Credit: Getty Images |
| Enroll Today. |
| Opt-in for automatic renewal in the "Membership" section of My Account Your membership will be automatically renewed before its next expiration date. |
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