GRACE KLONOSKI
Students from around the globe will congregate this month for the first International Summer Session cosponsored by The Optical Society (OSA), the OSA Foundation, and the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP). The session, to be held from July 31 – August 5 in the Chinese city of Changchun, will focus on Lasers and their Applications.
“The International Summer Session is a prime example of how OSA is growing its programming to provide optics and photonics education to a global audience,” said OSA President Christopher Dainty, The National University of Ireland, Galway, a member of the OSA-CIOMP joint advisory committee. “It also provides an opportunity to bring renowned speakers from around the world to an audience of students who might not otherwise have the chance to see these presenters. We are looking forward to kicking off this program this summer in Changchun.” Other Advisory Committee members include: Qihuang Gong, Peking University, China; Yongqiang Ning, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, China; Anthony E. Siegman, Stanford University, USA; Eric Van Stryland, CREOL, University of Central Florida, USA; Lijun Wang, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, China; and Minlin Zhong, Tsinghua University, China.
“The summer session program marks the first collaboration between OSA and CIOMP and the first time OSA has jointly managed a program of this kind,” explains Kristin K. Mirabal, OSA director of Global Programs. “Students will have the opportunity to further their education and to interact with instructors, local professors and fellow students. They will also be able to present their research and get feedback from a faculty of distinguished laser scientists.”
Program sessions will include lectures from invited speakers, presentations from local industry personnel and scientists, a student poster session, and ample time for networking. The lecturers will each present multiple times during the week on various subjects. Confirmed speakers and their topics are:
- Federico Capasso, Harvard University, USA: “Quantum Cascade Lasers: Widely Tailorable Light Sources from the Mid-Infrared to Sub-Millimeter Waves” and “Sub-Wavelength Photonics: From Light Manipulation to Quantum Levitation at the Nanoscale”
- Peter Delfyett, University of Central Florida, CREOL, USA: “Ultrafast Coherent Optical Signal Processing: Key Technologies and Applications”
- James S. Harris, Stanford University, USA: “Heterojunctions and Epitaxy: The Foundations of Photonics” and “Si based Photonics”
- David A.B. Miller, Stanford University, USA: “Rationale and Devices for Optical Interconnects to Chips” and “Nanoscience and Nanotechnology for Advanced Interconnect Devices”
- Irina T. Sorokina, Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Norway: (topic TBA), and
- Peter Unger, University of Ulm, Germany: “Physics and Technology of Edge-Emitting High-Power Semiconductor Lasers” and “Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and Semiconductor Disk Lasers.”
Participants will also have an opportunity to explore Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province in China’s central Northeast Plain. The city, which is a political, economic, cultural and transportation center, is a popular destination for tourists who are drawn by the scenic mountains and the Jingyue Lake National Forest Park.
Founded in 1952, the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is a multi-disciplinary and comprehensive research institute engaged in fundamental, applied fundamental, engineering technology and high-tech industrialization research. Covering the main disciplines of luminescence, applied optics, optical engineering, precision mechanics and instruments, CIOMP has 13 research departments, laboratories and centers, including the State Key Laboratory of Applied Optics, National Engineering Research Center for Optics Mechanics Quality and the Key Laboratory of Excited State Processes 9CAS). CIOMP has created more than 10 of the "Firsts in China," such as the first ruby laser and the first large theodolite. More than 1700 research projects have been completed; 450 of these have been awarded the Special Prize of the National Science and Technology Advancement. CIOMP had been honored as "The Cradle of China’s Optics" for its contributions to China’s science and technology development, economic construction and social progress.
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.
The OSA Foundation (OSAF) was established in 2002 to support philanthropic activities that help further the Optical Society's (OSA) mission by concentrating its efforts on programs that advance youth science education, provide optics and photonics education to underserved populations, provide career and professional development resources and support awards & honors that recognize technical and business excellence. The grants funded by the OSA Foundation are made possible by the generous donations of its supporters, as well as the dollar-for-dollar match from OSA. For more information, visit www.osa-foundation.org.
Grace Klonoski is the Senior Director, Foundation, Membership & Education Services for the Optical Society of America, 2010 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20036; e-mail: [email protected]; www.osa-foundation.org.