PODCAST: April 14, 2026 Light News

This episode of Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast features our Light News photonics news roundup for April 14, 2026.
April 14, 2026
2 min read
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In this edition of Following the Photons' Light News:

Researchers in Hong Kong developed a metasurface-based optical learning machine that boosts optical neural network scalability.  

Existing fiber-optic cables underground and under the sea in much of Europe could soon become more than just lines of communication. Thanks to a new initiative, they could someday double up as environmental monitoring sensor networks, too.

A new AI nanophotonic chip is showing promise to surpass the speed of those based on electrons to complete computations on a picosecond timescale.

Hailed a “Swiss army knife” for photonic integrated circuits (PICs), new optical waveguide microresonators are showing enormous potential for things like on-chip sensor technologies, telecommunications, metrology, and quantum information processing.

Using a Raman spectroscopy approach, a team of scientists can now safely examine and analyze Charles Darwin’s famous animal specimens without even opening their 200-year-old preservation jars.


Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast dives deep into the fascinating world of photonics and optics. Join us as we bring you the latest news and insights from the forefront of the photonics industry. Our episodes feature interviews and discussions with industry and research experts, providing valuable perspectives on the issues, technologies, and trends shaping the photonics community.

Be sure to subscribe to Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast on Podbean, or wherever you find quality podcasts.

About the Author

Justine Murphy

Multimedia Director, Digital Infrastructure

Justine Murphy is the multimedia director for Endeavor Business Media's Digital Infrastructure Group. She is a multiple award-winning writer and editor with more 20 years of experience in newspaper publishing as well as public relations, marketing, and communications. For nearly 10 years, she has covered all facets of the optics and photonics industry as an editor, writer, web news anchor, and podcast host for an internationally reaching magazine publishing company. Her work has earned accolades from the New England Press Association as well as the SIIA/Jesse H. Neal Awards. She received a B.A. from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

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