Everything plus lasers

June 13, 2016

Given the name of our magazine, we are often called on to explain what other technologies we cover.

Given the name of our magazine, we are often called on to explain what other technologies we cover. Our reply is the logic behind our cover tagline: Photonics Technologies & Solutions for Technical Professionals Worldwide. In our magazine editorial calendar for the year and on our website, we divide our coverage into seven broad topic categories since we know our engineering audience thinks first of technologies and related products: Detectors & Imaging, Lasers & Sources, Optics, Fiber Optics, Bio-Optics (our BioOptics World site), Software & Accessories (including positioning and support), and Test & Measurement (including spectroscopy and research). It's a simplified and accessible way of presenting information and covering the ever-growing number of applications, including those that may involve multiple photonics technologies.

Our cover story illustrates my point—effective vibration control (a positioning technology) is critical to photonics applications such as fabrication of silicon photonics components, two-photon polymerization of 3D structures, and super-resolution microscopy (see page 29). Other features in this issue center on optics (multiband coated filters; see page 50), bio-optics (optical coherence tomography; see page 35), fiber optics and sources (supercontinuum generation; see page 45), and lasers (deep-UV diode lasers; see page 39).

We also keep our eye on photonics markets. Although most of our business coverage appears on our website, we continue our series of OSA interviews this issue with entrepreneur and head of Thorlabs, Alex Cable (see page 25). And in the Business Forum on the last page (see page 64), I introduce our updated LFW Photonics Market Financials, which can be found on our website. I hope this photonics stock market index proves useful for tracking photonics-related public companies. So far this year, the index is beating both NASDAQ and the Technology sector.

About the Author

Conard Holton | Editor at Large

Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.