SPIE Photonics West 2015
excites with neurology, 3D printing,
and silicon photonics
GAIL OVERTON, JOHN WALLACE,
and BARBARA GOODE
SPIE Photonics West has always been
the go-to conference for new and ex-
citing technological breakthroughs
in the field of photonics. This year,
as we enter the 2015 International
Year of Light, SPIE Photonics West
takes a more detailed look at neurology, 3D printing, and silicon photonics—some of the hottest buzzwords
and buzz phrases in the photonics
industry today—that have vast, far-
reaching implications for the future
of our society.
Imagine being able to probe, study,
and even modify the brain’s behavior
using light (can you say “optogenet-
ics”?). Now envision using light to print
brain matter and other biological tis-
sues for life-saving repairs and mind-
altering benefits (are you thinking “3D
printing”?). And finally, imagine us-
ing light to communicate faster than
ever before using ultra-tiny circuits
that circumvent cumbersome, bulk-
optic devices and interconnect bottle-
necks with faster-than-light photonic
circuitry (have you
heard of “silicon
photonics”?).
These and numerous other wonders of
the photonics world
are hurtling toward
you at SPIE Photonics
West 2015 (with 8%
more technical papers than last year)
from February 7 to
12 in San Francisco.
These wonders take the form of plenary sessions, papers, exhibits, and res-
taurant conversations with photonic
gurus and wanna-be gurus hungry to
learn more about how photonics can
positively impact our world.
“With the recent commitment of
more funds toward the White House
BRAIN Initiative and experts com-
ing to Photonics West from all over
the world—including several from the
Britton Chance Center for Biomedical
Photonics at the Wuhan National Lab
for Optoelectronics—
presentations will rep-
resent not only the latest
work, but a heightened
sense of direction and
drive,” says SPIE pub-
lic relations manager
Amy Nelson. “Integrated photonics
for next-generation computing is an
important area to watch as well, and
speakers from companies including
IBM, Intel, and Corning will be among
those presenting their latest work and
directions.
“Translational research has been
quickly adopted by those in the bio-
medical optics community looking
for ways to speed the delivery of new
treatments and diagnostic methods to
the patient, and the number of papers
Twenty-thousand photonics technologists
and executives will unite at the 2015 SPIE
Photonics West conference this February in
San Francisco to explore, among many other
things, how photonics could potentially
improve, repair, and communicate with the
brain using light.
The BiOS Hot
