Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

Here's a roundup of some of the most interesting and exciting things happening in the photonics industry!

In this episode, Host Justine Murphy talks with Dr. Talya Vaknin, head of research at LightSolver, a company specializing in laser-based computer processing.  They discussed her work and experiences in the industry, as well as her passion for enriching the world via technological advancements.  

FAMES Pilot Line is the leading initiative under the European Chips Act, and it's helping advance Europe's semiconductor technologies. In this episode of Following the Photons, FAMES coordinator Dominique Noguet talks with Host Justine Murphy about the initiative and related educational training programs, as well as its role in Europe’s ever-advancing semiconductor industry.

This second of a two-part series featuring Giacomo Vacca, founder/president/CEO of Kinetic River, takes a closer look at the company, its history, and many innovations. Giacomo also offers an update on current happenings, what the future holds, and Kinetic River’s place in it.  

This first of a two-part series features Giacomo Vacca, founder, president, and CEO of Kinetic River.  In this episode, he and Host Justine Murphy delve into his background and many notable technology developments and accomplishments, and they take a look back at the experiences he says have helped shape his career.

In this episode, Host Justine Murphy talks with Félicie Albert, director of the Jupiter Laser Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Her years of expertise include work with high-intensity lasers, as well as involvement in LaserNetUS, a network of high-power lasers in North America.  

Host Justine Murphy talked recently with Sebastian Bauer, CEO and co-founder of Ubicept.  With a background in engineering, he says he's always thrived at the intersection of cutting-edge research and real-world innovation. 

There is a lot of growth happening throughout the financial sector of the industry! In this episode, Host Justine Murphy takes a deeper look at some of that growth and its place in the advancement of photonics technologies.  

This edition features Yvain Thonnart, a chief scientist in the digital ICs and systems division of the French research institute CEA-List, where he focuses on areas including networks-on-chip and integrating emerging photonics technologies. He talked recently with Host Justine Murphy about his work at CEA, and his team’s potentially game-changing development of the first dynamically channeled elec...

In this episode, Erin Howard, a research scientist currently working at the University of Washington on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, talks with Host Justine Murphy about their passion for exploring the universe through data, and the excitement in contributing to cutting-edge scientific discoveries.

This episode features Dr. Aleksandra Kaszubowska, an assistant professor of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Trinity College Dublin and an assistant professor and research fellow at the CONNECT Research Center. She talked with Host Justine Murphy about the exciting work her team is doing, as well as her vast research experience and the remarkable path that led to where she is today.

This edition features Host Justine Murphy's chat with Dr. Brian Monacelli, a professor and director of Laser Technology at Pasadena City College in California. He’s also a Principal Optical Engineer and supervisor of the Optical Implementation group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They recently discussed things like the importance of training technicians in hands-on laboratory skills, and he...

This episode features a technical conversation about co-packaged optics, the rapid rise of interest in this technology, and why active alignment is a major manufacturing bottleneck in photonics. The discussion, sponsored by Aerotech, focuses on the company’s new PICAlign approach, developed in collaboration with SENKO and Santec, which aims to improve throughput, quality, and efficiency in optical...

Here's a roundup of some of the most interesting and exciting things happening in the photonics industry!

Host Justine Murphy talked recently with Dr. Judy Wu, the Thomas A. Albright Professor of Chemistry at the University of Houston, where her work has included computational quantum chemistry to study light-activated chemistry.  They discussed her work as a computational and organic chemist and professor, unconventional ways to boost the next generation of scientists, and her contributions toward br...

Here is an interesting interview Host Justine Murphy had recently with Kevin McComber, co-founder and CEO of Spark Photonics Design, and co-founder and executive director of Spark Photonics Foundation, a nonprofit STEM education, workforce development, and outreach organization. He talked about his engineering background and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as his thoughts on the education and work...

This episode features Vivek Raghunathan, co-founder and CEO of Xscape Photonics, a Columbia University spinoff focused on silicon photonics and AI. He has nearly two decades of experience in the silicon photonics sector, including at Intel.  In this chat, he talks with Host Justine Murphy about Xscape Photonics and its innovative work, as well as the role silicon photonics will play in the future...

Jennifer Cable, president of Thorlabs, talked recently with Host Justine Murphy about the company's role in the industry, as well as building an inclusive culture and enhancing employee engagement, while also investing in advanced manufacturing technology and infrastructure.

Here's a roundup of some of the most interesting and exciting things happening in the photonics industry!

In this episode, Host Justine Murphy talks with Kevin Curtis, senior VP of Advanced Optics at Magic Leap, a developer of AR and waveguide technologies. He discusses his passion for AR and his thoughts on the future, and also details Magic Leap’s innovations and their influence on an ever-advancing sector of the photonics industry.  

During SPIE Photonics West last month, host Justine Murphy had the opportunity to talk with many people across the photonics industry, including Dr. Lewis Johnson, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of NLM Photonics. He has more than 18 years of research and development experience in materials and new technologies for photonics and cleantech, and a career that spans entrepreneurship, academia...

This episode features Dr. Patrick Heissler, CEO of SCRONA. He has a doctorate in physics from the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, and has conducted research at institutions including Los Alamos National Lab. In this chat, we covered his current work and initiatives at SCRONA, his involvement in organizations like the Plug and Play Tech Center, and some lessons learned throughout his exten...

This episode features Travis Wood, president of Montana-based Lattice Materials, a company specializing in custom infrared optics using silicon and germanium. He’s also a board member of the Montana Photonics and Quantum Alliance, and works closely with the Photonic and Laser Technology program at Montana State University’s Gallatin College. In this fun chat, he talks with host Justine Murphy abou...

This episode features Barry Silverstein, a seasoned optics and photonics innovator (namely at Meta’s Reality Labs) who recently joined the University of Rochester as director of the school’s Center for eXtended Reality. He talked with host Justine Murphy about the Center and its mission, and delved into the future of AR, VR, and AI.

This edition of Following the Photons features Brian O’Connor, vice president of Growth and Strategy at Aerotech, a globally reaching developer of advanced precision motion control and automation technologies for industries including optics and photonics, precision manufacturing, and life sciences. He recently sat down with our host Justine Murphy at the SPIE Photonics West exhibition in San Franc...