On 24 August, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, launched its Optics + Photonics Digital Forum with more than 6,700 registered attendees on day one and the expectation of even more attendees joining throughout the week. That morning's activities included live plenaries by ultrafast laser pioneer Ursula Keller; CNRS Research Director Hélène Perrin; Cornell University's Gennady Shvets; Yale University's Hui W. Cao; and the University of Toronto's Edward H. Sargent.
On the first day of the forum there were more than 3,700 views of conference presentations, and a considerable amount of discussion among attendees from around the world via Zoom and Slack channels.
The online conference, which runs through Friday, 28 August, includes over 1,200 on-demand technical presentations, 300 posters, and 900 manuscripts across three tracks: Nanoscience and Engineering Applications, Organic Photonics and Electronics, and Optical Engineering and Applications. There is a digital exhibition space with product demos showcasing the latest in optics and photonics technologies. In addition to the technical sessions, live networking activities and panel discussions are planned throughout the week to help people connect and explore ideas.
Also available for viewing during the Forum is the Society's Annual General Meeting, during which Microsoft's Bernard Kress was inducted into the SPIE presidential chain and new board members announced.
In addition, SPIE is offering a program of affordable, continuing-education courses covering related topics, including "Practical Optical System Design," "Optical Materials, Fabrication, and Testing for the Optical Engineer," and "Optical Elements with Adhesives."
"Of course, we wish we were meeting in person in San Diego for what is traditionally known as ‘the SPIE annual meeting,'" says SPIE Senior Director of Technical Programs and Proceedings Marilyn Gorsuch. "But we are delighted to offer our Optics + Photonics Digital Forum to all registered attendees and authors at no charge during this challenging time. We appreciate that our community crosses the globe and multiple time zones, and many are juggling difficult circumstances. By offering over 1,200 presentations on-demand with discussions, our community has easy access to the latest in photonics research as well as opportunities to connect with friends and colleagues."
Registration for the Digital Forum is free and includes ongoing access to all its content via the SPIE Digital Library.
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