LWOP MATTHEW PEACH
LASER WORLD OF PHOTONICS 2019 Reflecting Growth In The Photonics Sector
L aser World of Photonics and 27th. Top-level topics such as electromobility and sustainability were as much the focus of this year’s event as new methods in medicine, enabled by modern biophotonics. The parallel World of Photonics Congress was the go-to forum for the international science elite of photonics: Nobel prize-winner in physics Gérard Mourou, quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger, Herbert-Walther award winner Sir Peter Knight, and silicon photonics expert Michal Lipson were just a few examples of the many experts to speak. Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy CEO of Messe München summarised, “2019’s was an impressive Laser expo. A total of 1,325 exhibitors (2017: 1,293), a new record, from 40 countries demonstrated the diversity and importance of photonics from the automotive industry to biophotonics and all the way to the possibilities that lasers provide for global sustainability and climate protection.” Katja Stolle, Exhibition Director, added, “We also achieved a new record among visitors. Approximately 34,000 visitors (2017: 32,700) came to the fair, 60 percent of them from outside of Germany. The number of visitors from the USA and Asia has especially increased.” The application areas of the technologies presented at Laser World 2019 took place at the Messe München between June 24th
The biggest ever Laser 2019 in Munich showcases booming industry, including significant fibre and silicon photonics contributions. Matthew Peach reports.
of Photonics are as diverse as technical research and manufacturing industry, optical fibre and communications are covered within the scope of the conferences and diversity of exhibitors. For example, the opening plenary talk on day one was presented by Professor Michal Lipson, Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering and professor of Applied Physics at Columbia University, New York. She has specialised in this field for more than 20 years. Among many of her discoveries, she has demonstrated the first silicon photonics gigahertz modulator for transmitting electronic signals over large distances with low power. In the main Munich Messe conference hall, Prof. Lipson described how today, silicon photonics is commercialised extensively – way beyond its initial data centre applications. She told the packed audience of several thousand delegates, “silicon photonics has amazed many conventional electronics and photonics scientists who thought it would not amount to much in its early days.”
She added, “By 2000 it was clear that copper wires for computing were consuming way too much power. We often think that the computers were limiting Moore’s Law but it was actually the interconnections between processors and memories. The answer was clear to replace the electronic connectors with optical connecters because light does not dissipate power. Silicon photonics pioneers showed how we could modulate light using a small effect known as plasma dispersion, which we all use today. To make that work, we use a resonator to amplify the effect.” Improved understanding and capabilities led to what Lipson called an “explosion in silicon photonics. She said, “This has all happened in less than a decade. It is now the fastest moving field in physics.” AWARDS The event’s first ever Innovation Award was presented in five categories at this year’s show, with overall winner being Nanoscribe, based near Karlsruhe, Germany. Martin Hermatschweiler, Managing Director of the overall winner Nanoscribe, commented, “After an intensive technical development phase, this is a great distinction for our team and for the outstanding performance of our new maskless lithography system called Quantum X.” Technologies, Cylce, SWIR and Trumpf – also demonstrated the innovative power of photonics with their products in their various areas. The next edition of Laser World of Photonics will be held in Munich from June 21st to 24th, 2021, and the next World of Photonics Congress from June 20th to 24th, 2021. The winners in the individual categories – Civan Advanced
PROFESSOR MICHAL LIPSON
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| ISSUE 18 | Q3 2019
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