Join us for a day of professional development and networking at IONS+ Quebec – your gateway to the Optica Advanced Photonics Congress.

Professional Development Sessions
Immerse yourself in expert-led talks on scientific communication, presentation skills and effective networking. Optica Ambassadors will help you gain the insights and skills necessary to navigate the congress  with confidence.

Networking with Optica Advanced Photonics Congress Chairs
Engage directly with congress chairs in an exclusive session designed for insightful discussions with luminaries in the quantum field. Benefit from their expertise and broaden your perspective on your career and your meeting experience.

Cultural Exploration
Cap off the day with a unique cultural event curated by the host Optica Student Chapter. Designed to socialize with other students attending the congress, you will strengthen your professional network while enjoying beautiful Quebec.

Machine learning has been successfully applied in many use cases ranging from optical devices to optical networking. Even though there are numerous educational resources available, most do not apply the techniques to problems relevant to the optical field. The gap between theory and practice makes it challenging for early-career engineers and scientists to start applying machine learning for their problems.

Demystifying: Machine Learning – presented by Optica – aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice of applying machine learning to problems relevant to the optical field in an interactive and hands-on way.

Learn more and view the full schedule >>

In the rapidly evolving landscape of optical networking, recent work on coherent transmission, coexistence of digital and analog signals and improved network control from AI can finally break the boundaries between access and metro networks, toward a highly efficient converged architecture. This workshop will explore the vast potential of these technologies in enabling novel network configurations and supporting network evolution beyond 5G.

Part I: How Will Upcoming Optical Access Technology Shape the Access/Metro Network?
This program will address topics such as the role of coherent transmission to develop converged access/metro architectures; bringing  paralleled efficiency, scalability and flexibility in network design and operation; supporting an edge cloud continuum for ubiquitous deployment of edge cloud infrastructure with low latency and high capacity mesh connectivity; the ability to carry heterogeneous transmission formats and services across access and metro network and the technical strategies for ensuring seamless co-existence and interoperability.

Part II: Is the DSP Envisioned for Metro Also Applicable to Access?
This program will discuss technological convergence of access and metro, focusing specifically on expectations and challenges for signal processing to support access/metro integration. This part will cover topics such as low power and low complexity coherent DSP for metro and access; trade-off between premium optics vs. higher complexity DSP and pros and cons of single-carrier vs. multi-carrier coherent technologies.

Join this informal LGTBQ+ Allies networking event and help us ensure this congress contributes to an inclusive community where all belong. Klaus Jäeger, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Germany, and one of the chairs of the Solar Energy and Light Emitting Devices (SOLED) Topical Meeting will host, and Optica Ambassadors will be in attendance. All are welcome.

Monday, 28 July
Session I: 08:00 - 10:00; Session II: 14:00 - 16:00; Session III: 16:30 - 18:00

Wednesday, 30 July
Session IV: 16:30 - 18:30

This symposium, organized by NOMA and SOLED, delves into the forefront of radiative cooling — a groundbreaking concept for passively cooling objects below ambient temperature. The event explores this innovation through advanced nanophotonics, optics and novel materials. Join us as we bring together leading experts, researchers and innovators in the field.

Experience a plenary lecture by Shanhui Fan, Stanford University, USA, and gain insights from a tutorial lecture by Aaswath Raman, University of California, Los Angeles, USA — both distinguished pioneers in the field. Don't miss this unique opportunity to witness the convergence of innovation and the unfolding future of cooling.

The Nonlinear Optics Technical Group invites you to join a special panel discussion during the congress. The group has invited Robert Boyd, University of Ottawa/University of Rochester; Alex Gaeta, Columbia University; Nathalie Vermeulen, Vrije Universiteit Brussel; and Birgit Stiller, Max-Planck-Institut Physik des Lichts, to share their perspectives on recent advancements and future directions in the field of nonlinear optics. We encourage you to submit your questions for our panelists when you RSVP to attend the event.

RSVP to attend. >

Part I: Monday, 29 July, 16:30 - 18:30
Part II: Tuesday, 30 July, 14:00 - 16:00

Symposium on the latest research and development related to the use of fiber optic sensing technologies to perform monitoring and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) under harsh environments. These elements can be low or high temperatures (typically well outside of standards defined for telecommunications), high strain, high pressures, high voltage, high magnetic fields, vibrations, dust, explosive environments and aggressive chemical and biological environments.

Enjoy food and drinks with your friends and colleagues during the congress welcome reception.

Available for Full Technical registrants. Additional guest tickets can be purchased when registering for the meeting; the fee is USD 65.00.

This session will discuss some of the current challenges in advanced photonics manufacturing. Alexander Janta-Polczynski will give a presentation on Advanced Packaging for Chiplets.  

Learn more — view the list of speakers. >

Join us for an engaging session to interact with experts representing diverse career paths — from CEOs to academia. Our panelists will answer a variety of questions, planned and from the audience, providing valuable insights into the diverse career trajectories within the field of photonics.

RSVP to secure your spot. >

Let's build some networks!

Developing a strong professional network around core topics of interest is key to both career and scientific advancement. However, in the growing digital age and rapid advancement of research, it can be challenging to establish new connections while growing existing ones.

To facilitate this, the constituent meetings of the Optica Advanced Photonics Congress (IPR, NOMA, Networks, SPPCom, SOLED) have each selected some recent hot topics. As with the research, these topic descriptions are designed to be crosscutting, intersecting with more than just one meeting area.

In this informal networking session, we encourage attendees to join in on a hot topic area connected to their research, but outside their primary meeting area. This creates an opportunity for attendees to hear new perspectives on these growing areas, meet new researchers and share their thoughts. The leadership of each topical meeting will join each hot topic to facilitate discussions, so make sure to drop by and introduce yourself.

 

BGPP attendees are invited to join colleagues for a special evening event at Pub Chez Murphy’s, a 5-minute walk from the convention center. The event, sponsored by Teraxion, Thorlabs, Sensuron, LumIR Lasers Inc., Photonova Inc. and ITF Technologies, is free for BGPP-registered attendees.

Join this workshop to get up to speed on the industry-standard photonic simulation workflow that works seamlessly with foundry requirements. We show how to design and optimize photonic components and circuits for a particular foundry using the process design kit (PDK) and discuss layout generation options.

This hands-on workshop allows users from both academic and commercial backgrounds to run the demo, but it will also interest those who want to watch. Attendees interested in participating should bring their laptops and come early to upload the software. The workshop will provide a temporary software license that you can use during the workshop.

Learn more — view the list of presenters. >

The 2024 BGPP Topical Meeting continues the long-standing tradition of addressing fundamental and technical issues of immediate and long-term application of Fiber Bragg Gratings and other devices fabricated by laser-matter-interaction. While fundamental aspects will be covered by invited and contributed presentations of the congress, the BGPP Industry Session will address the technical aspects.

Learn more — view the list of speakers. >

Nonlinear photonics offers distinctive prospects for both fundamental research and practical applications, allowing the development of ultracompact nonlinear optical devices operating at low optical powers. It holds potential for various applications, including optical signal processing, wavelength conversion, nonlinear spectroscopy, sensing, quantum information, biophotonics and beyond. While a promising future lies ahead, there are still several challenges to overcome.

The special session will center on addressing these challenges and exploring the future trajectory of nonlinear photonics as a vibrant field of research.

Join fellow congress attendees for a speical evening at the Musée de la civilisation.  Overlooking the port from its seat in Old Quebéc, the museum takes a fresh look at the human experience.

Separate registation is required for this event. Tickets can be purchased for USD 90.00.

The congress concludes with a toast. It's a time to reflect on the week and discuss learnings with fellow attendees.