Invited Speakers |
Prof. Robert Brunner Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena, Germany | |
Speech Title: Nature as Blueprint: Anti-reflective Moth-Eye Principle for Tailored
Optical Functionality | |
Abstract: Minimizing optical reflection across wide spectral ranges and incident
angles remains a key challenge in advanced optical systems—particularly when
environmental stability, material compatibility, and multifunctionality are
required. In this contribution, we present several strategies for combining
broadband, angle-insensitive, and system-specific anti-reflective (AR) surfaces
with volumetric modifications, employing gradient-index architectures, and
adapting to different material platforms. | |
About the Speaker:
Prof. Dr. Robert
Brunner’s research has always focused on the interaction of light with small
structures. After completing his PhD in the field of near-field optical microscopy, he led
the "Microstructured Optics" laboratory at the Research and
Technology Center of Carl Zeiss for more than a decade. During this time, he
gained extensive experience in direct-write laser lithography, interference
lithography, and dry-etching techniques for the fabrication of refractive
micro-optics, spectroscopic gratings, diffractive imaging elements, and
nanostructured anti-reflective coatings. In 2010, he was appointed Professor of
Applied Optics at the University of Applied Sciences Jena, Germany. His current
research focuses on the development and investigation of new concepts in
micro-optical systems, particularly for use in hybrid imaging (refractive-diffractive),
spectral sensing, and multi- or hyperspectral imaging. He has deep expertise in
the fabrication of micro- and nano-optical structures and is also actively
involved in biomimetic optics research.
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Prof.
Domas Paipulas
Vilnius University, Lithuania | |
Speech Title:
Direct
laser writing with UV femtosecond pulses: Advancing Diffraction-Based Photonics
in Transparent Dielectrics
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Abstract:
Direct laser writing (DLW) with ultrafast lasers has
become a staple technology for advanced material processing. However, one
highly sought yet underdeveloped application is the direct recording of
diffractive optical elements (DOEs) in dielectric materials. The challenge to
precisely control the spatial phase distribution is successfully demonstrated
only in bulk recording, where laser-induced tiny changes in optical properties
can be accumulated with multilayer processing. While effective, this method is time-consuming and significantly
limits design flexibility. Using
ultraviolet wavelengths in femtosecond microprocessing offers several
advantages over longer IR pulses. Most notably, UV processing achieves better
focusability with low numerical aperture optics, enabling the creation of
smaller feature sizes (<10 μm) with conventional high-speed laser scanning
setups.
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About the Speaker: Prof.
Domas Paipulas is a scientist with extensive experience in femtosecond
micromachining and serves as the group leader of the Femtosecond Micromachining
Laboratory at Vilnius University’s Laser Research Center (LRC) in Lithuania. He
has been working in this field since 2007 and has played a key role in
establishing the femtosecond machining laboratory at LRC. His primary research
focus is on "Femtomachining for Photonics Applications," which
includes employing ultrafast lasers for laser micromachining, studying
light-matter interactions, developing integrated photonics, designing optical
systems, and more. He has published over 60 papers and is the co-author of two
European patents. |
Prof. Etienne Brasselet CNRS, University of Bordeaux, France | |
Speech Title:
Structured materials for the mechanical
detection and measurement of the angular momentum of light
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Abstract:
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About the Speaker:
Etienne
Brasselet is Research Director at CNRS, Laboratoire Ondes et Matière d’Aquitaine,
University of Bordeaux, France. His scientific interests cover wave-matter
interactions in the framework of multidisciplinary environment including
nonlinear phenomena, optics and photonics, acoustics, mechanical effects of
waves using either solid or soft matter systems such as liquid crystals. His
research activities mainly focus on situations where structured fields meet
structured matter, which makes topology and vector fields at play.
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Dr.
Igor Shevkunov
Senior researcher from Tampere University, Finland | |
Speech Title:
Smart material-based
Diffraction Optical Elements for extended-depth-of-field imaging
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Abstract:
Diffractive optical elements (DOE) have appeared as
an alternative to conventional refractive optics to overcome its limitations
(e.g. chromatic aberration, low spectral resolution, and shallow
depth-of-field), and to enable novel functionalities possible due to a potential
of these lenses to nearly arbitrary modulation of light. Imaging with DOEs can
be considered as a combination of three layers: ’physical layer’ (optical light
beam coding and propagation), ’theoretical layer’ (mathematical model of the
imaging system for a given optical setup), and ’computational layer’ (algorithmic
decoding and imaging). To optimize the optics and imaging based on these three
layers, end-to-end optimization is required. Having the possibility to include
DOE in the optimization procedure is a great advantage that allows for
overcoming discrepancies between theory and practice, this approach is called
‘hardware in the loop’ (HIL). We propose to use DOEs on a smart material, which
is capable of changing its shape in a loop. We demonstrate
extended-depth-of-field imaging by the proposed approach. | |
About the Speaker: Igor Shevkunov is a
senior researcher from Tampere University, Finland. He has expertise in digital
holography and computational imaging, in a wide range of topics from single
wave holography to hyperspectral image detection with development of state-of-the-art
imaging and processing techniques. |
Prof.
Mikhail Belogolovskii Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials Comenius University Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia | |
Speech Title:
Transparent
Superconductors: Hybridization of Two Quantum Platforms
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Abstract:
Due
to their ability to maintain coherent quantum states with minimal energy loss,
superconductors are essential for building quantum components, while photons
are ideal carriers of quantum information, offering high-speed and low-loss
transmission capabilities. However, integrating the two quantum platforms poses
significant challenges due to the inherent damping of photonic states when
interacting with conventional superconductors. Therefore, creating transparent
superconductors would be an ideal solution to improve the overall performance
of a hybrid system minimizing photonic attenuation. This field is in its
infancy, but some basic principles that allow the coexistence of quite
satisfactory transparency for visible light with the superconductivity of itinerant
electrons have been developed. In this contribution, I present the strategy for reaching the best compromise which
involves two steps - creating a transparent conductor with a sufficiently high
concentration of mobile carriers and transferring it to a superconducting
state. Our studies focused on doped indium-tin oxide (ITO) layers have used two ways leading to
the superconducting state: electrochemical intercalation and synthesis of
oxygen-deficient ITO films. Both methods enable precise tuning of the
superconducting onset temperature Tc over a wide range of 1 - 5 K, while
maintaining optical transparency between 30 and 85%. Two-dimensional superconductivity was found in
electrochemically reduced ITO strips while ITO films sputtered under
oxygen-deficient conditions exhibited three-dimensional characteristics. The
dome-shaped behavior of Tc
and the decrease in transparency with increasing charge carrier concentration
allow the selection of the necessary combination of the two factors for
specific applications.
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About the Speaker:
Candidate of Phys. & Math. Sci. (PhD) in
Solid State Physics, 1976, Doctor of Phys. & Math. Sci. (Dr. Honor.) in
Solid State Physics, 2013, both from the Donetsk Institute for Physics and Engineering, Donetsk, Ukraine; Professor in Applied Physics and Nanomaterials, 2017,
Institute for Metal Physics, Kyiv, Ukraine. Since 2022, he has been a leading
researcher at the Kyiv Academic University, Kyiv, Ukraine. In 2023, he
was awarded a three-year European Union grant to work as a researcher at the
Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Comenius University
Bratislava, Slovakia. According to the Scopus database, he is the author of 167
papers in the fields of superconductivity, quantum transport, and quantum
materials. He actively collaborates with colleagues from the Friedrich Schiller
University Jena, Germany, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA, and the University of
Texas at Dallas, TX, Richardson, USA. He is Vice-President of the
Ukrainian Physical Society and a member of the American Physical Society.
|
Prof.
Mariana Potcoava University of Illinois at Chicago, United States | |
Speech Title: Incoherent Holographic Lattice Light-Sheet
Microscopy | |
Abstract:
This talk provides a
comprehensive review of IHLLS microscopy from the perspective of optics.
Emphasis is placed on the advantages that IHLLS detection arm configurations
present, given the degree of freedom gained by uncoupling the excitation arm of
the LLS microscope and the IHLLS detection arm but keeping the z-galvo
scanning for both detection systems. The new imaging properties are first highlighted in
terms of optical parameters and how these have enabled biomedical applications.
Then, based on the multiple possibilities for generating the LS/LLS in the
microscope (using Gaussian and Bessel beams), a systematic comparison of their
optical performance is presented. Finally, the
novel optical implementations in the IHLLS detection arm, enabled by advances
in optics and photonics, are highlighted. These advancements allow for new ways of creating and
using light sheets in microscopy, particularly in areas like biomedical imaging.
| |
About the Speaker: Mariana Potcoava is a dedicated research scientist with 25 years of
hands-on R&D experience in academia and in industry. Her experience involves
programming, theoretical and practical work in optics, spectroscopy, lasers,
image processing, and complex optical instrumentation development for
biomedical research areas. Throughout her work, she has pursued research to
design and build optical instrumentation, requiring the
integration of various electro-optics subsystems for imaging characterization,
with micrometer and nanometer resolution. As a graduate student in applied physics at the
University of South Florida (2009), she built a digital
holographic microscope for human eye retinal scanning with micrometer
resolution. During her employment at the 3i company (2015-2016), she worked
with dedicated professionals to build multiple lattice
light-sheet microscopes (LLSM) at 3i’s office and in the field, which gave her better skills in building commercial
microscopes. Returning to academia at the
University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), she built a custom version of LLSM to
provide a previously unavailable live cell imaging resource for the UIC
research community. Her current research at UIC is to develop technologies to
improve the resolution of the LLSM and other 3D-resolved fluorescent microscopes
to help researchers and medical professionals better understand diseases
at a molecular level, which could lead to improved diagnostics and therapeutic
strategies. |
Dr. Ravi Kumar SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, India | |
Speech Title:
Generation of
Double-ring Perfect Optical Vortex beams from Bessel-Gaussian and Helical phase
| |
Abstract:
Optical vortices have gained significant attention
due to their potential to carry a well-defined orbital angular momentum (OAM)
[1]. The size of these vortex beams depends on the embedded topological charge
(TC), which limits their efficiency for several applications. To address this
limitation, Ostrovsky and his co-workers introduced the concept of Perfect
Optical vortex (POV) beams [2]. These POV beams exhibit a TC independent
annular intensity profile. Later, Vaity et
al demonstrated that these POV beams are the Fourier transform of the Bessel
Gaussian (BG) beams [3], enabling a simpler generation method and resolving
long‑standing uncertainty by fulfilling the demand for a vortex beam immune to
TC. Leveraging this concept, researchers produced a double‑ring POV beams via
the Fourier transform of azimuthally polarized BG beams [4]. The azimuthal polarization decomposes into right‑ and left‑circularly
polarized components with shifted TCs, yielding two concentric rings of
identical intensity but different radii. Since optical vortices are renowned
for their ability to trap particles, a double‑ring POV can trap particles in
the region between the two rings. However, this method lacks any parameter to
control the spacing between two rings and requires precise polarization
control, complicating its implementation. To address this, here, we introduce
and demonstrate a novel approach for generating double‑ring POV beams by
modifying the phase of a Bessel-Gaussian beam with a conical phase. Through
both theoretical analysis and experimental validation, we demonstrate precise,
independent control over the ring’s radius and the spacing between the two
rings, enhancing their versatility across a range of applications. | |
About the Speaker: Dr. Kumar is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Physics, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, India. He received his master’s and PhD degree in Physics from IIT(ISM) Dhanbad in 2015 and June 2018, respectively. Before joining SRM-AP, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Electro-optics Laboratory, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel for two years (2020-2022). Prior to that, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at Smart Computational Imaging Laboratory, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, China, for one year (2019-2020) and National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore for one year (2018-2019). He is a member of OPTICA (formerly OSA) and life fellow member of Optical society of India. He has authored or co-authored more than 50 papers in various international journals. His research interests include optical image encryption, digital holography, computational imaging, structured light beams, and biomedical optics. |
Dr.
Tatsuki Tahara National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan | |
Speech Title:
Multidimension
holography with daily-use light
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Abstract:
We present digital holography techniques with
daily-use light in which multidimensional information such as three-dimensional
(3D) space, time, phase, and wavelength are obtained as speckleless holograms. Exploiting
self-interference incoherent digital holography, single-shot phase-shifting
interferometry, and a polarimetric image sensor, we have proposed fully-passive
single-shot full-color digital holography, developed portable natural-light
digital holography systems, and performed natural-light full-color digital
motion-picture holographic imaging. We also developed speckleless holography in
which self-reference holography, a commercially available light-emitting diode,
and the designed coded phase aperture are utilized for quantitative phase
imaging of transparent objects in 3D space. We show these digital holography
techniques and experimental results obtained with the holography techniques. | |
About the Speaker:
Dr. Tatsuki Tahara received the B.E., M.E., and
D.E. degrees in electronics and information science from Kyoto Institute of
Technology, Kyoto, Japan, in 2007, 2009, and 2013, respectively. He was a
Research Fellow with Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), from
2011 to 2013; an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Engineering Science,
Kansai University, Osaka, Japan, from 2013 to 2018; a Specially-Appointed
Associated Professor with the National Institute of Informatics (NII), Tokyo,
Japan, from 2018 to 2019; and a Researcher with Precursory Research for
Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency
(JST), from 2016 to 2020. He was also a Researcher with the National Institute
of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Tokyo, from 2019 to 2021,
where he has been a Senior Researcher, since 2021. His research interests
include incoherent digital holography, fully-passive natural-light holography, phase-shifting
interferometry, digital holography, and development of digital holography
apparatus. He was a Topical Editor of Applied Optics (OPTICA) from 2017
to 2023. He is an editorial board of Journal of Optics (IOP Publishing)
since 2021. |
Prof.
Yasuhiro Awatsuji
Kyoto Institute of Technology, Japan | |
Speech Title:
Parallel
image-recording technique for high-speed 3-D imaging of dynamic object
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Abstract:
The authors review
the recent advances of the parallel phase-shifting digital holography (P-PSDH)
and the parallel transport of transport-of-intensity equation (P-TIE). To
obtain complex amplitude images, it is generally necessary to record multiple
images. Both P-PSDH and P-TIE, on the other hand, record these multiple images
in parallel. Three-dimensional (3D) imaging of refractive index distribution of
dynamic gas flow and the 3D imaging of the temperature distribution of heated
air have been demonstrated by P-PPSD. Furthermore, movies of sound wave
propagation with 100,000 frames per second (fps) have been obtained. Also, high-speed
multiplane imaging and quantitative phase imaging of dynamic air induced by air
discharge was demonstrated by P-TIE using incoherent light. In both techniques,
complex amplitude images are recorded at 1,000,000 fps each. | |
About the Speaker: Yasuhiro Awatsuji received the BE, ME and DE degrees in
applied physics from Osaka University, in 1992, 1994 and 1997, respectively. He has been a Professor with Faculty of
Electrical Engineering and Electronics, Kyoto Institute of Technology since
2014. His research interests are in the area of information optics with
emphasis on holography. He is also interested in the area of 3D display, 3D
measurement, quantitative phase imaging, microscopy, visualization of invisible
objects, high-speed imaging, and ultrafast imaging. He is a senior member of
Optica and SPIE.
|
Prof.
Natan T. Shaked
Professor and the Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tel Aviv University, Israel | |
Speech Title:
Label-free 3D
microscopy of highly dynamic biological cells
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Abstract:
Label-free optical
imaging employs nondestructive approaches to visualize biomedical samples.
It utilizes endogenous intrinsic signals, rather than specific exogenous
markers (e.g., fluorescent markers) or genetic modifications. Exogenous
labeling or genetic modifications perturbs the natural biological processes,
dynamics and response of live cells, degrades the vitality of the sample and
might be fatal in longer-term longitudinal studies. Typically, it is not
allowed in cases where the cells need to be used for further treatments, such
as inspection of drugs on the isolated cells for personalized medicine and
treatment or on human sperm cells during in vitro fertilization (IVF). In
general, label-free imaging spares the use of expensive labeling agents
and is a more general and natural approach than label-based imaging, especially
if for cases where specific exogenous markers characterizing the pathology of
interest are not known or do not exist. Importantly, label-free imaging
provides layers of information typically missed in regular imaging,
potentially enabling new medical diagnosis tasks.
| |
About the Speaker: Natan T. Shaked is a Full Professor and the
Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tel Aviv University,
Israel. In 2011, he was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of
Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA. Prof.
Shaked directs the Optical
Microscopy, Nanoscopy and Interferometry (OMNI) research
group. The group develops new experimental and analytical tools for 3D
label-free imaging of biological cells, with focus on imaging
flow cytometry, cancer cells, stem cells and sperm cells. Prof. Shaked is the author of more than 115
refereed journal papers and more than 190 conference papers, and
several book chapters, patents, and an edited book on Biomedical
Optical Phase Microscopy and Nanoscopy. He is the chair of the SPIE Label-Free
Biomedical Imaging and Sensing (LBIS) annual conference in San Francisco, and a
Fellow in the SPIE and OPTICA.
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Prof. Maciej Trusiak Associate Professor at the Institute of Micromechanics and Photonics, Faculty of Mechatronics, Warsaw University of Technology | |
Speech Title:
Less is more:
Advancing Large-Scale 2D and 3D Bioimaging with Lensless Digital Holographic
Microscopy and Tomography | |
Abstract:
We present both
numerical and experimental advances in high-throughput label-free lensless
computational imaging for two- and three-dimensional biomedical applications.
Our focus is on novel lensless holographic techniques enabling large-volume,
high-content, stain-free imaging of both amplitude and quantitative phase
of unimpaired bio-samples. These approaches are particularly well-suited for
in-depth analysis of cells and tissues, offering scalable solutions for
next-generation biomedical diagnostics. We demonstrate the capabilities of
these methods through high-precision validation using static phantoms
fabricated via two-photon polymerization and real-life challenging imaging
of fixed biological tissue slices and cell cultures and time-lapse examination
of dynamic live cells. Finally, we outline key challenges and opportunities
ahead in pushing the frontiers of large-volume label-free 2D/3D quantitative
phase imaging.
| |
About the Speaker: Maciej Trusiak is an Associate Professor at the Institute of
Micromechanics and Photonics, Faculty of Mechatronics, Warsaw University of
Technology. He earned his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Photonics
Engineering from the same university in 2011, 2012, and 2017, respectively. Following his doctoral studies, he completed a one-year
postdoctoral fellowship in the Optoelectronic Image Processing Group led by
Prof. Javier García and Prof. Vicente Micó at the University of Valencia,
Spain. In 2022, he obtained his habilitation degree and launched
the Quantitative Computational Imaging Lab (qcilab.mchtr.pw.edu.pl), focusing on
computational imaging, lensless microscopy, optical metrology, interferometry
and holography, quantitative phase imaging, and fringe pattern analysis. In
2023, he was awarded the ERC Starting Grant for research on lensless,
label-free nanoscopy. Prof. Trusiak is an active member of the optical science
community. He is a Senior Member of SPIE and Optica, and served on the SPIE
Award Committee, acting as Chair of the Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award in Photonics
Sub-Committee and Member of the Chandra Vikram Award in Optical Metrology
Sub-Committee. He has held various organizational roles, including
Co-Chair and Committee Member of the SPIE Interferometry and Structured
Light Conference at SPIE Optics + Photonics 2022 and 2025, and Chair of the
Warsaw Summer School for Advanced Optical Imaging 2024. He is also a Scientific
Committee Member of Computational Optical Sensing and Imaging (COSI) at the
Optica Imaging Congress 2024 and 2025. He currently serves as Associate Editor for
Applied Optics (Optica Publishing Group) and Optics and Lasers in Engineering
(Elsevier), Executive Editorial Board Member for Journal of Physics: Photonics
(IOP), and Editorial Board Member for Advanced Devices &
Instrumentation (AAAS Science Partner Journal). He also reviews for numerous
high-impact journals in the optics & photonics field.
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