The advance of photonics

Rebecca C. Jernigan, rebecca.jernigan@laurin.com

In a move to better represent its vision, mission and scope, the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (LEOS) has decided to incorporate the term “photonics” into its name. The nonprofit organization, which publishes journals, sponsors conferences and supports local initiatives in academia and industry, has been renamed the IEEE Photonics Society. The new designation was decided upon after a survey of the society’s members, who feel that the name better reflects their industries and the technologies they are developing. The society’s Web site is www.photonicssociety.org.

In addition, a new online periodical titled IEEE Photonics Journal is scheduled to be introduced this summer to complement the group’s existing publications. The journal will be available exclusively online and will offer the benefit of rapid publication on IEEE Xplore. Open-access and multimedia options are available for authors, and submissions are currently being accepted. In recognition of the impact of photonics on many technologies and industries, the IEEE Nanotechnology Council and the societies of Antennas and Propagation, Consumer Electronics, Electron Devices, Engineering in Medicine and Biology, and Nuclear and Plasma Sciences are technically co-sponsoring the journal.