Photonics Institutions Flourish Around the World

Every corner of the world, it seems, is involved with photonics-related research. Organizing all of the expertise is a daunting task, and no single academic or commercial entity even tries to be the bearer of all knowledge in the field. Still, some institutions stand out for the breadth and depth of their offerings: disseminating hundreds of research papers, holding multiple patents and spinning off a multitude of new companies with significant new photonics technologies and techniques to share. This list presents some of the best examples of photonics institutions in the world, all of which have exhibited a steady stream of activity over the past decade.

Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie (MBI)/Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short-Time Spectroscopy
Berlin
www.mbi-berlin.de
Areas of expertise include: nonlinear optics; spectroscopy; ultrafast processes

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – Quantum Electronics and Photonics Division
Boulder, Colorado
www.nist.gov
Areas of expertise include: advanced materials; optical properties of materials; semiconductors; sensors

University of Rochester Institute of Optics
Rochester, New York
www.optics.rochester.edu
Areas of expertise include:
biomedical optics; fibers and optical communication; image science and systems

CREOL | The College of Optics & Photonics at the University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida
www.creol.ucf.edu
Areas of expertise include: lasers; fiber optics; semiconductor and integrated photonics; nonlinear and quantum optics; imaging; sensing; display

Fraunhofer-Institut für Lasertechnik ILT/Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology
Aachen, Germany
www.ilt.fraunhofer.de
Areas of expertise include: laser optics; materials processing; medical technology/biophotonics; metrology; extreme-ultraviolet technology

Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon (INL)/Lyon Institute of Nanotechnology
Lyon, France
www.inl.cnrs.fr
Areas of expertise include: nanotechnology, including photonics and photovoltaics

Centro de Investigaciones en Óptica/Center for Optics Research
León, Mexico
www.cio.mx
Areas of expertise include: metrology; optical design; IR sensors; colorimetry

Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO)/Institute of Photonic Sciences
Castelldefels, Spain
www.icfo.es
Areas of expertise include: biophotonics; quantum optics; nonlinear optics; nano-optics

University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences
Tucson, Arizona
www.optics.arizona.edu
Areas of expertise include: fiber optics; remote sensing; optoelectronics; quantum optics; optical design; optical engineering and testing

Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna Instytut Optoelektroniki/Military University of Technology – Institute of Optoelectronics
Warsaw, Poland
www.ioe.wat.edu.pl
Areas of expertise include: laser physics; spectroscopy; laser-matter interactions