Siloton Wins £8.4M from Innovate UK to Take GiraffeOCT into Clinical Use

Siloton will receive £8.4 million in funding from Innovate UK over two years to advance GiraffeOCT, its OCT technology based on quantum photonic integrated circuits, toward clinical use. The funding is expected to shorten the development timeline by about two years.

Photonic Chip Firm Salience Labs Raises £95 Million to Expand US Production

Salience Labs, a University of Oxford spin-out developing photonic chips for AI data centers, has announced £95 million in funding to scale production of optical circuit switches and expand its presence in Silicon Valley.

Chip-Scale Optical Ring Laser Gyroscope Detects Slow Rotation of 37 Degrees per Hour

A team from UCSB and Caltech has published an account in Optics Letters of a chip-scale optical ring laser gyroscope capable of measuring rotations as slow as 37 degrees per hour, approaching Earth's rotation rate of 15 degrees per hour. The device is based on a low-noise Brillouin laser built on a silicon nitride waveguide photonic integrated circuit, can be fabricated with standard CMOS processes, and requires only milliwatt-level optical power. Its sensitivity is nearly 2,000 times better than the team's earlier device.

Quantum Network Test Verifies Entanglement Without Trusting Detectors

Researchers built a fully connected four-user quantum network, distributing time-bin entangled photon pairs over six links using a broadband integrated lithium niobate photon source. By using the polarization of the same photons as trusted quantum inputs, they were able to verify and quantify entanglement without trusting the measurement devices.

Hengmai Optics Surpasses 1,000 Cumulative Shipments of Ultra-Precision Optical Processing Equipment

Hengmai Optics recently shipped eight ultra-precision optical processing systems with apertures of 2.2 m, 1.6 m and 1.8 m, following delivery of 14 systems with apertures from 1.2 m to 3 m in September. Cumulative shipments have now exceeded 1,000 units, with average annual shipment growth of 100% over the past three years. QYResearch data put the global ultra-precision optical processing equipment market at about $126 million in 2025.

Salience Labs Raises $125 Million Series B to Develop Photonic Switching Chips for AI Data Centers

Salience Labs, which develops photonic chips for AI data center interconnects, has closed an oversubscribed $125 million Series B round. The company previously demonstrated a 64-port all-optical silicon photonic circuit switch live at ECOC 2026.

Leqi Gen-2 AI Glasses Preview: Four Optical Challenges for Diffractive Waveguides

The article argues that AI capabilities can be upgraded over the air, but the optical experience of a diffractive waveguide is hard to fix once finalized. The development of Leqi's second-generation AI glasses focuses on four engineering challenges: making the grating invisible, suppressing rainbow artifacts, thinning the lens, and reducing reflections while preserving brightness. These are also the issues that must be solved for consumer AI glasses to look like ordinary eyewear.

TDK Shows Meta-Optic Reflector for Retinal Projection Smart Glasses at CEATEC

TDK showcased at CEATEC an ultra-thin meta-optic reflector designed for retinal projection smart glasses. The prototype is monochrome green with 750p resolution and a 45-degree diagonal field of view. The reflector is just 150 nanometers thick and achieves 80% visible-light transmittance. TDK plans to launch a green version by the end of 2026, a full-color version in May 2027, and to begin mass production within a few years.

US Army Research Office Awards $19.2 Million Grant to UCF-Led Team

A team led by the University of Central Florida (UCF) will receive a five-year, $19.2 million grant from the US Army Research Office to study light propagation and control in complex dynamic environments. The project, led by Guifang Li, will explore weak backscattering coherent measurement, inverse methods, AI analysis and multi-plane light conversion, with the goal of measuring and rapidly correcting optical field distortions when remote sensors or beacons cannot be placed. Potential applications include directed-energy systems, biological tissue imaging, laser medicine, remote sensing and free-space optical communications.

ASML Studies Further Expanding Lithography Capacity as Chip Demand Keeps Growing

ASML said its existing 2027 and 2028 supply plans cannot fully meet customer demand and that it is studying a further expansion of 2028 capacity beyond the previously planned 30% increase. Quarterly sales through September 27 reached €11.7 billion, up more than 50% year on year. The NXE:3800F EUV lithography system slated for introduction next year will raise productivity from 230 to 260 wafers per hour.

iPhone Duo Sparks Interest in Under-Display Cameras; Red Magic to Launch Ninth-Generation Solution

Following the debut of Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, under-display cameras are back in the spotlight. Red Magic has also announced plans to introduce its ninth-generation under-display camera technology, sticking with a true full-screen design. The article looks back at how, six years after under-display cameras entered mass production, most manufacturers returned to punch-hole designs.

Credo Launches Short-Reach Micro-Transmitter Optics Standardization Group at OCP

Credo has launched a Short-Reach Micro-transmitter Optics (SRMO) working group within the Open Compute Project (OCP), where it will work with industry partners to develop specifications for high-speed data center interconnects.

Schäfter+Kirchhoff Completes Management Transition

German optical components company Schäfter+Kirchhoff has completed its previously announced management transition, moving to a two-person co-leadership structure after a one-year handover period.

Photonics.com People on the Move: Edmund Optics Names President of Advanced Manufacturing

Photonics.com people-on-the-move roundup for October 14: Edmund Optics has appointed a president for its advanced manufacturing business; Jürgen Popp, scientific director of the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, received the Ellis R. Lippincott Award and other honors at the SciX 2026 spectroscopy conference.

Build vs. Buy Laser Beam Analysis: 11 Considerations

A Laser Focus World article examines the trade-offs between building and buying a laser beam analysis solution. Although high-quality cameras and low-cost computing are now widely available, making a DIY beam profiler seem straightforward, there are actually 11 factors to consider.

Hyundai Mobis Sells Automotive Lighting Business for $443 Million as Chinese Carmers Bring Lighting In-House

Hyundai Mobis has sold its automotive lighting business to France's OPmobility for an enterprise value of about $443 million, with the unit generating roughly €1.6 billion in revenue in 2025. Meanwhile, Xingyu has joined the global top ten in automotive lighting, while BYD, Leapmotor and Great Wall Motor are bringing lighting production into their own factories.

FiberHome Ruituo Files Phase II of Oversized Optical Fiber Preform Project, Adding 600 Tons of Annual Capacity

FiberHome Ruituo, a wholly owned subsidiary of FiberHome Technologies, has filed for construction of Phase II of its industrial-scale project for oversized optical fiber preforms, with total investment of about RMB 398 million. Once completed, it will add 600 tons of annual preform capacity. In May, the company unveiled an optical fiber preform measuring 0.3 meters in diameter and 3.5 meters in length, from which about 20,000 kilometers of fiber can be drawn from a single piece.

Lumentum@LumentumOptics industryOptics and AIAI score4848

Before October 15, visit booth B34 at the 2026 OCP Global Summit to see a rack-scale optical PCIe link demonstration featuring Astera's Scorpio smart switch chip, @Lumentum's 1060 nm VCSEL-based optical interconnect solution, and Corning's multimode fiber connectivity solution. 🔗 https://investor.lumentum.com/financial-news-releases/news-details/2026/Lumentum-Astera-Labs-and-Corning-to-Demonstrate-1060-nm-VCSEL-Based-PCIe-over-Optics-for-AI-Rack-Scale-Connectivity-at-the-2026-OCP-Global-Summit/default.aspx

Ultrashort Laser Pulses Offer New Way to Probe Electronic Quantum Geometry

Researchers at the University of Jena and the University of Regensburg have used ultrashort laser pulses and nonlinear optical methods to probe the quantum geometric properties of electrons in solids.

Optical Skyrmions Can Steer the Motion of Magnetic Skyrmions

Researchers constructed optical skyrmions using two orthogonally polarized Laguerre-Gaussian beams and showed that they can control the motion of magnetic skyrmions in magnetic materials, harnessing the orbital and spin angular momentum of structured light to manipulate magnetic structures.

Computational Model Guides Lighting Design to Improve Color Discrimination in Older Adults

Researchers have developed a computational model that accounts for age-related changes in the eye, enabling white-light spectrum design that helps older adults distinguish colors better while maintaining conventional white-light characteristics.

Vuzix@VuzixOptics industryAI score2323

We are at #AUSA2026. Message Vuzix to experience Vuzix SHRIKE™ live in Washington, D.C., through October 14. $VUZI

Ethernet Alliance Podcast: Reaching Consensus as AI Reshapes Ethernet

The Ethernet Alliance held its Technology Exploration Forum TEF 2026 on October 7-8, 2026, themed "The Future of AI is Ethernet," where a Lightwave podcast discussed AI's impact on Ethernet development.

Coherent Corp.@CoherentCorpOptics industryOptics and AIAI score2525

Coherent at #OCPGlobalSummit Join Coherent's Dr. Chris Kocot on October 14 for the talk "Slow and Wide 12.8T VCSEL Solutions." October 14 | 1:50 PM San Jose, California Learn more: https://2026ocpglobal.fnvirtual.app/a/schedule/ #OCPGlobalSummit

UK Silicon Photonics Firm Salience Labs Raises $125 Million Series B

UK-based silicon photonics company Salience Labs has closed a $125 million Series B round to scale development of optical circuit switch (OCS) technology and ease network bottlenecks in AI data centers.

AIOFM Uses Multi-Source Satellite Remote Sensing to Reveal Diurnal Aerosol Variation Inland and Along the Coast of Pakistan

The remote sensing information characterization research team at AIOFM combined EPIC and MODIS satellite observations, ERA5 reanalysis, and AERONET ground-based data from 2015 to 2025 to analyze the diurnal variation of aerosol optical depth in Quetta and Karachi, Pakistan. The results were published in Remote Sensing. In representative scenarios, aerosol optical depth in Quetta increased by 0.159 in the afternoon compared with the morning, and by 0.066 in Karachi. The study provides a multi-source remote sensing analysis method for monitoring diurnal aerosol variation in regions with sparse ground observations.

VISION 2026 Machine Vision Show Draws Record Exhibitors, Over 9,000 Visitors

The 32nd VISION machine vision show, hosted by Messe Stuttgart, took place in Stuttgart last week, attracting more than 9,000 professional visitors, up 14% from 2024, with a record number of exhibitors. The VISION Start-up Award was also presented.

Optica: New Model Makes Lighting Design Better Suited to Aging Eyes

Researchers have developed a model that accounts for age-related changes in color vision and simulates different lighting configurations to improve color perception for older adults. The results were published by Optica on October 13, 2026.

Laser Focus World PhotonicsNXT 2026 Online Event

Laser Focus World's free PhotonicsNXT 2026 online event takes place October 14-15, featuring educational sessions on optics, photonics, quantum and sensing.

Haipulin Showcases Complete Laser Solutions at CIIF After Hisense Takeover

In June 2026, Hisense Group strategically took over a long-established fiber laser company and renamed it Haipulin. Four months later, Haipulin presented a full range of laser cutting, welding, cladding and 3D printing solutions at CIIF, focusing on new energy, aerospace, steel structures and offshore engineering.

Second Quantum Data Center Alliance Forum Focuses on Integration

The Quantum Data Center Alliance (QDA) held its second forum at Battersea Power Station in London, stating that quantum computing is moving closer to deployment as scalability and integration challenges are gradually resolved.

Laser Focus World Podcast: Expert Insights on Photonics and Quantum Computing

Laser Focus World has launched a podcast series featuring experts discussing photonics and quantum computing.

Nature Photonics@NaturePhotonicsOptics industryAI score4848

New article online: Dangling-bond-free, chemically anisotropic semiconductors for ultrahigh-resolution X-ray imaging. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-026-02013-y

Optical Interconnect Firm Yute Photonics Surges 449% on Beijing Stock Exchange Debut

Jiangsu Yute Photonics listed on the Beijing Stock Exchange on October 9, with an offer price of RMB 13.75 per share, about 17.6667 million shares publicly issued and roughly RMB 243 million raised. The share price rose 449% on its first day of trading. The company mainly produces optical modules and optical interconnect products for data centers.

Active Core Alignment Delivers Fiber Connector Loss Below 0.05 dB

Active core alignment technology overcomes conventional manufacturing tolerances, enabling demountable fiber connectors to achieve optical performance close to fusion splicing, with connection loss below 0.05 dB.

Jiatai Laser Debuts Fengqing Pro Bevel High-Speed Machine at CIIF 2026

On the first day of CIIF 2026 in Shanghai, Jiatai Laser held a themed presentation at the National Exhibition and Convention Center and gave the first physical showcase of its Fengqing Pro bevel high-speed laser cutting machine.

Philip Russell, Director of the Russell Center at Hangzhou Institute of Optics, Receives 2026 Chinese Government Friendship Award

Academician Philip Russell, director of the Russell Advanced Photonics Science Center at the Hangzhou Institute of Optics, Precision Mechanics and Physics, received the 2026 Chinese Government Friendship Award at the Great Hall of the People on September 30. A total of 50 foreign experts were honored this year. Russell is an internationally renowned scholar in the field of photonic crystal fibers.

Excelitas to Consolidate Four U.S. Luxium Brands

Excelitas subsidiary Luxium Solutions (acquired by Excelitas in October 2025) will change the legal entities of four operations and consolidate four U.S. Luxium brands starting in January 2027.

Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Support Precision Agriculture

A Laser Focus World article describes how photonics is providing agriculture with new measurement tools, including monitoring crop conditions, assessing food quality and controlling plant growth.

Self-Aligned Dual-Pump Scheme Opens New Path for Optical Frequency Combs

Scientists in the US and New Zealand have demonstrated a new type of frequency comb based on a dual-pump laser. Using a self-alignment mechanism, the approach could help move frequency comb technology from a niche to broader applications. Miro Erkintalo of the University of Auckland took part in the research.