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 light 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 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 were EUR 11.7 billion, up more than 50% year over year. The NXE:3800F EUV lithography system slated for introduction next year will raise productivity from 230 to 260 wafers per hour.
Why we recommend it: Capacity expansion and productivity upgrades are proceeding in parallel, offering concrete industry clues on how AI demand translates into EUV lithography equipment supply constraints.
Oct 9Fri
Friday
C114 Communications Network · Optical CommunicationsOptics industryOptics and AIPicksAI score6767
Lumentum CEO Michael Hurlston said in an interview in Tokyo that about 70% of demand for some products will remain unmet next year, while other products still face a 30% demand gap through 2028. The company's 2029 capacity is almost fully booked, and it is ramping production at full speed.
Why we recommend it: The article provides specific demand gap percentages, directly reflecting the tightness of laser chips upstream in AI optical communications
Oct 8Thu
Thursday
OFweek Laser Network · NewsOptics industryOptics and AIAI score5353
An article by Haitun Jun continues the breakdown of Lumentum: EML secures the core profit base of pluggable optical transceivers, while high-power discrete lasers, UHP CW, bet on next-generation CPO/NPO architectures. With supply and demand severely mismatched for high-end laser chips, leading manufacturers with in-house capacity simultaneously benefit from price increases, long-term orders and rising gross margins.
The Joint Laboratory for High Power Laser and Physics at the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (SIOM) has proposed a laser spot analysis system based on an improved YOLOv8-seg to meet the need for rapid, precise alignment of optics along the full chain of high-power laser facilities, and has completed experimental validation.
Why we recommend it: The original paper demonstrates a deep learning segmentation model for laser facility alignment, a case of AI entering optical assembly and adjustment
Sep 28Mon
Monday
OFweek Laser Network · NewsOptics industryOptics and AIAI score5353
An article by Dolphin Research breaks down Lumentum: its share price has risen nearly tenfold in one year, its market value exceeds 70 billion US dollars, and Nvidia invested 2 billion US dollars for a stake in March 2026. The article argues that no matter how optical module form factors change, the position of high-value, barrier-protected optical engines remains solid.
The Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics has published a review summarizing the applications, challenges and outlook of machine learning in inertial confinement fusion.
Aiou Optics, a company incubated by the Hangzhou Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, has completed an A+ financing round of tens of millions of yuan, jointly invested by the Daohe Tuojing Chip Chain Fund and Juntong Capital. The funds will mainly go toward product development and capacity expansion to meet demand from the domestic semiconductor equipment industry for high-end lasers. Aiou Optics' intelligent stabilized lasers target applications including laser debonding, silicon wafer stealth dicing, glass through-hole processing, and display panel processing.
Ruier Mingkang (Zhejiang) Medical Technology Co., Ltd. has launched the DF600 series, China's first fully domestic laser fundus camera. Using a laser as its sole light source combined with confocal pinhole technology, the device enables layered imaging of the fundus. Its minimum imaging field reaches 130 degrees, while intelligent stitching covers up to 260 degrees. It requires only a 2 mm pupil without dilation, captures images in 0.1 seconds, and features built-in proprietary AI algorithms that identify the optic disc, blood vessels, macula, and hemorrhage spots without an internet connection. The DF600 has been deployed in endocrinology, health screening, emergency care, and other settings.