SPIE applauds National Academies report highlighting ultrafast laser technologies

BELLINGHAM, Wash., Dec. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A report published by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine outlines the steps the U.S. must take to regain global leadership in intense ultrafast laser technologies.  SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, congratulates the committee on its work and will participate in a briefing sponsored by the National Photonics Initiative on its findings 14 December in Washington DC.

Opportunities in the Science, Applications, and Technology of Intense Ultrafast Lasers: Reaching for the Brightest Light evaluates the current state and future opportunities of high intensity ultrafast lasers, and assesses the value of future high intensity laser science programs and facilities to the nation's scientific research, its national security, and the economy. 

The authoring committee, consisting of over a dozen experts in laser science, produced a detailed document that includes high-level conclusions and actionable recommendations for policy makers and funders to consider.

SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs, will be speaking at the event and said the following, "This report echoes concerns of SPIE over the lack of support for laser development in the U.S. in the last two decades. The U.S. should be a major contributor in advancing the understanding and application of extreme light, in partnership with the strong investments in Europe and Asia."   

Committee member and CEO of KMLabs, Henry Kapteyn on the findings, "The laser was the product of American innovation, and its existence has profoundly changed our lives in ways previously unimagined. Both compact and large-scale high intensity lasers are at the leading-edge of research in this field, taking advantage of the laser's unique ability to deliver focused energy. The NAS report calls for a closely-coordinated program that, if thoughtfully implemented, can span the continuum from basic research to critical application needs. This can help to recapture US competitiveness and jump-start American innovation in this critical technology area for future advances in medicine, nanoelectronics and defense."

The briefing on 14 December will begin at 4pm (EST) at the NAS Keck Center in Washington DC and includes a panel discussion with presentations by committee members and scientists.  More information at the NPI website.

SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. www.spie.org

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