Tracks

This track provides a forum to present and discuss theory, design, fabrication, instrumentation, and applications in the areas of biophotonics, novel sensing, and advanced imaging. Topics in biophotonics include, but are not limited to, biomedical optical sensing/imaging technologies, image-guided drug delivery, brain imaging, clinical systems and applications, image-guided surgery, bio-inspired optics, and novel optical technologies for diagnosis and treatment. 

Novel sensing encompasses a range of rapidly advancing technologies that include but are not limited to fiber-optic and optical waveguide techniques, micromechanical oscillators, microcavity resonators, laser-based sensors, novel molecular probe design, nanoparticles and fluorescent markers, optofluidics, lab-on-a-chip, and small-footprint devices. 

This track also encourages submissions relating to all types of optical imaging technologies for diverse applications. Topics include, but are not limited to, 3D imaging, AR/VR, wearable display, image processing, computational imaging/spectroscopy, tomographic imaging, holography, high-dimensional imaging, multi-modal imaging, and advanced microscopy.

Chair:

Parsin Haji Reza (University of Waterloo)

Co-Chairs:

Shuo Tang (University of British Columbia)

Sangeeta Murugkar (Carleton University)

Daniel Côté (Université Laval)

Kamran Avanaki (University of Illinois Chicago) 

Keynote speakers: 

Invited speakers: 

Efficient utilization of light, both natural and artificial, is an essential goal of photonics technology. This track investigates photovoltaics and photonics applications in energy efficiency and manufacturing. Papers with novel results in the following topics will be considered:

Materials, Characterization techniques,
Numerical modeling,
Advanced light management and spectral shaping,
Devices including photovoltaics, LEDs, power converters, low-power sensors, fuel generation,
System architectures,
Solar resource and economics models,
Converged bidirectional power and data, and
Agricultural adaptations.
 

Chair:

Sharif Md. Sadaf (Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Co-Chairs:

Keynote speakers:

Invited speakers:

This track will provide a forum to present and explore recent developments in the areas of high-power laser technology, ultrafast optics, and applications. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Advances in laser sources; ultrafast solid-state, fiber, waveguide, and semiconductor laser sources;
• Nonlinear frequency conversion;
• High peak power lasers and amplification technologies;
• High-intensity laser-matter interactions;
• Laser-based XUV and X-ray sources;
• Applications of novel short-wavelength sources;
• Laser-based particle acceleration;
• Attosecond science;
• High harmonic generation;
• Relativistic nonlinear phenomena;
• Intense pulse propagation;
• Sources of THz radiation;
• THz spectroscopy, sensing, and imaging;
• New THz measurement techniques;
• THz nonlinear optics;
• Ultrafast devices, systems, and measurement techniques;
• Applications of ultrafast technology.

Chair:

Arkady Major (University of Manitoba)

Co-Chairs:

Bernd Witzel (Université Laval)

Shawn Sederberg (Simon Fraser University)

Francois Blanchard (École de technologie supérieure)

Heide Ibrahim (Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Keynote speakers:

Invited speakers:

This track aims at giving an overview of recent trends and achievements in nonlinear optics, nanophotonics, and plasmonics, with a particular emphasis on fundamental nonlinear radiation-matter interactions, practical applications of nonlinear spectroscopy, integrated nonlinear optical devices, deep-subwavelength investigations, nanostructures, and nanomaterials for photonics, nanoplasmonic systems, metasurfaces, and metamaterials. We encourage the submission of abstracts that are related to one or more of the above topics.

Chair:

Pablo Bianucci (Concordia University)

Co-Chairs:

Keynote speakers:

Invited speakers:

The goal of this track is to provide an overview of recent achievements and trends in semiconductor photonics, involving theoretical and experimental advances from the component and device level to the system application level. Both short and long-haul communication platforms will be considered. The central interest of the track is on envisioned technologies and strategies aimed at increasing the performance capabilities of available broadband communication platforms. Topics of interest in optical communications include innovative optical multiplexing strategies, such as space-domain multiplexing combined with time-domain or/and frequency-domain multiplexing techniques, advanced optical modulation formats, coherent communication strategies, digital-signal processing methods for pre- and post-compensation of linear and nonlinear impairments,  and linear and nonlinear photonic technologies for communication applications, such as integrated-waveguide (e.g., silicon photonic) technologies.

Chair:

Winnie Ye (Carleton University)

Co-Chairs:

Jens Schmid (National Research Council)

Keynote speakers:

Invited speakers:

Innovative photonic solutions often heavily rely on the material properties of the components used. The traditional approach was to choose those materials at relatively late stages of the design. However, many solutions may benefit from the “smart” design of optical materials, keeping in mind their specific use. Multi-functional optical materials are the focus of our attention in this symposium. We would like to invite contributions describing innovative photonic devices with a particularly emphasized role of photonic materials used, as well as innovative multifunctional photonic materials that may enable new photonic devices. The symposium is also open for contributions describing natural photonic materials and structures (since we have so much to learn from nature), as well as materials with potential use in biophotonics and biomedicine.

Chair:

Gabriella Tessitore (Université Laval)

Co-Chairs:

This track aims to give an overview of how artificial intelligence (AI) intersects with photonics from two different perspectives:

• Using AI for photonics: application of artificial neural networks, deep learning, machine learning, genetic algorithms, automated reasoning, Bayesian approaches, big data, advanced optimization techniques for inverse design, and other AI paradigms to integrated optics, nanophotonics, remote sensing, spectroscopy, microscopy, quantum optics, computational imaging, quantum communication protocols, augmented and virtual reality, and other areas of photonics.

• Using photonics for AI: application of photonics technology for AI computing, such as analogic optical computing for AI, reservoir computing, photonic quantum machine learning, photonic hardware accelerators, neuromorphic computing, and photonics neural networks.
   

Chair:
Sean Molesky (Polytechnique Montréal)

Co-Chairs:

Stefanie Czischek (University of Ottawa)

Keynote speakers:

1. Marin Solijacic, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, TBD

2. Jonathan Fan, Stanford University, USA, TBD

Invited speakers:

1. Arka Majumdar, University of Washington, USA, TBD

2. Zin Lin, Virginia Tech, USA, TBD

3. Bhavin Shastri, Queen's University, Canada, TBD

4. Nir Rotenburg, Queen's University, Canada, TBD

5. Alejandro Rodriguez, Princeton University, USA, TBD

6. Joyce Poon, University of Toronto, Canada, TBD

7. Ali Adibi, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, TBD

8. Roberto Morandotti, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Canada, TBD

9. Luca Del Negro, Boston University, USA, TBD

This track focuses on the physics, design, and simulations of optical and photonic structures, devices, and systems. It is intended to provide a forum for the interchange of ideas on optics, photonics, and optoelectronics theory, design, simulation, and verification techniques at different levels, including material properties, components, devices, systems, fabrication, and applications. The track covers a wide range of topics in photonic theory, simulation, and design, including: waveguide photonic bandgap engineering, microcavities, passive and active photonic devices, sensors, diffractive and subwavelength structures, integrated optical circuits for datacom, WDM, and coherent communication systems, light sources, photodetectors, modulators, amplifiers, wavelength converters, switches, couplers, resonators, filters, free-space optics, optical interconnects, optics for aerospace and defense, photonic design automation, manufacturing and verification tools, and novel algorithms and photonic CAD software for photonics and integration with electronics

Chair:

Pavel Cheben (National Research Council)

Co-Chairs:

Jonathan Bradley (McMaster University)

Sendy Phang (University of Nottingham)

Keynote speakers:

1. Nikolay Zheludev, University of Southampton, United Kingdom, Nanophotonic metamaterial structures and time crystals
2. Alan Willner, University of Southern California, USA, Orbital angular momentum of light for communications 

Invited speakers:

1. Andy Knights, McMaster University, Canada, Photon engineering in silicon photonics
2. Mario Dagenais, University of Maryland, USA, Photonics integration for quantum
3. Juan Diego Anilla Castanon, CSIC, Spain, Design of supercontinuum sources based on the ultralong pulsed fiber laser
4. David Moss, Swinburne University, Australia, Ultra-high bandwidth applications of optical microcombs
5. Alejandro Ortega Monux, University of Malaga, Spain, Silicon-on-Insulator grating couplers with millimeter-range working distance
6. Weijie Gao, The University of Osaka, Japan, TBD
7. Ming Qui, Westlake University, China, Silicon carbide nanohotonics devices and their applications
8. Alberto G. Curto, Ghent University, Belgium, Chiral sensing with silicon nanophotonics
9. Hugo Fernandez Figueroa, Universidad Estadual de Campinas, Brazil, TBD
10. Carlos A. Ramos, CNRS, France, Silicon photonics for emerging applications in the near and mid-infrared
11. Daniel Benedikovic, University of Zilina, Slovak Republic, Efficient optical chip interfacing in silicon nitride photonics
12. ‪Jieyun Wu,  University of Electronic Science and Technology, China, Evanescent field optimization on silicon nitride hybrid waveguide for biochemcial sensing and electro-optics
13. Marcus Ossiander, University of Graz, Austria, Progress in metasurfaces for the extreme ultraviolet
14. Luca Razzari, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Canada, Shaping optical nonlinearities with nanostructured materials
15. Baptiste Auguie, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, Multiple scattering of light by nanoparticles with the T-matrix method
16. Zindine Mokeddem, University of Paris Saclay, France, TBD
17. Bhavin Shastri, Queen's University, Canada, Photonic neuromorphic computing: Ising machines for combinatorial optimization
18. Antonio Hurtado, University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom, TBD
19. Daniel Brunner, FEMTO-ST, France, Model free end-to-end training and computational metrics of high-dimensional nonlinear photonic systems
20. Juan Sebastian Totero Gongora, Loughborough University, UK, Phase encoding engineering and gain-controlled nonlinearities in spatial photonic reservoirs,
21. Xin Huang, The University of Tokyo, Japan, Quantum hydrodynamic transport: From phonon Poiseuille flow to thermal Tesla valve and its photonic design extensions

Considerable efforts are underway globally to employ fundamental aspects of quantum physics to develop quantum technologies. This track will bring together leading theoretical and experimental physicists to discuss the latest developments in various implementations of quantum applications using atoms, molecules, and photons. Concerning quantum communications, though the emphasis is on quantum key distribution, we welcome a diverse range of topics: from components (sources, detectors, memories, repeaters, integrated devices) to systems (fiber-based and free-space), from novel protocols to quantum hacking schemes to quantum measurements

Chair:

Benjamin Sussman (National Research Council / University of Ottawa)

Co-Chairs:

Nathan Roberts (University of Ottawa)

Michael Reimer (University of Waterloo)