Detecting dangerous chemicals with lasers, exploring the brain's circuitry with light and more

CLEO/QELS/PHAST PLENARY SPEAKERS

David Reitze, professor of physics at the University of Florida, will present "The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory: Probing the Dynamics of Space-Time with Attometer Precision" on Monday, May 5 about the detection of gravitational waves, which promises to open up a new astrophysical window to the universe. He will discuss gravitational waves, what makes them so interesting and challenging to detect and how researchers will detect them using “really big interferometers.”

Albert Polman, director of the Center for Nanophotonics, FOM-Institute AMOLF, Netherlands, will present "Plasmonics: Optics at the Nanoscale" on Wednesday, May 7 about the generation, concentration and dispersion of surface plasmons in thin metal films, nanoresonators and metal particle arrays. The unique dispersion and mode confinement characteristics of these structures enable control of light at the true nanoscale.

Ian Walmsley, the Hooke Professor of Experimental Physics and head of the Sub-Department of Atomic and Laser Physics at the University of Oxford, will present "Meet the Fock States: The Photon Revisited" on Wednesday, May 7 about recent developments in quantum optics. These developments have enabled the generation of exotic non-classical states of light that can provide a new perspective on the character of the photon.

ON-SITE PRESS INFORMATION

A Press Room will be located in Room N of the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The Press Room will be open Sunday, May 4 from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. PDT and Monday, May 5 – Thursday, May 8 from 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. PDT. Those interested in obtaining a press badge for the conference should register online at http://www.cleoconference.org/media_center/mediaregistrationform.aspx or contact OSA’s Colleen Morrison at 202.416.1437, .

A press luncheon panel will take place on Tuesday, May 6 at 12 p.m. in the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. The press luncheon will offer an overarching perspective on significant new developments to be unveiled during CLEO/QELS. This year’s luncheon topic is “Alternative Energy and Optics.” To register for the press luncheon contact OSA’s Colleen Morrison at , 202.416.1437.

ABOUT CLEO/QELS

With a distinguished history as one of the industry’s leading events on laser science, the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and the Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (CLEO/QELS) is where laser technology was first introduced. CLEO/QELS combines the strength of peer-reviewed scientific programming with an applications-focused exhibition to showcase the present and future of this technology. Sponsored by the American Physical Society’s (APS) Laser Science Division, the Institute of Electronic Engineers/Laser and Electro-Optics Society (IEEE/LEOS) and the Optical Society (OSA), CLEO/QELS provides an educational forum, complete with a dynamic Plenary, short courses, tutorials, workshops and more, on topics as diverse as its attendee base whose broad spectrum of interests range from biomedicine to defense to optical communications and beyond. For more information, visit the conference’s Web site at www.cleoconference.org.