Frontiers in Optics 2010/Laser Science XXVI Themes and Topics

OSA is now accepting postdeadline submissions for Frontiers in Optics 2010. The deadline for the 35-word abstract and 1- to 2-page summary is October 1, 2010, 12:00 p.m. noon EDT (16.00 GMT).

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View Themes and Topics

FiO 1: Optical Design, Fabrication and Instrumentation
FiO 2: Optical Sciences
FiO 3: Optics in Biology and Medicine
FiO 4: Optics in Information Science
FiO 5: Photonics
FiO 6: Quantum Electronics
FiO 7: Vision and Color

Laser Science Topics

FiO 1: Optical Design, Fabrication and Instrumentation

1.1 Image-Based Wavefront Sensing
Future light-weight and segmented primary mirror systems such as NASA’s JWST (James-Webb-Space-Telescope) require active optical control to maintain mirror positioning and figure to within nanometer tolerances. Image-based “wavefront sensing” (e.g., phase-retrieval and phase-diversity) may offer a simpler solution for applications where conventional sensing hardware can be replaced by a computational approach. Various estimation approaches are distinguished by the specific data processing and constraints that are incorporated. This theme is intended to promote technical exchange on image-based algorithm developments, applications and theory.

1.2 Diffractive and Holographic Optics
Topics include: digital holography for biomedical or nanophotonics applications, holographic micro- and nano-fabrication methods, 3-D holographic microscopy, 3-D optical image processing, 3-D display, computer-generated holograms, dynamic holography, beam shaping, diffractive polarizing elements, polarization-independent diffractive elements, broadband diffractive elements, active diffractive elements, subwavelength optics, fabrication of diffractive and micro-optical elements, hybrid design with diffractive-refractive optics.

1.3 Three-Dimensional Structure Design, Fabrication and Nanopatterning
The field of optical materials has been rapidly developing in recent years, promising to deliver new materials with exotic properties generally unattainable in nature. Full exhibition of their properties and functionalities relies on 3-D control of metallic or dielectric structures in the nanoscale. This theme is focused on the design and fabrication of 3-D optical materials and integrated circuits, which may include 3-D photonic crystals, 3-D metamaterials, and 3-D optical circuits. Recent progress may bring new synthesis techniques that enable nanoscale spatial control in three dimensions. On the other hand, scalable, fault-tolerant designs and architectures that can lead to large-scale fabrication are also of great interest. The theme also includes optical nanolithography, EUV lithography, maskless lithography, plasmonic imaging and metamaterials, nanoimprint technology, self-assembly nanopatterning, organic electronic device patterning, lithography for display technology, flexible electronic devices, etc.

1.4 Optical Design for Biomedical Systems (Joint with FiO 3: Optics in Biology and Medicine)
Topics include novel optical design for improving the resolution, speed, and depth range of various biomedical imaging modalities such as confocal, optical coherence tomography, photoacoustic imaging, stimulated emission-depletion microscopy (STED), fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), etc.; as well as optical design and fabrication of microfluidic devices for biomedical instruments.

1.5 Optical Design with Unconventional Polarization
The scope includes but is not limited to the following topics:

1. Description and characterization of unconventional polarization states (including radial polarizations, azimuthal polarizations, and other types of polarization vortices).
2. Creation of unconventional polarization states.
3. Paraxial and non-paraxial propagation of unconventional polarizations through various media (free space, turbulence, optical waveguide, optical fiber) and optical systems.
4. Ray tracing and optical design with spatially variant polarizations.
5. Polarization aberrations in optical design and instrumentation.
6. Application of unconventional polarizations to optical instrumentation.

1.6 Astrophotonics (Joint with FiO 5: Photonics) New!
The advent of new and rapidly advancing optical devices such as MEMS-based micro-shutters, micro-mirrors, MEMS deformable mirrors and coherent fiber bundles holds the promise of opening a new regime for astronomical telescopes and instruments. Instruments can now become compact, separate telescopes phased together, and wavefront and amplitude errors can be passively and actively filtered and controlled. This burgeoning new research area is rapidly undergoing growth and opens new realms of astronomy that have only been dreamed of in terms of imaging interferometry, coronagraphy and spectroscopy. Astrophotonics spans the boundary between modern astronomical telescopes and instruments and the associated photonics and MEMS devices required to realize them, including the astronomical applications, development of the devices, and the associated sensing, processing and control techniques necessary to achieve the science.

1.7 Adaptive Optics for the Eye (Joint with FiO 7: Vision and Color)
Adaptive optics for vision care has been developing rapidly. This theme aims to cover various technologies for high resolution retinal imaging, diagnosis of retinal diseases and vision correction.

1.8 General Optical Design, Fabrication and Instrumentation
The Optical Design and Instrumentation subcommittee covers general optical design, fabrication, algorithms, devices and systems, and instrumentation. Topics include but are not limited to design of new optical elements and systems; aberrations; wavefront sensing; wavefront correction; design, fabrication, and applications of diffractive and holographic optical elements and systems; three-dimensional structure design, fabrication, and nanopatterning; optical imaging; optical design for biomedical systems; optical design with unconventional polarization; photonic technologies for astronomical instruments; adaptive optics for eye imaging.

FiO 2: Optical Sciences

2.1 Attosecond Optics and Technology
The generation, characterization and application of attosecond light pulses remain in the forefront of optics research. Carrier Envelope Phase (CEP) stabilization methods, attosecond optical phenomena and advances in high harmonic generation (HHG) are topics to be covered by this theme.

2.2 Advances in High-Energy Ultrafast Laser Systems
In the development of high energy and high peak power laser systems, several new ideas—and old ideas implemented at different intensity levels or pulse durations— keep the laser development community excited. Topics include: thin disk lasers, chirped fiber Bragg gratings, volume Bragg gratings, exotic grating designs, tiling of gratings, large multi-layer dielectric (MLD) gratings, hyper dispersion optical compressors, dispersion balance techniques, space-time coupling in dispersive systems.

2.3 Laser-Plasma Based Particle Acceleration
Acceleration of electrons and protons using ultra strong laser pulses became everyday practice in many laser laboratories. Current challenges include the improvement of particle beam parameters (energy spread, emittance, yield) and the demonstration of applicability of these accelerators for basic scientific research in nuclear physics, particle physics, material sciences and medical treatments.

2.4 High-Peak-Power THz Field Generation and Applications
This technical area focuses on generation of high peak power THz pulses, with special emphasis on the role of metamaterials in intense THz pulse generation. Topics related to the application of these unique THz sources in ultrafast THz studies include electronic correlations, electron dynamics in nanomaterials and “THz pump–THz probe” spectroscopy.

2.5 Laser Systems for Fusion and Fast Ignition
Laser facilities designed for laser fusion and fast ignition research are nearing completion, and others are preparing initial campaigns for ignition. The associated laser technology, beam delivery methods, diagnostic suits, design of integrated experiments and preliminary results will be discussed in this theme.

2.6 General Optical Sciences
In addition to the five focus area listed above, contributions are also solicited on the following topics:
high power lasers and high field science, including chirped pulse amplification, petawatt-class laser development, nonlinear frequency conversion, novel ultrafast sources including coherent EUV and bright X-ray generation, ultrafast and high precision spectroscopy, including spectroscopy of novel materials, liquid phase and gas phase time-resolved chemical spectroscopy, coherent and adaptive laser control, precision metrology, pulse shaping and pulse characterization methods with special emphasis on stability and control, frequency comb generation and ultrahigh frequency resolution spectroscopy, applications of ultrafast lasers in the life sciences.

FiO 3: Optics in Biology and Medicine

3.1 Optical Trapping and Manipulation
Optical trapping has been widely used to uncover fundamental aspects of molecular and cellular biology, including the understanding of the movement mechanisms of molecular motors and the forces involved in cell adhesion. This technical area focuses on the development and application of novel optical trapping and manipulation techniques on molecular and cellular levels, the integration of these techniques with microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip technologies, as well as implementations in living systems.

3.2 Microscopy and OCT
Microscopic imaging plays a dominant role in medicine and biology and continuous to advance in terms of imaging capabilities, resolution and contrast mechanisms. Optical coherence measurements are ideal techniques for the investigation of scattering in living systems. Directions of interest include super-resolution microscopy, multimodal approaches, linear and nonlinear quantitative imaging, light source engineering in terms of its temporal, spatial, phase and frequency properties, phase-sensitive detection of optical signatures, and the integration of microscopy and OCT with endoscopic applications.

3.3 Optics for Diagnostics and Therapy
This technical area focuses on the use of light for diagnosis and treatment of disease. Diagnostics includes the use of diffusely scattered light (elastic and inelastic), fluorescence and absorption to determine optical tissue signatures related to disease or tissue regeneration. Treatment uses lasers as surgical tools for tissue cutting, welding and coagulation, as well as optics to initiate cell-damaging photochemical reactions. In these fields optics, spectroscopy and imaging provide unique tools that may allow real-time diagnostics of the efficacy of clinical procedures.

3.4 General Optics in Biology and Medicine
Technical sessions will be related to the use of light in biological research and medical applications as well as the development of the optical tools that will advance research in these fields. Six technical areas are covered and encompass tissue imaging and spectroscopy, microscopy and OCT, optical biosensors, therapeutics and laser applications, molecular probes and nanomedicine, and optical trapping and manipulation of biosystems. Topics range from fundamental research and technology development to clinical applications.

1.4 Optical Design for Biomedical Systems

6.3 Non-Linear Imaging

7.2 Emerging in vivo Imaging Techniques for Ocular Imaging

FiO 4: Optics in Information Science

4.1 Encoding Optical Information—Nano-Photonics, Diffractive Optics and Refractive Optics for Shaping Optical Signals
The implementation of optical systems for information processing critically depends on the progress of material sciences and the development of new fabrication techniques. For instance, nano-photonics promises unprecedented freedom to design materials with predefined electromagnetic properties, while free form machining revolutionizes the design freedom for refractive optical elements. The freedom to manufacture optical hardware is prompting a revision of conventional design strategies and raises questions as to the optimum implementation of a desired functionality.

Submissions are solicited that report on novel techniques to encode optical information and functionality with nano-optical elements, diffractive optics and refractive macro-optics. In addition, we encourage contributions that investigate fundamental limits of encoding optical information with electromagnetic structures at different length scales. This may include limits to the amount of information carried by coherent and partially coherent signals.

4.2 Sensing in Higher Dimensions—Theory and Hardware for Computational Imaging
As carriers of both spatial and temporal information, electromagnetic signals are essential tools for imaging and sensing applications. Depending on the sensing application, the evolution of optical signals as they propagate through optical systems can be used to extract additional information about the object. Phase-space optics based on the Wigner distribution function is one example for representing the dynamics of optical signals by treating location and spatial frequency of wavefronts as independent variables. For ray optics and radiometry this concept is represented by the lightfield as used in computational photography .Sensing paradigms such as feature-specific imaging and compressed sensing can be interpreted as strategies to identify a subspace of the configuration space that contains the information relevant to identifying a specific class of objects.

Original contributions are solicited that describe hardware and theoretical tools for novel sensing and imaging applications. Submissions that emphasize the use of a higher-dimensional configuration space for identifying objects, extracting target information and manipulating image information are particularly encouraged.

4.3 Plasmonics and Metamaterials for Information Processing
The development of novel structures such as negative index metamaterials and plasmonic materials has opened up new possibilities for imaging and the processing of information. These materials have been shown in principle to be able to overcome the traditional diffraction limit, an observation that has great potential in imaging applications. Novel light sources based on these materials could be used in the transmission of information in optical circuits, and the ability to control the dispersion and speed of a transmitted signal allows great flexibility in the processing of optical information.

Contributions are solicited that describe the application of plasmonic and metamaterial systems to the transmission, receiving and interpretation of data. Submissions that emphasize the ability of such materials to overcome traditional limits in communication, sensing, and information processing are encouraged.

4.4 Structured Wavefields for Communications and Sensing
The ability to control the phase, polarization, and coherence properties of optical wavefields has resulted in the development of novel classes of optical beams with beneficial and even unusual properties. Examples of such beams include the nondiffracting Bessel beams, the “accelerating” Airy beams and beams with nonuniform states of polarization. These structured wavefields have been found useful in a number of applications to increase the amount of information measured or transmitted in an optical signal and to improve the propagation characteristics of signals propagating in scattering media.

Contributions are solicited that apply structured beams (nondiffracting, Airy, vortex, nonuniformly polarized, partially coherent) to problems involving the transmission of information (free-space optical communication) and to remote sensing.

4.5 Generalized Imaging and Non-Imaging Techniques for Diagnostics and Sensing
Traditionally, optical information referred to the information contained in an image gathered by a standard geometrical imaging system. Modern techniques, however, have been developed to extract additional information from an optical signal and to form images in unconventional ways. Included in the former class are techniques such as holography, interferometry and phase retrieval techniques, while in the latter class are techniques such as classical ghost imaging, ballistic imaging and tomography. These techniques provide additional information that can be used for applications such as sensing and diagnostics, but also introduce additional challenges in interpretation and data collection.

Contributions are solicited that look at the gathering of optical information outside of the usual paradigm of image formation. This can include techniques that incorporate or reconstruct phase information from a signal such as holography, interferometry and transport of intensity. It also encompasses non-imaging diagnostic techniques, novel tomographic techniques and inverse problems, and techniques that use unconventional strategies to extract an image from an otherwise noisy data set, such as acousto-optics imaging, classical ghost imaging and ballistic imaging.

4.6 General Optics in Information Science
Contributed papers are solicited that highlight the information aspect of optical signals and systems. This includes original work on using electromagnetic signals as information carriers and optical as well as electronic systems to process this information. Of additional interest are contributions investigating the information capacity of optical signals and photonic structures. This includes, but is not limited to, classical and digital holography, adaptive optics, diffractive optics, and numerical algorithms for computational signal recovery and synthesis. The theme also encompasses new theoretical tools and mathematical transforms to represent and analyze optical signals, such as phase space optics.

FiO 5: Photonics

5.1 Novel Fiber Optical Devices
Fiber optical devices continue to enable novel applications in diverse fields. This theme includes but is not limited to the following new developments in the field: fabrication and studies of novel photonic crystal fibers and fibers made from unconventional non-silica materials, realization of monolithic all-fiber based devices, novel fiber amplifiers and fiber lasers, studies and applications of various nonlinear optical phenomena in optical fibers including the parametric interactions, and advances in multimode fibers for high data rate communication and high power fiber lasers.

5.2 Optical Communication
Network traffic has been doubling every 1.5 years for several years. To sustain the network traffic increase, optical transmission capacity has to be dramatically increased. Technology breakthroughs are in demand to more closely approach the Shannon capacity limit for fiber transmission and to more efficiently transmit a bit in terms of both cost and power consumption. This presents an important technical challenge that needs to be addressed by the research community. We welcome submissions that stimulate new ideas and concepts to address this challenge.

5.3 Integrated Optics
The theme of integrated optics encompasses recent developments in the following and related areas: integrated optical modulators; optoelectronic devices including lasers, optical switches, and detectors; passive optical components; high-Q micro-resonators and other light-confining nano-structures; integrated optomechanical devices and optical MEMS devices; integrated microwave photonic devices for signal generation and processing for RF-over-fiber applications, non-telecom applications, and photonic analog-to-digital (or digital-to-analog) converters; photonic crystals or other photonic band gap devices; optofluidic integrated devices.

5.4 Photonic Sensing Devices
Photonic sensing plays an increasingly important role in our society and our personal lives. When combined with spectroscopic and imaging techniques, photonic sensors gather a wide range of information, from health and medicine to environment and climate condition. The focus of the theme will be on novel photonic sensors. Relevant devices include, but are not limited to, specialty optical fiber, on-chip waveguide, micro/nano cavity, and miniaturized optical systems that utilize photon for probing and detection. Some examples of measurement parameter are mechanical stress, temperature, pressure, chemical composition and concentration.

5.5 Novel Hybrid Integration New!
Because heterogeneous materials or components can be separately optimized for distinct functions, a hybrid integrated circuit or device could surpass monolithically integrated photonic circuits or devices, either in performance or functionality. The theme will focus on novel integrated photonic devices or circuits which consist of dissimilar components or material platforms in order to provide optimized functionality or characteristics. Some examples include, but are not limited to, integration of silica lightwave circuits and semiconductor active emitters or detectors, organic/inorganic photonic integration, or silicon/III-V photonic circuit integration.

5.6 Photonics and Optics for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability New!
Increasing energy efficiency and environmentally friendly energy production are currently preeminent topics in our society. Innovations in optical science and photonics can have a positive impact on both issues. Sessions will highlight advances in materials and device design for efficient, cost-effective photovoltaic energy harvesting, developments in energy-efficient devices and materials for lighting and displays, as well as efforts to increase energy efficiency in the telecom and information technology sectors.

5.7 General Photonics

1.6 Astrophotonics

6.6 Nonlinear Optics in Micro/Nano-Optical Structures

FiO 6: Quantum Electronics

6.1 Opto-Mechanics and Quantum Measurement
With the reduction of optical and mechanical dissipation in micro-devices, more of these structures enter the regime where the mechanical and optical degrees of freedom are coupled and affect each other. Optomechanics is nowadays joining electro-optics to allow the control of light. This theme focuses on reports on new types of opto-mechanical phenomena including novel forces, cooling mechanisms and operation at the quantum regime.

6.2 Quantum Information and Communications
Quantum-enhanced technologies in the photonic realm have shown considerable promise. Likewise, at a more fundamental level, interest in non-locality and non-realism remains high. This is a broad theme, which encourages submissions on experimental and theoretical reports ranging in subject from enabling technologies such as detectors and sources to implementations of light-based quantum-information processing and communication protocols. This theme will also accept fundamental studies on non-classical aspects of light.

6.3 Non-Linear Imaging (Joint with FiO 3: Optics in Biology and Medicine)
The exploitation of nonlinear optical effects for the development of imaging systems that exhibit the ability to probe samples in three dimensions with higher resolution than is possible with conventional microscopy has led to dramatic technological advances. These advances have been particularly relevant for biological applications. Reports on experimental and theoretical progress in this field are encouraged.

6.4 Nonlinearities and Gain in Plasmonics and Metamaterials
Local field enhancement effects make plasmonic nanostructures interesting candidates for future nonlinear materials. The compensation of losses with active materials is the big challenge in the field of plasmonics and metamaterials. Both aspects will be covered in this theme, which is devoted to new developments in the research on metallic nanostructures beyond the limits of linear optics.

6.5 Transformation Optics and Cloaking with Metamaterials
Our ability to locally control the optical properties of metamaterials has opened new avenues to manipulate the flow of light. The experimental demonstration of the "invisibility cloak" has literally turned fiction into science. Other important examples are light concentrators and new types of lenses. This theme is devoted to new experimental and theoretical developments in this interesting field of research.

6.6 Nonlinear Optics in Micro/Nano-Optical Structures (Joint with FiO 5: Photonics)
Concentration of light to small regions in space allows optical systems to operate in a ragtime where nonlinear phenomena such as harmonic generations become possible. This theme highlights reports on fabrication, efficient light coupling, and observation of optical effects in micro- and nano-scale optical devices.

6.7 Disorder in Integrated Optical Devices and Circuits
This theme is dedicated to the understanding and controlling of photon transport in complex optical systems including random, quasiperiodic and deterministic aperiodic media. Optical devices based on such media are expected to open a gateway to new functionalities in the areas of sensing, imaging, energy transformation and laser emission. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: photon localization in quasiperiodic media, lasing in complex open systems, active and passive sensing in complex media, statistics of electromagnetic wave propagation and localization in random and strongly scattering media.

6.8 General Quantum Electronics
This is a broad theme related to laser physics, quantum mechanics, and light-matter interactions. This includes, but is not limited to, the following specific fields: quantum optics, nonlinear optics, meta-materials, random media, micro cavity design, and laser science and engineering. Submissions of both experimental and theoretical work are welcome, with an emphasis which can range from fundamental to applied research.

FiO 7: Vision and Color

7.1 Individualized Optical Correction of the Eye
For a long time, optical correction of the eye consisted of lenses (spectacle, contact and intraocular) which corrected the defocus and astigmatism of the eye. Following our improved ability to measure the higher-order aberrations of the eye, corrections customized to the individual's aberrations have been developed. These include intraocular lenses which correct the spherical aberration of the older eye, laser refractive surgeries on the cornea and customized contact lenses. Submissions are encouraged on these and similar topics.

7.2 Emerging in vivo Imaging Techniques for Ocular Imaging (Joint with 3: Optics in Biology and Medicine)
Optical techniques to assess cellular structure and function are rapidly evolving. In particular, retinal imaging is attractive given the accessibility of the tissue. This theme will focus on current and emerging technologies for imaging various retinal cell types and for assaying retinal function.

7.3 General Vision and Color
Submissions are encouraged relating to various aspects of the visual system, physiological optics, mechanisms of color and spatial vision, visual processing and adaptation, optical modeling of the eye, refractive surgery and IOL design, general retinal imaging.

1.8 Adaptive Optics for the Eye

Laser Science Topics

1. Frontiers in Cold Molecules
The study of cold and ultracold molecules has produced many remarkable results in the last few years. It appears that many of the long-sought goals of the work, e.g. dipolar many-body physics, ultracold chemical reactions, high-resolution spectroscopy, etc., are now within reach of experiment. Sessions will highlight these topics as well as explore the next generation of cold molecule experiments, which aim to produce cold molecular systems by entirely new techniques, such as direct molecular laser cooling, sympathetic cooling of molecular ions, and direct association to the ground state.

2. Hybrid Quantum Systems
Sessions will focus on "hybrid quantum systems," in which different physical realizations of quantum systems are coupled to each other. Examples will include coupling between mechanical oscillators, electromagnetic cavities, ultracold atoms and solid-state spins. These devices have potential applications in quantum information processing, quantum limited detection and tests of quantum mechanics on large scales.

3. Metrology and Precision Measurements
Advances in metrology have led to new definitions of standards and more precise determinations of fundamental constants. Precision measurements serve as tests of the fundamental principles of physics and symmetries of nature, and have practical applications such as magnetometry, gravimetry and inertial sensing. Submissions describing experimental and theoretical work aimed at improving the current sensitivity limits in both fundamental and applied areas are encouraged.

4. Novel Imaging, Spectroscopy and Manipulation in Microstructures
Using micro/nanostructures to enhance a material's optical response has resulted in advancements in sensitivity and localization signals for spectroscopy and microscopy. Furthermore these structures can be used to both enhance an interaction and manipulate particles. In recent years we have seen dramatic progress in this area as a result of device fabrication techniques and interdisciplinary application areas. We encourage submissions describing optical techniques combined with micro/nanostructures to confine, manipulate, image, sense and study.

5. Attosecond and Strong Field Physics
The emerging field of attosecond science encompasses a range of interests, such as core-level atom physics, molecular dynamics, ultrafast surface science and strong field physics. Sessions will include topics such as i) production of attosecond pulses, ii) application of attosecond pulses to atoms, molecules and surfaces, and iii) application of the sub-cycle strong field physics that is behind attosecond technology to understanding atoms and molecules.

6. Chemical Dynamics—Multi-Dimensional Ultrafast Spectroscopy
Multidimensional ultrafast spectroscopy uses femtosecond duration laser pulses to control molecular coherences in such a way that more information can be obtained than is typically available from a one-dimensional spectrum. In the optical spectrum, these techniques are multidimensional analogues of electronic absorption, Raman scattering and infrared absorption. As such, they allow scientists to observe the coupling between different electronic or vibrational resonances in complex systems. These sessions aim to pull together recent technical and methodological improvements in each of these areas that have allowed the observation of dynamics from the femtosecond to millisecond time scales.

7. Photophysics of Nanostructured Materials
The preparation and study of nanoscale materials have fascinated researchers over the past years, particularly owing to the idea of systematically exploring their optical properties and related applications. Sessions will focus on semiconductor nanocrystals and conjugated polymers: from intrinsic properties to their assembly. Some of the contributiuons will emphasize issues of photogenerated charges from a fundamental viewpoint, while other topics include reports of the fastest photo-initiated events imaginable and how laser experiments can unravel nanoscale exciton dynamics in complex materials systems.

8. Photophysics of Energy Conversion
Critical to the performance of organic (excitonic) solar cells is the dissociation of photo-generated excitons into long-lived, charge carriers. The chemical systems of interest will include nanoscale architectures comprised of organic polymers, molecules, inorganic semiconductors and other related nanostructures, where charges can not only be created, but can migrate away from the dissociation site. Sessions will focus on the use of different types of transient spectroscopies to detect these charge carriers and probe their kinetics on time scales ranging from femtoseconds to milliseconds or longer. Spectroscopic techniques will include, but are not limited to: transient absorption, transient terahertz and microwave conductivity, optically detected magnetic resonance, light-induced EPR, and coherent spectroscopies.

9. Single Molecule Approaches to Biology-Inspired Problems
Advances in fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy have made it possible to probe increasingly complex biological systems. State-of-the-art fluorescence microscopy techniques have become powerful tools for the direct observation of molecular interactions and dynamics under well-controlled environments and inside living systems. Submissions are encouraged on topics related to problems of complex systems approached from the single-molecule level. The main foci are on i) the recent development in the single-molecule techniques aimed for solving problems in complex systems in general and ii) the applications of single-molecule methods to specific problems.

10. Optofluidics in the Near-Field
Recent advances in the field of optics and plasmonics has led to the development of a number of novel near-field optical techniques. Such near-field methods have enabled the tight, sub-wavelength scale confinement of optical fields resulting in a variety of interesting applications. These sessions focus on the various advances in this area of nearfield optics and integration within micro- and nanofluidic architectures for enabling advanced functionalities such as nanoparticle trapping and handling, sensitive biomolecular sensing and single molecule imaging.

11. Quantum Enhanced Information Processing
Quantum enhanced information processing holds great promise for efficiently solving computationally hard problems, and for enhancing the accuracy of measurements beyond what is possible with classical devices. In recent years there has been rapid progress in quantum logic elements to the point where small algorithms can be executed with high fidelity on multiple qubits. Non-classical states of light have been shown to be powerful tools for quantum enhanced detection, imaging and communication. Submissions describing the latest theoretical and experimental developments in these areas are encouraged.

12. Nonlinear Optics
Nonlinear optical interactions can be used to create quantum states of light, that is, light fields whose properties cannot be adequately be described by classical physics. These quantum states of light can be used to implement new procedures and applications within the field of quantum information science. Examples of applications of such light fields include quantum imaging and quantum communications. In these sessions, we explore some of the methodologies and applications of quantum nonlinear optics.

13. Nanophotonics, Photonic Crystals and Structural Slow Light
The ability to fabricate structures on a nanometer distance scale is leading to exciting new possibilities in the field of photonics. One example is the fabrication of photonics crystals with controllable optical properties, such as the extreme values of the group velocity of light. Photonic crystals of this sort can be used to enhance the strength of nonlinear optical interactions and control the emission properties of quantum emitters located within the crystal. These and related ideas are to be explored.

14. General Laser Science
Laser science encompasses a broad range of topics in many sub-fields of physics. The Division of Laser Science encourages submission of contributions in any area of physics that has lasers a central component, or concerns the development of new light sources. Topics of interest are, but are not limited to, laser cooling and trapping, optical tweezers, quantum optics, laser spectroscopy, and imaging for measurement purposes.