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Date: 10/8/2026
Subject: OSSC Newsletter - October 2026
From: OSSC Newsletter Team

Newsletter Volume 31, Number 2
October 2026

Table of Contents

From the President
October 12 OSSC & UCSD SPIE Joint Meeting
October 14 OSSC Meeting at Diverse Optics
OSSC Community Outreach at Portola HS
Support OSSC Community Initiatives
This Month in Optics
October 28 - Oldest Light and Darkest Matter
Upcoming Optics & Photonics Events
Outreach Activities
Optics Education
Attention Students
OSSC Website Sponsors
OSSC Corporate Members
Welcome New OSSC Members

From the President

McGwire Herbert

Dear OSSC Members and Friends,

Our 2026–2027 program year is off to an excellent start. September's meeting at Samueli Academy, with Prof. Ebrahim Karimi of Chapman University, was a great evening of engaging discussion and connection. My thanks to Prof. Karimi, to our hosts, and to everyone who attended.

October offers two great opportunities to come together. The first is our joint event with the UCSD SPIE Student Chapter on Monday, October 12.

The second is our regular meeting at Diverse Optics in Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday, October 14, where Gregory F. Miller will present "From Concept to High-Volume Production: How High-Precision Polymer Optics Are Perfected."

I look forward to seeing many of you in Rancho Cucamonga on the 14th.

The OSSC is an all-volunteer organization, and everything we do, from our monthly meetings to our outreach events and this newsletter, is made possible by members who give their time and talent. As we look ahead to the rest of this program year and beyond, we are working to grow our leadership team and would welcome your involvement.

Volunteering is also a great way to build your professional network, develop leadership experience, and connect with colleagues across the Southern California optics community. No prior experience is needed, and commitments can range from helping at a single event to taking on an ongoing role. If you are interested or would simply like to learn more, please reach out to me or any member of the Board.

Finally, thank you for being part of the Optical Society of Southern California. For 75 years, this society has thrived because of the dedication of its members, and I am grateful to each of you for continuing that tradition.

October 12 OSSC & UCSD SPIE Joint Meeting

Monarch_Quantum_OSSC_UCSD_SPIE_Oct_12_2026

OSSC + UCSD SPIE Meeting – Tim Day, Monarch Quantum
Join OSSC and the UC San Diego SPIE community for a special October 12 meeting featuring Tim Day of Monarch Quantum.

Registration Details

October 14 OSSC Meeting at Diverse Optics

Join OSSC at Diverse Optics in Rancho Cucamonga for a presentation by Gregory F. Miller:

From Concept to High-Volume Production: How High-Precision Polymer Optics Are Perfected

Polymer optics can enable aspheres, freeforms, diffractives, and integrated mechanical features that can be difficult or impractical to produce in glass. Diverse Optics will discuss how high-precision polymer optics move from design to production, including material selection, single-point diamond turning, precision injection molding, coating and assembly, and the metrology used to verify optical performance.

Registration Details

Community Outreach at Portola High School

We had a wonderful time at the IUSD college and career fair at Portola High School in Irvine. Donn's enthusiasm is contagious, and the energy and curiosity from the students made for a lively event. High school students weren't the only curious ones, however, and the OSSC demonstrations caught the eye of many parents and younger siblings as well. Everyone who stopped by learned something new, no matter their age.

Support OSSC Community Initiatives

OSSC members and friends can now support several community and education initiatives through the OSSC Donate page, including the Mt. Wilson Observatory Fund, Pasadena City College – Laser Technology Fund, and the OSSC History Celebration & Project Fund. Learn More & Donate >

This Month in Optics

October 2026 offers a remarkable opportunity to reflect on the power of light in scientific discovery. From the 2026 Nobel Prizes recognizing optogenetics and neutrino astronomy to 65 years of nonlinear optics, these milestones highlight how optical technologies continue to expand our understanding of nature—from living cells to the distant universe.

For the OSSC community, these achievements highlight the lasting impact of optical science and the importance of connecting fundamental discoveries with emerging technologies. Let's explore some of the breakthroughs shaping our field, both past and present:

Nonlinear Optics — 1961: Peter Franken and colleagues demonstrated second-harmonic generation, laying the foundation for modern nonlinear photonics. Original paper

Medicine — Optogenetics: Light-sensitive proteins enable researchers to control neuronal activity, revolutionizing neuroscience.

Physics — Neutrino Astronomy: The IceCube Observatory uses optical sensors beneath Antarctic ice to detect light generated by neutrino interactions, revealing distant cosmic phenomena. The Nobel Prize

October 28 - The Oldest Light and Darkest Matter at UCI

The visible universe is vast, containing a trillion galaxies, and light now reaching our telescopes has traveled more than thirteen billion years. Yet everything we can see accounts for only five percent of what exists. The rest has never been seen, only measured. That tradition of measuring the unmeasurable began at UC Irvine with Fred Reines, whose detection of the 'undetectable' neutrino earned the Nobel Prize. Dr. Kevork N. Abazajian will trace that lineage to the present, describe the deepest puzzles that remain, and highlight the Irvine theorists working to solve them.
October 28 · 4:30–7:00 PM · ISEB 1010, UC Irvine. Get your ticket >

Upcoming Optics & Photonics Events

See More Events >

Final Notes

We love publishing news from our members including profiles, activities, white papers, and new products from our OSSC Corporate Members. Send your input to Newsletter@ossc.org. Please include the word "newsletter" in the subject line of your email.

Outreach

Outreach Webpage

$Outreach Steven Dang Diffractive Selfie$

Outreach Opportunities

The OSSC seeks volunteers for upcoming events being organized by our friends at Vital Link and The Girl Scouts of Orange County and many more. If you are interested please contact us at Outreach@ossc.org.

Optics Education

UC Irvine Optical & PCC Laser Tech

Learn more about professional education opportunities on the OSSC website.

Attention Students

Student Members receive a meal discount at our regular meetings. If you qualify as a Student Member but do not see the discount, your membership probably needs to be updated. Please contact Memberships@ossc.org to have your membership changed to Student Member before registering for the next meeting.

Student Members are Individual Members who are currently enrolled in school at least part-time and are not working full-time.

Thank You to our Website Sponsors