Photonics News No 94

Dear Readers, 

With this issue, you are holding in your hands a publication that has been an integral part of our company for many decades. Photonics News was far more than a customer magazine, it was the voice of our company and a window into the world of photonics, while sharing our vision with customers and industry leaders. 

As digitalization has progressed, the way we communicate has changed. Today, information is distributed faster than ever through the internet, the rise of social media, and now with AI. This digital shift offers many advantages as we can communicate more quickly and in a more targeted way. At the same time, however, we have realized over the past few years that something has been lost from our marketing mix. 

Not every story can be told in a short social media post. Not every technological development deserves only a few lines in a newsletter. Some topics require space for a deeper understanding. It is precisely this space that we want to once again create with Photonics News.  

Photonics is advancing at an impressive pace and continuously opening up new fields of application. The articles throughout this issue explore how photonics is deeply embedded within the defense & aerospace industry: from drone defense, free-space optical communications, and autonomous vehicles to quantum communications and STAR (surveillance, target acquisition, and recon). 

One example is the cover story of this issue: the use of photonic technologies in counter-drone defense. Modern defense systems place the highest demands on laser diodes, detectors, and optical components. At the same time, this example powerfully demonstrates the key role our industry plays in solving complex technological challenges, far beyond traditional industrial applications. 

With the revival of Photonics News, we aim to once again provide you with regular insights into technological trends around emerging applications, and how LASER COMPONENTS is enabling these possibilities. By shedding light on the practical innovations within the photonics industry, we hope this issue can be the start of many new conversations. 

I am delighted that we are bringing this long-standing and valued publication back to life, and I wish you a pleasant read. 

Kind regards, 

Patrick Paul