ANZOS - Australia and New Zealand Optical Society News

Volume 36 Number 2 - November 2025

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:50:05 GMT

One of the highlights of this issue is the article “Fractional Derivatives in Optics and Photonics” by Prof. Martijn de Sterke, recipient of the 2024 W.H. (Beattie) Steel Medal. This issue also features an article about Aleksander Jabłoński, and n article on the development of optical palpation in biomedical imaging by Qi Fang and Brendan Kennedy. As we celebrate the International Year of Quantum 2025, our “Blast from the Past” feature revisits a classic ANZOS article from 2016: “Quantum Vision – Revisiting the Quantum Microscope” by Marcus W. Doherty. In addition, Elizabeth Arcadi, a PhD student at Macquarie University, shares her experience participating in the Optica Career Accelerator Program, alongside a recap of the inspiring events organised by Macquarie students to celebrate the International Day of Light.

Volume 36 Number 1 - May 2025

Mon, 12 May 2025 06:15:00 GMT

In this issue we have a great selection of articles, including highlights on our 2024 ANZOS Award winners, Postgraduate Student Prize winner Shaban Sulejman’s insightful technical article, and a summary of the Adelaide Student Chapter’s activities. Additionally, you’ll find a report from the Centre of Excellence QUBIC, two captivating articles on quantum (one including bank notes), and contributions from our corporate members.

Volume 35 Number 2 - October 2024

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 02:51:16 GMT

In this issue you will find content about our recently released Photonics and Quantum Technologies in Australia and New Zealand 2024 Industry Report. There are also event summaries showcasing the great work undertaken by the optics and photonics student chapters to celebrate the International Day of Light, an update from Te Whai Ao — Dodd-Walls Centre, and three other articles from people in our community.

Volume 35 Number 1 - May 2024

Wed, 15 May 2024 20:00:00 GMT

The Australian and New Zealand Optical Society’s publication is back! In this issue several articles report essential developments and events in the Australian and New Zealand Optics and Photonics community, including the passing of Jim Piper, an article from COMBS (one of Australia’s Centre of Excellence), updates from two student chapters, and two other updates from prominent people in our community.

Vol 34, Issue 1 - April/May 2020

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 01:39:51 GMT

Welcome to the first issue of the rebranded ANZOS News. With the new name of the society, the magazine title has changed to reflect this and we also have a new logo. We have a great selection of articles for you. Rocio Camacho Morales was the recipient of the 2018 AOS Postgraduate Student Prize and reports on her work on nonlinear optical nanoparticles. We have an obituary of Wes Sandle, pioneer in laser physics and spectroscopy in New Zealand, who died in February. There is also a look at the colour of eyes in our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section and an article exploring nonlinear optical metasurfaces.

Vol 33, Issue 3 - Dec 2019

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 10:23:32 GMT

In this issue we have items from two of the winners of the 2018 AOS Awards. Rob Scholten, 2018 recipient of the John Love award for technical optics gives us an overview of the work in his group using laser-cooled atoms for nanoscale imaging and fabrication. Mohsen Rahmani, winner of the Geoff Opat early career researcher prize in 2018 provides details about tunable metasurfaces. There is also a look at topology in nonlinear photonics, and our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section explores tidal disruption.

Vol 33, Issue 2 - Aug 2019

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 23:04:55 GMT

In this issue we have a selection of articles including details about biosensing with dielectric metasurfaces and an item about the upcoming IONS-KOALA meeting. There is a look at the history of polaroid cameras, and our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section explores aperture synthesis.

Vol 33, Issue 1 - May 2019

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 01:36:33 GMT

In the latest issue of AOS News read about active meta-optics with halide perovskites and Sir William Rowan Hamilton and his contributions to optics. There is also information about a new laser system at the Photon Factory in Auckland and a look at the history of women in science writing. Our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section explores smartphone photography. We also have the next winner of our photo competition and details on how to enter.

Vol 32, Issue 3 - Dec 2018

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 04:41:25 GMT

In this issue of AOS News we have a couple of articles relating to AOS prizes - there is the winning entry of the Warsash Science Communication Prize in Optics for 2018 by Sarah Scholten entitled ‘Sniffing out disease’ as well as an article by a group containing two of our 2017 prize winners. Sergey Kruk won the 2017 Geoff Opat Early Career Researcher Prize and Yuri Kivshar won the 2017 WH (Beattie) Steel Medal. There is also an item considering the relationship between optometry and optics and a look at how lighting affects paintings over time. Our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section explores the eye as a photon detector.

Vol 32, Issue 2 - Sep 2018

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 06:26:12 GMT

The second issue of AOS News for 2018 has a report on the International Day of Light inauguration ceremony in Paris, an item about the invention of polymer bank notes and looks back at the first Australian laser conference that took place forty years ago. There are details about how the new NSW physics curriculum no longer contains details of women’s contributions to the field and our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section looks at the Zeno paradox in optics.

Vol 32, Issue 1 - May 2018

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 11:35:45 GMT

In the first issue of AOS News for 2018 we have a number of articles ranging from details of conferences that took place at the end of 2017 to an item about the inventor of popular science. There is also a report on smartphone image sensors and an article about how fractals can be used in photonics and energy storage. Our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section looks at mirages and Tony Klein has come up with a brief quiz as something new.

Vol 31, Issue 3 — December 2017

Simon Fleming — Fri, 02 Feb 2018 01:21:38 GMT

In the final issue of AOS News for 2017 read details of outreach work with remote communities and an item about Marie Curie’s place as a role model for modern female scientists. There is also news from SPIE and the general optics community in Australia, and our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section looks at the history and evolution of camera lenses. There is also a report on the number of papers on laser physics and photonics published in Australia that investigates how well we’re doing compared to the rest of the world.

AOS News Dec 2017.pdf

Vol 31, Issue 2 — July 2017

Simon Fleming — Mon, 04 Sep 2017 23:10:00 GMT

In the latest issue of AOS News read about the visit of Australian born Nobel Prize winner Aleksandr Prokhorov’s grandson, about the latest Science meets Parliament event and learn all about moiré patterns. All this and much more can be found in this edition of AOS News!

AOS News Jul 2017.pdf

Vol 31, Issue 1 — April 2017

Simon Fleming — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 07:12:25 GMT

In the first issue of AOS News for 2017 we have a report on the 2016 AOS WH Beattie Steel Medal presentation to Tony Klein as well as news of a new initiative looking to increase female engagement in science. There is an item about imaging low earth-orbit satellites as well as a report on bioinspired photonic nanomaterials and the exciting possibilities these bring. Our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section looks at the history of ring lasers.

AOS News Apr 2017.pdf

Vol 30, Issue 4 — December 2016

Simon Fleming — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 07:04:27 GMT

In the final issue of AOS News for 2016 read reports on some of the activities that took place as part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Optical Society (OSA) and an article from one of the winners of the 2016 Warsash Science Communication Prize, Xiaorui Zheng. Katie Chong and Xiaorui both won the prize, but Katie already reported on her work in the last issue of AOS News. Other items in this issue include a report on the student-led IONS KOALA meeting that took place in Melbourne recently and an article on how optics is being used in cultural heritage. Our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section looks at the life and work of Augustin Fresnel.

AOS News Dec 2016.pdf

Vol 30, Issue 3 — Oct 2016

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 20:46:31 GMT

In the latest issue of AOS News read reports on activities taking place during National Science Week to remember Aleksandr Prokhorov and from the Science Meets Parliament event in Canberra. There is also an item about a lecture series at QUT as part of the OSA centennial celebrations and an article from the winner of the AOS 2015 postgraduate student prize, Katie Chong, on shaping light with optics. Other items in this issue include an article on using diffractive imaging in stress analysis and our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section looking at colour vision deficiencies.

AOS News Oct 2016.pdf

Vol 30, Issue 2 — July 2016

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:31:24 GMT

Welcome to another issue of AOS News. We have a range of articles for this issue, with a report on some of the international outreach that took place last year as part of the Year of Light and an article from the winner of the 2015 Geoff Opat Early Career Award, Marcus Doherty, on quantum microscopes. Other items in this issue include a summary of the challenges involved in bringing new optical devices into surgery and an article on using optical fibres for medical sensing. Our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section looks at solar halos and how they are formed, and there is also an article describing the use of nanophotonics to colour surfaces. I hope you enjoy reading them all. As usual, please let me know if you have any suggestions for anything you would like to see in AOS News or have any articles or other items you would like to submit.

AOS News Jul 2016.pdf

Vol 30, Issue 1 — April 2016

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:26:41 GMT

Welcome to another issue of AOS News. We have a range of articles, with details of some of the International Year of Light events that took place last year and a report on the KOALA conference as well as articles on graphene oxide films and astrophotonics. Other items in this issue include an article about Australia’s involvement in the gravitational wave discovery and our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section, which looks at periscopes. I hope you enjoy reading them all.

AOS News Apr 2016.pdf

Vol 29, Issue 4 — December 2015

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:18:21 GMT

Welcome to the final issue of AOS News for 2015. I’d like to thank everyone who contributed articles and news items throughout the year to AOS News. In particular I’d like to thank Tony Klein, who always manages to supply a fascinating item for the Optics in Everyday Life section, and Stephen Collins and Ann Roberts who have great suggestions for news items and for people to approach for articles. Baohua Jia has done an excellent job of dealing with the financial and membership side of things, after taking over from Simon Fleming as Honorary Treasurer, so thanks to her as well. As you will see in this issue, Shelley Martin has also been a great help on the financial side for many years, and has continued to assist this year whilst transferring over to Baohua, so thanks a lot to Shelley as well.

AOS News Dec 2015.pdf

Vol 29, Issue 3 — October 2015

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:14:45 GMT

Welcome to another issue of AOS News. We have a great range of articles, with details of some of the International Year of Light events that have taken place in the past few months as well as articles on subwavelength topological photonics, superchiral light and smartphone spectroscopy. Other items in this issue include an article about AOS Foundation Member and Past President, Parameswaran ‘Hari’ Harihahan, who passed away in late July and our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section, which looks at Australia’s participation in the development of optical fibres. I hope you enjoy reading them all. As usual, please let me know if you have any suggestions for anything you would like to see in AOS News or have any articles or other items you would like to submit.

AOS News Oct 2015.pdf

Vol 29, Issue 2 — June 2015

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:00:16 GMT

Welcome to another issue of AOS News. This issue was initially quite light on article submissions, so I am very grateful to everyone who managed to send something in. We do have a range of articles, with details of the recent Science meets Parliament event in Canberra as well as a response on the issue of ‘The Dress’. There is a report from the recent APOS meeting in Korea and information about the upcoming conferences in Adelaide and Sydney at the end of the year as well as details of events that are running as part of the International Year of Light. Other items in this issue include an article from the winner of the 2013 AOS WH (Beattie) Steel Medal, John Harvey, on similaritons and our ‘Optics in Everyday Life’ section, which looks at the colour of electrons in this issue.

AOS News June2015.pdf

Vol 29, Issue 1 — March 2015

Sun, 08 Mar 2015 00:55:01 GMT

In the first issue of the AOS News for 2015, read about the exciting launch of the International Year of Light illuminates Paris and Inspires Sydney! Learn about the excitement of the KOALA student conferences, the latest SPIE news and much much more!

AOS News March2015-1.pdf

Vol 28, Issue 4 — December 2014

Mon, 08 Dec 2014 00:59:23 GMT

The International Year of Light is just around the corner! In this final issue of the AOS News for 2014 hear all about the exciting plans for the 2015 UNESCO IYL. Go for a quantum walk with photon pairs on a nonlinear chip. Learn about optical elastography and how it can be used to visualise tissue and much much more!

2014-4.pdf

Vol 28, Issue 3 — September 2014

Mon, 08 Sep 2014 01:04:43 GMT

In the latest issue of the AOS news, find out about the new AOS constitution, the optics and applications of spider silk and cleaning rubbish with lasers. All this and much more can be found in this edition of the AOS News!

2014-3.pdf

Vol 28, Issue 2 — June 2014

Sun, 08 Jun 2014 01:07:21 GMT

In this exciting issue read about the Endless Summer - a tribute to a duo of optics legends, discover the growing Australian optics industry community and see the Microscope-in-a-Needle that has heads turning in the entrepreneurial world. All this and much more can be found in this edition of the AOS News!

2014-2.pdf

Vol 28, Issue 1 — March 2014

Sat, 08 Mar 2014 01:08:34 GMT

This issue showcases the best of Australian photonics. Tailor-made single photon sources, Australia-China green photonics, Australian diamond machining, ANZCOP conference success and even a surprise visit from a KOALA! All this and much more can be found in this edition of the AOS News!

2014-1.pdf