In a quiet laboratory, bursts of ultrafast laser light are etching humanity’s information deep inside glass, layer by layer, voxel by voxel. Long after today’s hard drives and magnetic tapes have failed, this glass may still faithfully preserve our data, readable thousands of years into the future.

In this episode of Rays and Waves, Daniel and Steven dive into Microsoft Research’s Project Silica with their Senior Optical Engineer James Clegg. This is an ambitious effort to redefine cold data storage using focused femtosecond lasers. By writing information as sub‑micron, laser‑induced modifications to optical properties in hundreds of stacked layers, Project Silica turns glass into a truly three‑dimensional memory medium. These tiny structures are projected to remain stable for over 10,000 years and can be read out at any time using wide‑field microscopy combined with powerful machine‑learning algorithms.

Our conversation explores the physics behind laser‑matter interactions, the optical engineering challenges of writing and reading data in three dimensions, and what it takes to scale such a radical storage technology. We also discuss why long‑term archival storage matters, how this approach compares to traditional media, and what it means to build technology with millennia‑long time horizons.

Project Silica has been under development at Microsoft for nearly a decade, and the team recently published a comprehensive open‑access Nature paper detailing this remarkable achievement: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-10042-w

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Intro music is Good Vibe by Twisterium. Thanks for the great tunes!

Outro music is Aranas Ananas with James Clegg on drums!

1.3 billion years ago, two black holes collided in a distant galaxy, sending ripples through the fabric of spacetime. On September 14, 2015, those ripples finally reached Earth and humanity detected gravitational waves for the very first time.

In this episode of Rays and Waves, Daniel and Steven sit down with Dr. Gabriele Vajente, Deputy Head of Systems Science and Engineering at LIGO, who was a postdoc on the project during that historic detection. For more than fifteen years, Gabriele has been at the center of the groundbreaking technologies and discoveries that have opened an entirely new window on the universe.

We explore how LIGO’s exquisitely sensitive instruments can measure distortions thousands of times smaller than a proton, the optical engineering innovations that make it possible, and what gravitational-wave astronomy reveals about some of the most violent events in the cosmos. At the heart of it all are the people like Gabriele who’ve dedicated decades to pushing physics and engineering to their limits.

If you enjoy the show, share it with your colleagues, subscribe, and leave us a review! Got thoughts or questions? Reach out at rays.and.waves.podcast@gmail.com

Intro music is Good Vibe by Twisterium. Thanks for the great tunes!

In this episode of Rays and Waves, Daniel and Steven take a nostalgic dive back into the world where they both began their scientific journeys: optical tweezers. These remarkable tools, using tightly focused laser beams to exert forces and torques on microscopic objects, have transformed how we manipulate cells, DNA, bacteria, and so much more. Their invention by Arthur Ashkin in 1986 ultimately earned him the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics, and today, optical manipulation stands as a thriving field with thousands of active researchers.

Our guest is one of its true pioneers. For more than four decades, Halina Rubinsztein‑Dunlop has been at the forefront of exploring how light can push, twist, and guide matter. Her work spans quantum optics, optically driven micromachines, and cutting‑edge applications in biological systems. Her impact has been recognized at the highest levels, including the SPIE Gold Medal (the society’s most prestigious honor), and she will soon serve as an SPIE Director for the 2026–2028 term.

Halina is also a powerful advocate for women in science, a topic we excitedly dive into during our conversation.

If you enjoy the show, share it with your colleagues, subscribe, and leave us a review! Got thoughts or questions? Reach out at rays.and.waves.podcast@gmail.com

Intro music is Good Vibe by Twisterium. Thanks for the great tunes!

When we think about optical systems, lenses and light often steal the spotlight. But behind every high-performance optical instrument lies a critical foundation: Optomechanics. From precision mounts to thermal stability, the mechanical design determines whether an optical system performs flawlessly or fails spectacularly.

In this episode of Rays and Waves, Daniel and Steven sit down with Nathan Wallace, an optomechanical expert from Optikos, to explore the art and science of building the structures that hold optics together. We dive into why optomechanics is more than just “hardware,” how tolerances and alignment drive system performance, and what it takes to design for environments ranging from factory floors to outer space.

If you enjoy the show, share it with your colleagues, subscribe, and leave us a review! Got thoughts or questions? Reach out at rays.and.waves.podcast@gmail.com
Music is Good Vibe by Twisterium. Thanks for the great tunes!

The current narrative is that Artificial Intelligence is reshaping industries at breakneck speed. Is optics no exception? In this special episode of Rays and Waves Daniel and Steven host the show's very first panel discussion! They bring together six experts from across the optics landscape to try to understand: How will AI change optical engineering?

From accelerating lens design to enabling smarter photonic systems, AI promises breakthroughs but also raises big questions about trust, transparency, and the role of human expertise.

The panel consists of Craig Olsen, Jenny Atwood, Erin Elliot, Akil Bhagat, Cory Boone, and Roinan Siew, and they cover the opportunities and challenges that come with integrating AI into optical workflows.

Stuff mentioned in the episode:

• Material Craig mentioned Ronian sent out: Future of optical system and lens design in the AI era

• The effect Craig mentions is Gell-Mann amnesia effect (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gell-Mann_amnesia_effect)

If you enjoy the show, share it with your colleagues, subscribe, and leave us a review! Got thoughts or questions? Reach out at rays.and.waves.podcast@gmail.com

Intro music is Good Vibe by Twisterium. Thanks for the great tunes!

Standards may not grab headlines, but they quietly shape the world. In this episode of Rays and Waves, we shine a light on the unsung hero of modern optical engineering: optical standards.

From the fiber optics enabling global connectivity, via laser grocery scanners, to the precision lenses the James Webb telescope, none of it works without agreed-upon rules and measurements. These standards ensure interoperability, safety, and reliability across millions of devices.

Joining Daniel and Steve is Eric Herman, a dedicated volunteer helping to develop and maintain these critical frameworks. Together, we’ll explore how standards are created, the challenges of keeping pace with cutting-edge technology, and why this work matters more than ever.

If you enjoy the show, share it with your colleagues, subscribe, and leave us a review! Got thoughts or questions? Reach out at rays.and.waves.podcast@gmail.com

Intro music is Good Vibe by Twisterium. Thanks for the great tunes!

In this episode, we sit down with Erwin De Baetselier, the CEO of Luceda, a company at the forefront of software innovation for Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs). As PICs continue to reshape the landscape of optical systems—from data centers to quantum labs—the tools used to design and simulate them are becoming just as critical as the hardware itself.

Luceda’s software empowers engineers and researchers to model, optimize, and scale photonic designs with precision and speed. We dive into how their platform bridges the gap between photonic theory and manufacturable reality, and why design automation is key to unlocking the full potential of integrated photonics.

Whether you're deep in the weeds of waveguide layouts or just curious about the future of chip-scale optics, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the software driving the PIC revolution. Join Steven and Daniel as they explore the intersection of photonics and design automation with Luceda’s visionary leader.

If you enjoy the show, share it with your colleagues, subscribe, and leave us a review! Got thoughts or questions? Reach out at rays.and.waves.podcast@gmail.com

Intro music is Good Vibe by Twisterium. Thanks for the great tunes!

In this episode, we explore the rise of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), which aim to compress the sprawling optical setups found on lab benches into compact, chip-scale systems. These integrated platforms are becoming foundational for technologies like high-speed data communication, LIDAR, optical quantum computing, AR/VR, and biotech diagnostics—where size, modularity, and manufacturability are critical.

We take a closer look at how PICs are built, what makes them so transformative, and why the market is growing at a rapid pace. Whether you're an engineer, researcher, or just fascinated by the future of photonics, this episode offers a view into the architecture driving next-gen optical systems. Join Steven and Daniel as they explore PICs!

If you like the show, tell your friends and colleagues about it! And like, subscribe, and all that! If you want to get in touch, shoot us an email on rays.and.waves.podcast@gmail.com

Intro music is Good Vibe by Twisterium. Thanks for making sweet music!