Subject: Polish Newsletter on Optics and Photonics – July 2026 – candela

Polish Newsletter

on Optics and Photonics

edition #56 (July 2026)

Hello!

July brings a summer lull, but there is still plenty going on in the Polish optics and photonics sector. In this issue, we cover, amongst other things, Poland’s accession to ELI ERIC, Scanway’s collaboration with NASA, new conference initiatives, and research into dynamically tunable photonic crystals and single-photon sources.

After the summer holidays, we’ll return to a busy season of events, kicking off with major conferences and schools aimed at students and early-career researchers. In the meantime, we invite you to read the July issue, catch up on the latest news at your leisure, and share your suggestions for topics for future issues with us.

candela

Poland joins ELI ERIC as an observer

Poland has been officially admitted to the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) ERIC consortium as an observer state. The decision strengthens the involvement of Polish scientists in one of Europe’s most important research infrastructures in the field of laser science, will increase access to unique experiments, and will enable Poland to help shape the future development of ELI. (Photo: ELI ERIC)

Candela and IDEAS are jointly organising AIxMAT 2026

The Candela Foundation has partnered with the IDEAS Research Institute to organise the international AIxMAT 2026 conference, dedicated to the applications of artificial intelligence in materials research. The event will take place on 24–26 November 2026 in Warsaw. We invite you to submit abstracts and help shape the conference programme.

Events

MiniModes Photonics School, Chęciny

6-8 SEPTEMBER 2026

XV Sympozjum Techniki Laserowej (STL'2026), Rumia

8-11 SEPTEMBER 2026

Horyzonty Nanotechnologii 2026, Warszawa

21-26 SEPTEMBER 2026

QRS Poziom pierwszy, Warszawa

4 OCTOBER 2026

11th Workshop on Physics and Technology of Semiconductor Lasers, Toruń

18-22 OCTOBER 2026

AI in Material Science Summit (AIxMAT), Warszawa

24-26 NOVEMBER 2026

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Job board

Test and Qualification Engineer

CORNING / Stryków

R&D Engineer - Optical Components and Integration

CORNING / Stryków

R&D Engineer - Precision Optomechanics

CORNING / Stryków

Miękinia 2.0 – Taiwanese companies are turning to Poland

TEEMA Technology Park – a new technology park being developed by Taiwanese companies – is to be built on the site previously prepared for Intel’s investment in Miękinia. The project will include production and R&D centres in the fields of semiconductors, AI, electronics and electromobility, strengthening Poland’s position as a European hub for advanced technologies. (photo: PAIH)

zdjęcie ekranu komputera na którym wyswietlane sa dane medyczne

New episodes of the podcast ‘Three Problems of Scientific Bodies’

The Candela Foundation’s podcast, ‘Three Problems Facing Scientific Bodies’, is back with new episodes and new guests. Over the past month, the guests have included Andrzej Jajszczyk (AGH) and Anna Kamińska (Creotech Quantum). We invite you to listen to discussions about science and ideas for developing the scientific community!

Scanway is developing an infrared camera with NASA

Scanway has entered into a partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop an infrared camera for observing the Earth from orbit. The solution, which utilises JPL sensors, will be tested as part of a satellite mission for a US client and is set to open up the rapidly growing market for advanced orbital thermography to the company.

The 16th edition of the Gold Medal in Chemistry competition has begun

Entries are now open for the 16th edition of the Gold Medal in Chemistry competition, aimed at authors of the best bachelor’s and engineering theses in the field of chemistry and related sciences. The competition promotes young scientists at the start of their research careers and provides an opportunity to present their achievements to the academic and industrial communities.

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Research highlights

Dynamically tunable photonic crystals

Researchers from the University of Warsaw, in collaboration with partners from the Łódź University of Technology, the Warsaw University of Technology and the Polish Academy of Sciences, have developed an ultra-thin molybdenum diselenide structure that traps infrared light within a layer just 40 nanometres thick. This breakthrough overcomes one of the key limitations to the miniaturisation of photonic systems and paves the way for the design of more compact components for controlling light and amplifying optical effects. (Photo: Marcin Muszyński/ UW)

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Single photons from a new 2D material

Researchers from the University of Warsaw have shown that thin layers of ZnPS₃ material can emit single photons. This effect is likely caused by individual phosphorus atom vacancies in the crystal lattice. Importantly, the emitted photons retain stable polarisation, meaning the material may find future applications in integrated photonic systems and quantum communication. (Photo: Natalia Zawadzka, UW)

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Do you know something worth sharing in the newsletter?

We are collecting information about optics and photonics community in Poland. The newsletter is created in close collaboration with the local community. If you want to share with us something interesting, newsworthy – please contact us by sending an mail to newsletter@candela.org.pl