The 2026 SPIE Photonics West meeting in San Francisco is gearing up to showcase the latest breakthroughs in optics and photonics. It’s a big week for the global scientific community—technical exchange, new ideas, and a lot of industry collaboration all packed into one event.
This article takes a look at the scale of the event and points out some key product launches and technology demos from major exhibitors like SmarAct, Avantes, and PicoQuant.
SPIE Photonics West 2026: A Global Hub for Optics and Photonics
From 17–22 January 2026, SPIE Photonics West stands out as one of the most influential gatherings in optics and photonics. The meeting covers more than 100 technical conferences and five major exhibitions.
It’s a full spectrum—everything from fundamental research to practical, industrial deployment.
Conferences, Courses, and Career Development
The program this year packs in over 60 technical courses. Early-career scientists and seasoned professionals both get a lot to choose from.
One new feature is the Career Hub, which brings a job fair right into the action and connects employers with researchers and engineers.
- More than 100 specialized technical conferences
- Five large-scale exhibitions
- A new Career Hub and job fair
- Over 1,500 exhibiting companies
Precision and Automation: SmarAct’s Latest Innovations
SmarAct is heading to Photonics West 2026 to show off its advances in precision motion and positioning tech. They’re rolling out an integrated Optical Assembly Solution, plus a new software platform that aims to make automation in photonics manufacturing a whole lot smoother.
Fast Alignment and Metrology at the Sub-Nanometre Scale
SmarAct’s Fast Photonics Alignment tools use electromagnetic positioning axes for quick, sub-micrometre alignment of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and similar components. Alongside these, the METIRIO optical encoders provide compact, sub-nanometre position feedback for linear, rotary, and goniometric systems.
For ultra-precise measurement, SmarAct is also bringing the PICOSCALE interferometer and vibrometer. It can measure displacement and vibration down to the picometre level, which is pretty crucial for next-gen photonics research and manufacturing.
Avantes Expands Spectroscopy Capabilities
Avantes is rolling out big updates to its software and hardware lineup. There’s a clear push for more flexible, user-friendly spectroscopy, whether you’re in research or applied markets.
AvaSoftX and Broadband Illumination
The new AvaSoftX spectroscopy software comes with preloaded applications, smart setup wizards, and scripting for advanced users. On the hardware front, Avantes is introducing the AvaLight-DH-BAL, a broadband light source that spans 215–2500 nm.
The AvaLight-DH-BAL features improved deuterium and halogen sections, better stability, adjustable halogen output, and remote-controlled shuttering. It’s well-suited for tough UV–VIS–NIR applications like thin-film analysis and biomedical spectroscopy. If you swing by the booth, you’ll catch live demos like:
- Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)
- Thin-film characterization
- Biomedical spectroscopy workflows
PicoQuant Pushes the Limits of Photon Timing
PicoQuant is sticking to its strengths in high-performance photon counting and timing. This year, it’s all about the widely used HydraHarp platform.
HydraHarp 500 and the Road to Higher Throughput
The HydraHarp 500 time-tagger brings picosecond timing resolution and ultra-short jitter. It supports up to 16 independent input channels.
High-throughput interfaces and White Rabbit synchronization make it a good fit for complex, distributed measurement systems.
PicoQuant is now previewing the upcoming HydraHarp 500 L. This model scales up to 64 channels and comes with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 connectivity.
It’s aimed at the highest-throughput photon-timing applications. If you ask me, Photonics West feels like the perfect place to launch this sort of next-generation photonics hardware.
Here is the source article for this story: Photonics West explores the future of optical technologies