The Photonics Industry Is Growing Up: Our Take on Photonics West 2026

As the most anticipated optics and photonics show of the year, SPIE Photonics West brought together the global engineering community each year to advance the science of manipulating light. From a great attendance to our talks hosted by Dr. David Biss on “Correlating final system performance metrics with design metrics of optical imaging systems in biomedical devices” and “Sensitivity to temperature variation in monometallic Cassegrains” to business driving conversations on optical innovations and a meaningful award presented to us by the ‘Superhero League’, the energy throughout the show reflected an industry pushing forward on multiple fronts.  

So, what are the emerging topics that had people buzzing during the event? Below are our key takeaways from this year’s Photonics West that reflect those critical conversations happening across the industry: 

1. Precision Stays King

In 2026, LIGO‘s interferometers must detect changes in distance smaller than 1/10,000th the diameter of a proton to spot gravitational waves, requiring atom-level precision and laser wavelength stability at parts per billion in terms of level. Extreme ultraviolet lithography uses 13.5 nm wavelength light and requires mirrors polished to sub-nanometer precision to power modern processors. Also, today’s long-haul fiber optic systems require wavelength precision of 10 picometers to pack hundreds of data channels into narrow spectral windows without crosstalk. These examples and many more are part of the grander technological fabric that is fueling tomorrow’s reality. As one can suspect, the margin for error in such matters boils down to almost zero. In translation, today’s innovations in the photonics sector succeed or fail on precision alone. 

Optikos is a company built on the exacting demands of metrology where measurement uncertainty can derail billion-dollar innovations. As Brooke Nagle, Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications at Optikos, observed from her conversations, “Precision is the priority: that is what we heard from customers visiting our team this year. Discussions centered on a desire for higher confidence in measurement, and the need for optical systems that perform exactly as intended in real-world conditions. Repeatability, validation, and production-ready performance are on the top of everyone’s minds because precision is no longer a differentiator, it’s the expectation.” 

“Precision is the priority: Repeatability, validation, and production-ready performance are on the top of everyone’s minds because precision is no longer a differentiator, it’s the expectation.” -Brooke Nagle, Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications at Optikos

Due to our metrology-first mindset, all engineering and manufacturing projects at Optikos benefit from the accuracy and meticulous handling typical of precision engineering. With decades of experience delivering measurement solutions for applications from medical imaging to aerospace optics, our team of experts has developed the acumen to help clients achieve the nanometer-level tolerances that separate successful innovations from costly failures. This commitment to precision has positioned Optikos as a trusted partner for companies pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in photonics. 

2. A Maturing Industry Needs Expert Solutions

One of the clearest signals from Photonics West was that the industry has reached a new level of maturity, one demanding more sophisticated approaches to longstanding challenges. According to the SPIE 2025 Optics and Photonics Global Industry Report, global revenues from core components reached $345 billion in 2023, growing at nearly 6% annually over the past decade. Dr. David Biss, Senior Manager of Optical Engineering at Optikos Corporation, observed that this quantitative growth reflects deeper qualitative shifts present in the field: “Walking through Photonics West this year, you could see an industry grappling with its own success,” Dr. Biss reflected.

He expanded on this point during his presentation: “That is something that I have also tackled in my own presentation on correlating design metrics with actual system performance in biomedical devices. I believe we have reached a point of maturity in the optics sector where complexity is starting to drive the conversation. We are seeing this in the growth of adjacent Photonics West events from AR/VR to quantum technologies transitioning into viable commercial markets. The great thing about this evolutionary stage is that we can more easily recognize critical gaps in traditional criteria and methodologies and repurpose the available science to meet real-world performance requirements.” 

Optikos has positioned itself at this frontier through our complete optical solutions expertise. An example in this direction is one of our most recent metrology achievements in thermal lens testing. Through extensive research and development activities, our engineers have been able to pioneer new lens testing methodologies that validate optical performance across temperature extremes without prohibitively expensive vacuum chambers. This new and sought after capability is unique in the commercial market as it addresses critical needs in automotive, defense, and security applications where systems must perform reliably in a varied array of temperature conditions, from desert heat to frigid high-altitude conditions. 

“We have the right people at Optikos already working on solutions that address advanced challenges,” Dr. Biss noted, exemplifying how the company ensures innovation doesn’t outpace the Optikos ability to also validate it. 

Photonics West 2026 reminded us why we are passionate about the work we do. To everyone who visited our booth, asked questions during the presentations, or simply shared what you’re working on—thank you. These exchanges are the real value of the conference, and we hope they are just the beginning of ongoing conversations to deepen our knowledge of optical engineering. 

If you’re wrestling with an optical challenge, exploring a new application, or have an idea you’d like to develop, we’d welcome the opportunity to talk. You can reach out to our team at sales@optikos.com. We are ready to listen, collaborate, and help turn complex concepts into reality.