Topic Categories

CLEO:QELS - Fundamental Science
CLEO: Science and Innovations
CLEO: Applications & Technology

Submit timely, innovative research. Postdeadline paper submission deadline is 30 March 2012.

CLEO:QELS - Fundamental Science

1. Quantum Optics of Atoms, Molecules and Solids
2. Quantum Science, Engineering and Technology
3. Metamaterials and Complex Media
4. Optical Interactions with Condensed Matter and Ultrafast Phenomena
5. Nonlinear Optics and Novel Phenomena
6. Nano-Optics and Plasmonics
7. High-Field Physics and Attosciences
8. Other Topics in Quantum Electronics and Laser Science (Not available for post-deadline papers)

Topic Descriptions:

CLEO:QELS – Fundamental Science 1: Quantum Optics of Atoms, Molecules and Solids
Topics include, but are not limited to, laser cooling and trapping; quantum dots; circuit quantum optics; superconducting qubits; NV centers in diamond; degenerate atomic gases; electromagnetically induced transparency and slow light; optical lattices; cold collisions; coherent transients; advanced quantum protocols for future optical frequency standards and precision measurements with cold atoms or ions; cold molecules; trapped ions; atom optics and lithography.

CLEO:QELS – Fundamental Science 2: Quantum Science, Engineering and Technology
Topics include, but are not limited to, generation, detection, characterization and application of squeezed, entangled, and other non-classical states; quantum measurement and control; quantum feedback; quantum sensors and quantum metrology; single-photon sources and detectors; quantum communication and cryptography; quantum information processing; quantum repeaters; quantum error correction, fault-tolerant architectures, and other approaches to decoherence suppression; fundamental studies of decoherence, quantum measurement theory, and quantum statistical mechanics; novel quantum algorithms and protocols.

CLEO:QELS – Fundamental Science 3: Metamaterials and Complex Media
Topics include, but are not limited to, fundamentals of metamaterials, photonic crystals, random and aperiodic media; transformation optics; plasmonic nanomaterials, negative and near-zero refractive index materials; chaotic optics; chiral media; multiple scattering and light localization; microlasers and random lasers; nonlinear optics in metamaterials and complex media; slow light in photonic nanostructures, ultrafast optics in metamaterials and complex media, hybrid systems, exciton-plasmon interaction, gain and loss compensation in metamaterials and plasmonics, novel effects in metamaterials and complex media, linear and nonlinear optical properties of nanoantennas and coupled systems.

CLEO:QELS – Fundamental Science 4: Optical Interactions with Condensed Matter and Ultrafast Phenomena
Topics include, but are not limited to, optical investigations of semiconductors, metals, insulators, superconductors, magnetic and other strongly correlated systems; including low dimensional structures such as quantum dots, quantum wells, nanocrystals, nanotubes, nanowires, defect centers; dynamics of charges, spins, excitons, phonons, polaritons, and other excitations in condensed matter systems; ultrafast phenomena and coherent control in condensed matter.

CLEO:QELS – Fundamental Science 5: Nonlinear Optics and Novel Phenomena
Topics include, but are not limited to, nonlinear optics in condensed matter, fluids, gases, and plasmas; new nonlinear optical materials; supercontinuum phenomena; extreme UV and X-ray generation; single-photon nonlinear optics; nonlinear dynamics of light; optics of few cycle light pulses; nonlinear phenomena in the THz region; solitons, vortices, and singularities; nonlinear optics in photonic crystals, waveguide arrays, nanocavities, slow light media, and metamaterials; local field effects; near-field and sub-wavelength linear and nonlinear optics; novel linear and nonlinear surface phenomena, multiphoton spectroscopy and other novel methods for sensing; optical micro-manipulation of particles.

CLEO:QELS – Fundamental Science 6: Nano-Optics and Plasmonics
Topics include, but are not limited to, optics with sub-wavelength resolution; linear and nonlinear spectroscopy of nanostructures, single atoms, and molecules in solid hosts; near-field optics; nanocavities and nanoapertures; light in confined structures; nanolithography; coupled nanosystems (photonic dots, quantum dots, and quantum dot inside of a photonic dot); nanolasers; plasmon and polariton optics; ultrafast plasmonics and plasmonic sensing.

CLEO:QELS – Fundamental Science 7: High-Field Physics and Attoscience
Topics include, but are not limited to, strong field science including interactions with atoms, molecules, clusters and plasmas; production and measurement of attosecond pulses and pulse trains; production of ultrafast extreme UV and X-ray pulses using high harmonic sources and XFELs; application of attosecond pulses to atomic and molecular systems; ultrafast molecular imaging and dynamics in the gas phase using femtosecond lasers, XFELs, x-ray diffraction and electron diffraction; high field rescattering and recollision physics; studies of atomic and molecular systems using XFEL sources; high-energy-density science, and high-intensity laser-matter interactions, including unique states of matter obtainable with these lasers.

(Not available for post-deadline papers) CLEO:QELS – Fundamental Science 8: Other Topics in Quantum Electronics and Laser Science
A general category for papers that do not fit into the main QELS Fundamental Science categories.

CLEO: Science and Innovations

1. Light-matter Interactions and Materials Processing
2. Solid-State, Liquid, Gas, and High-Intensity Lasers
3. Semiconductor Lasers
4. Nonlinear Optical Technologies
5. Terahertz Technologies and Applications
6. Optical Materials, Fabrication and Characterization
7. Micro- and Nano-Photonic Devices
8. Ultrafast Optics, Optoelectronics and Applications
9. Components, Integration, Interconnects and Signal Processing
10. Biophotonics and Optofluidics
11. Fiber, Fiber Amplifiers, Lasers and Devices
12. Lightwave Communications and Optical Networks
13. Active Optical Sensing
14. Optical Metrology
15. LEDS, Photovoltaics and Energy-Efficient ("Green") Photonics

Topic Descriptions:

CLEO: Science & Innovation 1: Light-matter Interactions and Materials Processing
Topics include, but are not limited to, the science of laser-materials interactions and materials processing from continuous-wave to ultrafast time scales and from the nanoscale to macroscale; innovations in laser fabrication techniques for materials synthesis; coupled photon-materials interactions such as plasmon polaritons or surface acoustic waves for materials modification; wavelength selective electronic and vibrational excitations in materials; coherent, nonlinear and multiphoton effects; time-, frequency- and space-resolved techniques for controls, diagnostics and process monitoring; and beam shaping, pulse shaping and adaptive optics in materials processing.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 2: Solid-State, Liquid, Gas, and High-Intensity Lasers
Topics include, but are not limited to novel implementations and spectroscopic investigations of solid-state, liquid and gas laser media, diode-pumped lasers, ceramic laser materials, lanthanide series and transition-metal-ion lasers, organic dye-based lasers in solid hosts, colloidal suspension lasers and other liquid-media specialty lasers, high power gas and alkali-metal-vapor lasers, tunable, upconversion and Raman lasers, novel rod, slab, disk and planar waveguide laser gain geometries, high-power, high-energy, and high-intensity lasers; recent progress in terawatt to petawatt lasers, laser-based EUV and X-ray sources, single-frequency and ultrastable lasers, modeling of lasers and resonators; thermal and thermo-optical effects in lasers; demonstration of unusual pump sources and resonator geometries, novel lasers for system applications; optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA), esp. seeds suitable for high-energy short-pulse facilities, and instruments for laser diagnosis and control.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 3: Semiconductor Lasers
Topics include, but are not limited to, visible lasers; near-infrared lasers, mid to-far-infrared lasers; quantum cascade lasers from near-IR to THz; high-power and high-brightness lasers including 1- and 2-D laser arrays; quantum well, wire, and dot lasers; tunable and/or single mode lasers and lasers for WDM; high-speed modulation dynamics; mode-locked lasers; integrated laser structures; vertical cavity lasers; semiconductor disk lasers; photonic crystal lasers; nanolasers; plasmon lasers, hybrid and epitaxial Si-based lasers; novel laser structures and applications; and effects of materials on laser performance.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 4: Nonlinear Optical Technologies
Topics include, but are not limited to, nonlinear wavelength conversion, optical parametric processes, quasi-phase-matching techniques and devices; third-order and higher order processes, wave mixing, stimulated scattering, self- and cross-phase modulation; phenomena and techniques involving propagation instabilities, continuum generation, filamentation and optical solitons; exploitation of nonlinear optics in waveguides, fibers and surface waves; novel nonlinear materials and structures; nonlinearities in gain media, laser cavities, and optical amplifiers; applications of nonlinear optical effects in nanostructures and metamaterials; methods and techniques of nonlinear spectroscopy; novel optical applications of nonlinear phenomena; nonlinear optical effects leading to laser damage; and technologies and methods based on near-field nonlinear optics.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 5: Terahertz Technologies and Applications
Topics include, but are not limited to, sources and systems that provide access to the far- infrared region of the spectrum, in the approximate range from 200 GHz to 30 THz, including ultrafast time-domain systems, high-intensity terahertz sources, direct generation using terahertz lasers, and cw generation based on nonlinear optical mixing; applications using terahertz radiation for static or time-resolved, linear and nonlinear spectroscopy, sensing, and imaging in physics, chemistry, biophotonics as well as technical sciences; advances in terahertz communications concepts and systems; new terahertz measurement techniques and instrumentation, including advances in imaging configurations, detector technologies, and terahertz optical components and waveguides; and terahertz optical measurements using surface plasmons, near-field effects, photonic crystals and metamaterials, and nonlinear optics.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 6: Optical Materials, Fabrication and Characterization
Topics include, but are not limited to, concepts, design, fabrication and characterization of novel, conventional, structured, or engineered optical materials, components and devices for photonic applications; micro- and nanofabrication techniques; low-dimensional structures – quantum wires and wells; nanotubes/nanoneedles; liquid-based adaptive optics; organic emitters and absorbers; non-linear optical materials; optical materials for high power/intensity applications and systems; and characterization of transient material modifications and processes leading to material failure at operational conditions.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 7: Micro- and Nano-Photonic Devices
Topics include, but are not limited to, microfabricated devices with sub-wavelength dimensions of optical confinement and intended for on-chip applications. Device design may be based on high index contrast micro photonic structures, photonic crystals, resonators, or surface plasmons. Devices may be fabricated in group IV or group III-V semiconductors, or in other materials compatible with on-chip integration, including polymers. Devices may be passive, active or a combination thereof. Nonlinear effects including optomechanics in micro and nano devices, as well as linear and nonlinear effects enhanced by high index contrast waveguides, resonators or photonic crystals, are of interest.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 8: Ultrafast Optics, Optoelectronics and Applications
Topics include, but are not limited to, ultrafast solid-state, semiconductor, and fiber (<500fs) lasers; ultrafast optoelectronic and electro-optic materials, devices, and systems; ultrafast measurement techniques and pulse shaping; new ultrafast laser materials; high average power ultrafast amplification (>1kHz); and ultrafast optical parametric oscillators and amplifiers.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 9: Components, Integration, Interconnects and Signal Processing
Topics include, but are not limited to, discrete components, photonic integration, short-distance optical interconnections, and signal processing subsystems. Discrete components may be either free-space optical devices or waveguide devices having critical dimensions greater than the optical wavelength. Types of components include optical modulators, switches and amplifier devices, optical detectors and focal-plane arrays, passive optical components (filters, isolators, splitters), and optical micro-electrical-mechanical devices. Integration approaches may be either monolithic or hybrid, may involve micro- and nano-photonic fabrication techniques, may involve integration with electronics, and may range in scale from a few devices to high density. Interconnect and signal processing topics include novel transmitters and receivers, free-space and waveguide optical processing, microwave photonic analog links and signal processing for non-telecommunications applications, and photonic analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 10: Biophotonics and Optofluidics
Topics include but are not limited to biomedical optics, laser medical diagnostics and therapeutics; optical biopsy; optofluidics for bioanalytics and other photonic applications, biosensing and other related applications, including spectroscopic optical diagnostics; diffuse optical imaging, steady-state and time-resolved florescence techniques; bio-photonic fluorescence materials and techniques; optical coherence tomography; advanced biological endoscopy and microscopy; molecular imaging, photochemistry and photobiology; multi- and hyperspectral imaging; laser tissue interactions; laser surgery; photodynamic therapy; minimally invasive optical diagnostics; photoacoustic techniques; optics in biotechnology; image reconstruction and processing; optical-system engineering for medicine; optical and photonic biosensors; pathogen detection; optical tweezing and manipulation; optogenetics; lab-on-chip devices; on-chip imaging techniques; single molecule spectroscopy; microfluidically tunable or reconfigurable optical and photonic systems; photonic crystals; optofluidic assembly and lithographic techniques; on-chip light and laser sources. Primarily for studies that have not progressed beyond pilot studies.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 11: Fiber, Fiber Amplifiers, Lasers and Devices
Topics include, but are not limited to, fiber lasers, CW and pulsed, mode-locked fiber oscillators, high-power fiber lasers, coherent and non-coherent combination of fiber lasers, etc.; fiber amplifiers such as doped fiber amplification, ultra-wideband fiber amplifiers, Raman amplification, discrete & distributed amplifiers, coherent and non-coherent combination of fiber amplifiers, etc.; optical fiber such as silica and non-silica fibers, photonic crystal fibers, microstructured fiber, multi-core fiber, highly nonlinear fibers, fiber design, materials, fabrication and characterization, fiber properties like chromatic dispersion and polarization-mode dispersion, fiber-based measurements, and fiber based nonlinear effects like nonlinear amplification, pulse interactions, ultrafast phenomena, supercontiuum generation; and fiber devices such as fiber gratings, microstructured fiber devices, polarization-mode- and chromatic-dispersion compensators, fiber beam combiners, fibers for sensing, etc.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 12: Lightwave Communications and Optical Networks
Topics include, but are not limited to, long-haul and short-haul fiber-optic communication systems and networks; optical access networks; effects of fiber nonlinearities and other transmission impairments on system performance; system applications of optical amplifiers; advanced optical modulation formats; digital signal processing techniques; coding including forward error correction for optical systems; coherent detection and advanced receiver structures; free-space optical communication links; atmospheric effects and their mitigation; wavelength and time-division multiplexed systems; optical subcarrier-multiplexed technologies; telecommunications applications of microwave photonics; optical routing and switching in networks; all-optical processing in devices and networks; optics-based network elements for routing and switching; and novel optical network elements.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 13: Active Optical Sensing
Topics include, but are not limited to the science and development of active optical sensing strategies, including remote sensing and point sensing; fiber sensors; chemical and biological agent detection and identification; detection of surface-bound contamination; active optical detection of ionizing radiation; indoor and outdoor environmental monitoring; industrial/thermal process monitoring; combustion and emissions monitoring; measurement of air, water, and soil quality; atmospheric studies; spacecraft and aircraft safety; and mapping and imaging. Techniques of interest include differential absorption lidar, fluorescence spectroscopy, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, photoacoustic spectroscopy, ring-down spectroscopy, active multispectral and hyperspectral imaging from the UV to the IR, tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, Doppler imaging, heterodyne and homodyne detection, time-of-flight ranging, and Pockels effect detection.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 14: Optical Metrology
Topics include, but are not limited to, optical devices, instruments, and technologies for precision measurements; time and frequency metrology; optical frequency standards; length, distance, and dimensional metrology; lasers, supercontinua, and broadband sources for optical metrology; frequency-comb generation, control, and applications; carrier-envelope phase control; conversion between optical and microwave frequencies; optical transmission and dissemination of time and frequency; light-matter interaction for metrology; pulse shaping and arbitrary waveform generation; instrumentation and devices for optical metrology; precision interferometry and other novel measurement methods, including correlation, modulation, imaging microscopy, and nano-probing.

CLEO: Science & Innovation 15: LEDS, Photovoltaics and Energy-Efficient ("Green") Photonics
Topics include, but are not limited to, photonic devices and systems designed to have reduced energy consumption; application of photonic technology to improve energy efficiency; photonic techniques for energy generation and transmission; inorganic light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and hybrid light-emitting diodes based on group III-V, II-VI, and IV semiconductors, polymers, and organic molecules; superluminescent diodes (SLDs), LEDs, and OLEDs based on rare-earth-doped materials, nanocrystals, and photonic crystals; ultraviolet LEDs for water/air/surface purification and biodetection/monitoring; novel approaches to high-power and high-brightness LEDs including approaches for improved photon extraction; wavelength converter materials, such as phosphors, dyes, and quantum dots; novel materials, physics, and devices; LED backlighting systems for displays; flat-panel, projection, and micro-displays using liquid crystals, organic and polymeric devices, and plasma electro-luminescence; flexible displays and plastic substrates; inorganic, organic, and hybrid photovoltaics operating at visible and IR wavelengths; and surface modification techniques which improve photon absorption (for photovoltaics) or photon extraction (for LEDs).

CLEO: Applications & Technology

1. Biomedical
2. Environment/Energy
3. Government & National Science, Security & Standards Applications
4. Industrial

Topic Descriptions:

CLEO: Applications & Technology 1: Biomedical
Topics include, but are not limited to:

• clinical diagnostic and therapeutic applications; optical biopsy using optical spectroscopy and imaging
• optics and laser instruments in clinical translation
• endoscopic applications of optical systems
• pre-clinical and clinical applications of in vivo molecular imaging, photo-acoustic imaging and tomography, multi- and hyper-spectral imaging, pathogen detection and photodynamic therapy (PDT)
• optical techniques in surgical applications
• in vivo microscopy in biomedical sciences & clinical medicine
• disease applications for diffuse optical imaging, diffuse optical tomography (DOT), and optical coherence tomography (OCT)
• point-of-care optical sensor systems
• medical imaging systems and clinical applications using optical technologies and algorithms, visualization technologies and image reconstruction and processing.Primarily for advanced engineering and applied studies, such as clinical studies that show accuracy of a diagnostic or therapeutic modality, clinical demonstration and validation of bio-photonic devices, and large-scale trials of biosensors.
  
  Proof-of-concept studies are more appropriate for CLEO: Science & Innovations.

CLEO: Applications & Technology 2: Environment/Energy
Topics include, but are not limited to:

• hyperspectral imaging and sensors; atmospheric and ocean optics
• chemical and biological agent monitoring; indoor/outdoor environmental air quality
• air/water/soil quality monitoring; water/air/surface purification
• devices for the biological sciences; solar modules and panels, concentrator design and operation, solar tracking systems, and grid compatibility
• solid state lighting including LED fixtures, LED heat dissipation, power conditioning circuits, LED assembly and efficiency considerations, applications of LED lighting, and requirement driven designs considerations
• solar thermal applications and equipment
• energy storage technologies for solar systems
• thermal monitoring of heat losses
• pollution monitoring systems/sensors, remote sensing systems/sensors
• hydrogen generation via optical energy sources
• illumination engineering.

CLEO: Applications & Technology 3: Government & National Science, Security & Standards Applications
Topics include, but are not limited to:

• status of current national/ international programs and new initiatives related to applications of lasers and electro-optics (EO)
• laser radar systems; atmospheric sensing, gas detection and characterization
  directed energy and laser defense systems
• highly stable lasers for laser radar and navigation (INS/GPS); optical telescopes; laser guidestars and EO systems for astronomy
• space technology and missions using EO
• security sensors; optical communications and;
• national standards programs in optical metrology.

CLEO: Applications & Technology 4: Industrial
Topics include, but are not limited to:

• current and emerging industrial applications of lasers, including laser material processing (cleaning, welding, cutting, drilling, etc.), laser micro-and nano-machining, rapid prototyping, surface functionalization, metrology and process control using advanced optical systems
• advanced applications of ultrafast lasers, including micro-and nano-machining, polymerization, 3D nanofabrication, micro-fluidics, nano-texturing, etc.
• laser applications in semi-conductor, photovoltaics, energy storage, green photonics, display, telecom, etc.