The Cal Poly Photon Lab was featured in a full two-page special article titled “History-Making Lasers” in the Fall 2026 commemorative issue of Milestones, published by Cal Poly’s Bailey College of Science and Mathematics. The feature celebrates a historic achievement: the construction of Cal Poly’s first femtosecond solid-state laser in the university’s 125-year history. Led by physics professor Dr. Isinsu Baylam Toker, undergraduate researchers Hannah Bauer and James Mauck designed, assembled, aligned, and tested a titanium-sapphire laser from scratch. The article highlights the students’ hands-on research experience, the development of advanced laser technology at Cal Poly, and the importance of preparing undergraduate students for careers in optics, photonics, and laser research. It also discusses the lab’s future research directions, including biomedical applications and interdisciplinary collaborations.

Members of the Cal Poly Photonics Lab attended the Optica Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science (FiO + LS) 2026 conference in Rochester, New York.

Undergraduate researchers James and Nicky presented their research on the development of an ultrafast near-infrared laser and the implementation of a nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy system, respectively.

Dr. Isinsu Baylam Toker participated in several professional and student-focused activities, including panel discussions, the Undergraduate Symposium, and Optica Foundation events. As Chair of the Optica Ultrafast Optical Phenomena Technical Group, she also organized technical group activities and contributed to conference programming.

Beyond the conference, the group visited a former Cal Poly Photonics Lab member who is now pursuing graduate studies at the University of Rochester. James and Nicky also had the opportunity to tour research laboratories at the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), gaining insights into ongoing research and graduate-level opportunities in optics and photonics. The group also enjoyed a dinner with Dr. Gamze Gul (Northwestern University) and her collaborators.

The conference provided valuable opportunities for students to present their research, explore new research directions, and connect with the broader optics and photonics community. This year’s meeting was particularly meaningful as it marked the first time Dr. Toker attended an Optica conference with students from her own research group.

Our group attended SPIE Optics+Photonics 2026 in San Diego, where Marea and James presented their research. The conference gave us the opportunity to share our work with the international optics and photonics community and experience a large international conference firsthand.

During our trip, we also had the opportunity to take a private tour of General Atomics, thanks to our connection with Cal Poly alumnus Aaron, who works there. It was a great opportunity for students to see how physics, optics, and engineering are applied in a major research and technology environment.

At the Cal Poly Frost 2026 Summer Research Symposium, undergraduate researchers Marea Hughes and Nicky Tang presented a poster on their work in nanosecond pump-probe spectroscopy, while Mico Bonanno gave an oral presentation on developing accessible optics experiments for students who have visual impairments. Congratulations! 

The Cal Poly Photon Lab proudly celebrates the graduation of our outstanding undergraduate researchers this year.  Throughout their time in the laboratory, these students contributed to research projects in optics and laser science while gaining hands-on experience in experimental physics. 

During the commencement ceremony, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong highlighted the importance of undergraduate research and specifically acknowledged Cal Poly Photon Lab student Hannah Bauer's research on solid-state laser development before the entire commencement audience! 

Congratulations to our research group students for successfully presenting their projects at the BCSM Research Conference!

The Cal Poly Photon Lab's two research projects been selected by the scientific committee of SPIE Optics + Photonics 2026 for presentation in San Diego. Both works will be presented by our undergraduate researchers. Congratulations to all group members!

The Cal Poly Photon Lab, in collaboration with Dr. Leslie Hamachi from the Chemistry Department, has been awarded a Teacher–Scholar Mini Grant for the project “Development of a Time-Resolved Absorption Spectrometer: Enhancing Student Research and Instrumentation Skills.” The grant will support project activities from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.

 Dr. Isinsu Baylam Toker has been awarded the Leonard and Natalie Wall Physics Faculty Research Fellowship for 2025–2026. This award will support her research on developing compact, cost-effective, blue diode–pumped broadband near-infrared laser systems.