Who We Are
The UCL Photonics Society is the student-led Optica Student Chapter of University College London, founded in July 2024. We bring together students, researchers, academics and industry professionals who share an interest in optics and photonics, through events, workshops and networking opportunities.
2024Founded
12+Events & showcases
157Sign-ups to a single workshop
7Universities in our UK/EU workshop
Mission Statement
Optics and photonics are fundamental to research across telecommunications, physics, microscopy and medical science β yet at UCL these communities often work in isolation.
We exist to bridge these gaps: a platform for events that unite students, researchers, academics and industry partners, encouraging multidisciplinary exchange and collaborative research.
What we do
Industry partnerships
Meet the companies shaping photonics and discover career paths.
Technical events
Seminars and talks on state-of-the-art research and technologies.
Career events
Hear from engineers and researchers about life after your degree.
Live demos
See real optical setups in action β from OCT to FPGA instruments.
Hands-on workshops
Learn practical skills such as PIC design and reproducible code.
Recent Highlights
13 β 16 October 2026
Hacking Smart Homes with UCLightCommands Γ Thorlabs
A week of live demos with the Thorlabs Mobile Photonics Bike, featuring our very own UCLightCommands demo. It closed with a seminar session on photonics and education starring Bill Warger, Director of Photonics Education at Thorlabs. π€
Across UCL campus
14 August 2026
UCLightCommands Hackathon Γ Thorlabs
10 students, from undergrads to postdocs, designed a new demo with Thorlabs based on the LightCommands study: hacking microphones with a modulated laser. Showcased in October, and v2 is on its way! π
University College London
21 July 2026
Laser 2000 β Photonics solutions showcase
Walk-in event to meet the Laser 2000 team: optical filtering, fibre inspection and lab automation.
UCL Engineering Front Building, Foyer G02Browse all our past events, or read the full story in our 2025 β 2026 Annual Report.
Our Collaborators
How to Join
Membership details for 2026 β 2027 will be published here shortly. In the meantime, follow us on social media so you donβt miss anything!
2026 - 2027 Committee
Meet the new committee β profiles will be added here soon.
Social Media
Stay in the loop! β¨ Follow us for event announcements, recaps and photonics opportunities, and grab your free tickets on Eventbrite.
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