U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) toured OptiSource, a photonics manufacturing facility in Albuquerque, to discuss its latest projects and how research and development can help spur innovation and job creation.
Optisource, a local photonics business, manufacturers wave plates, mirrors, prisms, and laser beamsplitters for purchase by industry and research and development groups at universities and laboratories.
"Photonics manufacturing facilities like OptiSource help provide private companies and research institutions with the tools they need to develop photonics technologies that are often used in our scientific and medical communities," said Sen. Heinrich. "Photonics technologies developed locally not only help spur innovation and foster creativity but also create quality jobs."
Senator Heinrich is a strong supporter of developing optics and advanced photonics in New Mexico.
Recently, Senator Heinrich welcomed an announcement by the White House that the Department of Defense will award more than $200 million in public and private investment to create an Integrated Photonics Manufacturing Institute, the second of four new institute competitions to be launched this year.
This selection comes just four months after Senator Heinrich, and the rest of the New Mexico delegation, wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel expressing their strong support for the Department of Defense's manufacturing innovation institute competition and requesting that the DoD choose the development of an advanced photonics manufacturing hub in the United States as their next manufacturing institute.
In July, Heinrich introduced an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act in support of establishing a DoD photonics hub.