Outreach materials

Relevant indicators regarding contributions to society for the Period 2018-2022

Participation in scientific societies with an impact on society

• Presidency and Secretary of the Spanish Society of Optics (SEDOPTICA).
• Participation in the Royal Spanish Society of Physics (RSEF).

Active and regular outreach activities over time

• Activities of the OSAL student association
• Regular outreach activities of the CLPU
• Organization and sponsorship of the Day of Light Photography Contest
• Organization and sponsorship of the Ramón Corbalán Awards

Preparation of outreach material: 57 actions (including publications, videos, conferences)

140 reviews in local press (La Gaceta de Salamanca, salamanca24horas, …), regional (El Norte de Castilla, EuropaPress…), national (El País, El Mundo, SER, COPE, La Vanguardia…) and international (National Geographic, PhysicsWorld, Phys.org, …).

Activities of the OSAL Student Chapter Student Association: The OSAL Student Chapter, affiliated with the American Optical Society (OPTICA, formerly OSA), stands out as one of the most active groups in Castilla y León dedicated to the dissemination of Optics. It was created in 2009 by Benjamín Alonso, Rocío Borrego, Carlos Hernández-García, Carolina Romero, and José Antonio Pérez-Hernández, four of them researchers from LUMES. Nowadays, it is composed of predoctoral researchers and master’s and undergraduate students from the University of Salamanca, under the academic guidance of LUMES researcher Carolina Romero. Notable outreach initiatives include a dedicated YouTube channel, guided visits to the USAL optics laboratory, outreach programs in high schools, commemoration of the International Day of Light, advocacy for the visibility of women scientists and addressing gender inequalities, and the organization of events such as Pint of Science.

Outreach activities at CLPU: Within the CLPU, various activities contribute to public engagement. Highlights include a dedicated YouTube channel, a monthly podcast titled “Luciérnagas,” the creation of educational materials like “Bits on Lasers”, books, and the establishment of the CLPU Scientific Culture and Innovation Unity (UCC+I). The UCC+I is a member of the Spanish UCC+I network and is supported by FECYT. Noteworthy activities within this framework include “The Light Cycle,” addressing conferences related to significant light research, “Garabalux” (a drawing contest for primary school students), “Women Forgotten by Science” (revisiting the biographies of significant women in science), and “Playing with Light,” an initiative aimed at bringing light technology closer to groups with neurocognitive and motor disabilities.

Organisation of the Day of Light Photo Competition: The Master in Physics and Laser Technology, coordinated by LUMES researchers, has been actively organizing the “Day of Light” photography competition since 2015. This collaborative effort involves RSEF, SEDOPTICA, OSAL, Supernova, the Physics League, and the ERC project ATTOSTRUCTURA.

Organisation of the Ramón Corbalán Awards. The Quantum Optics and Nonlinear Optics Committee of SEDOPTICA, and its counterpart group in the RSEF (of which LUMES researcher Carlos Hernández-García is the president), have been organizing the Ramón Corbalán Awards for the dissemination and teaching of Quantum Optics and Nonlinear Optics since 2020.

These awards aim to stimulate research activity and efforts in outreach at the early stages of a researcher’s career, both in the context of doctoral studies and master’s and undergraduate degrees. The awards are announced biennially, with regular collaboration from CLPU and the OPTICA society.

Participation in the organization of the local phase of the Physics Olympiads in Salamanca within RSEF: LUMES researchers actively contribute to the organization of the local phase of the Physics Olympiads in Salamanca, collaborating within the framework of the Royal Spanish Society of Physics (RSEF).