Preface

On behalf of the organizing committee, we are delighted to present the proceedings of the Optics and Photonics in Africa Conference held on 6-10 November 2023 in White River, South Africa. This conference brought together researchers from around the globe to share their latest advancements, insights, and challenges in the field of Optics and Photonics. The conference featured a diverse program, including plenary and invited speakers, technical sessions for contributed talks, and poster presentations. These proceedings compile the contributions of the authors whose work was selected through a rigorous peer-review process. The papers in this volume cover a wide range of topics, including Applied Optics and Photonics, Biomedical optics, Fiber & Integrated Photonics, Green Photonics, Lasers & Light Sources, LIDAR and Photogrammetry, Light-matter Interaction, Nanophotonics, Nonlinear & Quantum Optics, Optical Instrumentation, Optical Metrology, Optical Materials, Photovoltaic Systems, Photonics for Aerospace and Spectroscopy. Each paper provides a unique perspective and contribution to advancing knowledge and innovation in the respective fields. We hope these proceedings will serve as a valuable resource for the scientific community, fostering further collaboration and research. We express our gratitude to the authors for their excellent contributions and to the reviewers for their time and expertise in ensuring the quality of the content. Our heartfelt thanks also go to the keynote speakers, session chairs, and sponsors, whose support and participation were essential to the success of this event. Finally, we would like to thank all participants for their enthusiasm and engagement, which made the Optics and Photonics in Africa a memorable and fruitful experience. We look forward to seeing you at future editions of this conference. Sincerely, The Editorial Team Dr Yaseera Ismail, Stellenbosch University, South Africa (Chair-OPA2023) Dr Christine Steenkamp, Stellenbosch University, South Africa Prof Malik Maaza, UNISA UNESCO Chair in Nanophotonics/iThemba Labs, South Africa