2nd International Symposium "Optics and its Applications" IOP Publishing Journal of Physics: Conference Series 672 (2016) 011001 doi:10.1088/1742-6596/672/1/011001

2nd International Symposium "Optics and its Applications" -Ashtarak, , September 1-5, 2014 Preface The ICTP smr2633: 2nd International Symposium “Optics and its Applications” (OPTICS-2014) http://indico.ictp.it/event/a13253/ was held in Yerevan and Ashtarak, Armenia, on 1–5 September 2014. The Symposium was organized by the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) with the collaboration of the SPIE Armenian Student Chapter, the Armenian TC of ICO, the Russian-Armenian University (RAU), the Institute for Physical Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia (IPR of NAS), the Greek-Armenian industrial company LT-Pyrkal, and the Yerevan State University (YSU). The Symposium was co-organized by the BMSTU SPIE & OSA student chapters. The International Symposium OPTICS-2014 was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics. This symposium “Optics and its Applications” was the First Official ICTP Scientific Event in Armenia. The presentations at OPTICS-2014 were centered on these topics: optical properties of nanostructures; quantum optics & information; singular optics and its applications; laser spectroscopy; strong field optics; nonlinear & ultrafast optics; photonics & fiber optics; optics of liquid crystals; and mathematical methods in optics. OPTICS-2014 was attended by 146 scientists from 29 countries of five continents, namely: Armenia, Australia, Belgium, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, , Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela. The goal of this symposium was to bring together experienced and young scientists from various countries working on optics, and to provide a perfect setting for discussions of the most recent developments in that area. The symposium provided a good opportunity for contact and information exchange between experts and students. The present volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series includes proceedings of the symposium covering various aspects of modern problems in optics. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Joseph Niemela and Ave Lusenti for their guidance and invaluable help in preparing and performing this symposium. We would like to thank Gagik Buniatyan for his help and support in organizing OPTICS-2014, as well as all staff members of LT-Pyrkal who contributed to making the symposium happen. We gratefully acknowledge support from: the Optical Society of America (OSA), the International Commission for Optics (ICO), the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE), the RAU, LT-Pyrkal, and the Laboratory of Terahertz Technology of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU).

The Editors, Maria L Calvo Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain Irina N Dolganova Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Russia Narine Gevorgyan Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, Armenia; Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics, Italy Angela Guzman CREOL, USA Aram Papoyan Institute for Physical Research of NAS, Armenia Sarkisyan Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, Armenia; Yerevan State University, Armenia Stanislav Yurchenko Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Russia

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