G&H Group

Optical thin film coatings are often taken for granted, especially by those not involved in product development. However, this technology, which is nearly four centuries old, goes far beyond the anti-reflective, coloured coatings applied to glasses to reduce glare and protect the material —one of its most common uses. By using coated materials, we can see stars in space, assist doctors in performing surgeries safely, and even save lives on the battlefield. The primary function of optical thin film coatings is to alter how light interacts with the coated optical element, either by modifying transmission or by providing reflection, depending on the desired outcome. At G&H (LON:GHH), the experts from G&H | Artemis, our Plymouth-based facility, are the go-to team when it comes to optical coatings. With an optics heritage spanning over 200 years, their outstanding reputation is built on two main pillars. Firstly, the quality of their coated end products is recognised and appreciated globally. Having won the Queen’s Award 2022 for Enterprise, the high level of optical performance they deliver is a result of focusing on thin film coating development since the 1960s. Over time, G&H | Artemis has developed a robust manufacturing capability that frequently exceeds client expectations. Secondly, their reputation for making the impossible possible by pushing the limits of their own manufacturing equipment sets them apart. Through experimentation and a commitment to excellence, this G&H team controls light through layers of coating better than most in the industry. One of the key project lines at G&H | Artemis that showcases the team’s engineering expertise is the thin film coatings applied to head-up display (HUD) systems for aircraft. These HUD systems are essential for modern aviation, providing pilots with crucial flight information directly within their line of sight. The performance of these systems heavily relies on the precision of the thin film coatings used. Specifically, the green notch filter in these coatings is designed to reflect green light while transmitting other wavelengths. This selective reflection is critical because the human eye is most sensitive to green light, making it easier for pilots to read the green-illuminated symbology displayed on the HUD. The coatings used in green notch HUD systems are engineered to provide a high degree of optical clarity and contrast, enabling clear visibility under varying lighting conditions. The thin film stack typically includes multiple layers that precisely control the reflection and transmission of specific wavelengths, ensuring that only the desired green light is reflected. This design helps to minimise glare and maximise the readability of the information displayed, which is vital for quick decision-making and situational awareness in flight. By carefully optimising the thickness and refractive index of each layer in the coating stack, these systems achieve a sharp cutoff at the green wavelength while maintaining high transmission of other colours. This balance is crucial to avoid any colour distortion or visual discomfort for the pilot. Additionally, the coatings are designed to withstand harsh environmental conditions, including temperature fluctuations, humidity, and abrasion, ensuring reliable performance over the lifetime of the aircraft. Overall, the sophisticated thin film performance of green notch HUD systems plays a vital role in enhancing pilot safety and efficiency, providing clear, real-time data without distraction. The team at G&H | Artemis is also behind a 500-layer optical coating design used on medical safety goggles worn by doctors during eye surgery. This complex, highly effective coating solution was developed to protect doctors from direct exposure to the blue-green wavelengths emitted by the lasers used, a type of light chosen for its ability to pass through the fluid inside the eye without causing harm. The “Made in the UK” coating option allows eye care professionals around the world to use ophthalmic lasers safely, helping people see better every day. This performance has been achieved using advanced coating chamber technology. The G&H Global Centre of Excellence for Optical Coatings in Plymouth also leads the way in other high-tech solutions, including coatings for Light Fidelity (LiFi) technology, gas detection and analysis, sighting systems, and military and maritime applications, among many other innovations. The critical role of optical thin film coatings cannot be overstated. They form the backbone of many optical applications, enabling us to achieve a multitude of technology-driven goals. Ensuring you have the right coating for your product is crucial to the success of the final product, a lesson well understood at G&H | Artemis.

Acousto-Optic Beam Deflectors (AODs) for UV systems are revolutionary hardware whose ultimate task is to ensure the interaction between sound and light waves. Their main functionality is that of redirecting laser beams for a precise purpose. They are known for their extensive use in signal processing, laser displays, photolithography, and optical inspection, among other applications.[1] AODs even made history by becoming an essential part of the experimental validation behind the Bose–Einstein condensation, a phenomenon for which the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded and which opens up new, exploratory avenues in quantum physics and quantum computing.[2][3] The ongoing efforts to develop our Acousto-Optic Beam Deflector line at G&H have provided us the opportunity to highlight some of the key factors that differentiate our acousto-optic solutions from what is currently available on the market. One important aspect to mention from the start is that all G&H AO Deflectors are custom designs, specifically attuned to the needs of our clients. That translates into a high-performance spectrum that varies, depending on client goals. This approach falls in line with the problem-solving ethos developed at Gooch & Housego over the years, where breakthroughs in optics and photonics are being converted into solutions for immediate market-driven challenges. But with our latest Acousto-Optic Beam Deflector developments, our expert engineering team went beyond that mindset. From their crystals to their coatings, all vertically manufactured within G&H, our AODs reach superior results because of these following qualities: 1. An extremely accurate positioning of lasers The quintessential feature that defines a high-performing acousto-optic device is its capacity to use the laser beam in the desired manner. This translates into the need for an extremely accurate laser positioning. For example, when looking at the integrated circuits currently used in smartphones, tablets, wearables, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, the beam steering accuracies required are incredible. Processing equipment must be able to drill microvias and scribe trenches that take up less than 10 μm in size. Spot placement for laser processing of microelectronics requires accuracy in the range of only a few microns with little or no heat affected zone (HAZ). At G&H, our acousto-optic deflectors are primed to cater to this important need because of optimal thermal management while maintaining minimal stresses being applied to the crystal at work. 2. Highest diffraction efficiency across bandwidth According to Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta, when considering the operational levels of AODs, “An important performance figure is the diffraction efficiency, which is typically of the order of 50%”[4]. This quality is crucial for translating the incident light into a precise beam steering. At G&H, our latest Acousto-optic Deflectors have a 210 MHz center frequency, an RF bandwidth of 130 MHz, and a diffraction efficiency of 83% typical over a full 30 mrad scan angle. Especially because of this performance output, our solutions are now being used by a number of OEM manufacturers for their latest micro-electronic processing tools. Utilizing state-of-the-art RF driver technology paired with best-in-class materials and processing contributes to each AOD achieving optimum performance across its entire bandwidth. 3. Lowest amount of beam distortion Using the inputted energy effectively in an AO deflector can only happen when the technological solution is prompted to have as little interference in the light propagation process as possible. By applying advanced design techniques such as thermal modeling and low stress interfaces, we get to achieve minimal beam pointing and aberrations. Such performance is paramount in fields such as defense and aerospace, telecommunication, scientific research, and medical imaging, all of which use AOD technology for their operations. 4. High optical quality of the beam The pieces placed in a system determine the excellence of outcome. As such, achieving a high-grade optical beam quality is supported by the use of premium-class optical components such as lenses and mirrors, which ensure the integrity and alignment of the laser. These beam-steering systems require mastery of crystal polishing, coatings and transducers, as well as a focus on superior engineering and manufacturing finesse. With 75+ years of optical heritage under the belt, G&H has acquired a select intellectual acumen in optics and photonics which is deployed in manufacturing operations for custom-designed, high-speed, high-repetition AOD solutions. 5. Made-in-the-US specificity Vertical integration is beginning to gain more ground for customers interested in purchasing acousto-optic deflectors and modulators, in particular for high-volume scenarios. Steadfast in our supply chain reliability and environmental responsibility pledges, G&H is growing in its locally-made mindset, capitalizing on both exceptional talent and material resources in the United States. On the one side, this strategy has helped us achieve a high manufacturing standard because we hold the operational methodology in our own hands. What also happened is that the localization approach has enabled a production process for AODs that is less likely to be affected by external factors such as workforce management of other businesses, regulatory and compliance mismatches or global unrest. An extra benefit from our components being made in the US is reflected in the overall long-term cost efficiency of our products. What feels like a competitive price at the start of the purchasing process leans itself into an effective cost solution down the road due to the high-quality and durability of our AODs. We set the highest standard for our acousto-optic deflectors for UV systems. What will appear as a product with similar technical specifications compared to other AOD manufacturers will stand out for its superior performance. Our teams have vouched for this result and our clients have confirmed it for the past decades. So, the next time you are thinking of including high-performing acousto-optic devices in your technological mix, you can rest assured G&H has exactly what you are looking for. [1] Roy, P. (2024). Acousto-Optic Deflector-Principles, working and Applications. International Journal of Advanced Networking and Applications, 15(05), 6126–6130. https://doi.org/10.35444/ijana.2024.15508 [2] Ketterle, W. (2001). WHEN ATOMS BEHAVE AS WAVES: BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATION AND THE ATOM LASER. In Nobel Prize [Author]. Nobel Lecture, Oslo, Norway. https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/06/ketterle-lecture.pdf [3] Weitz, M., Klaers, J., & Vewinger, F. (2013). Optomechanical generation of a photonic Bose-Einstein condensate. Physical Review A, 88(4). https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.88.045601 [4] Paschotta, R. (2024, July 29). Acousto-optic Deflectors. 2024 RP Photonics AG. https://www.rp-photonics.com/acousto_optic_deflectors.html

The first half of a two-part article series on the G&H solutions that facilitate the transition towards a more environmentally focused world. In 2024, G&H (LON:GHH) has achieved some notable sustainability milestones such as receiving the ISO 14001:2015 certification in eco-efficiency for our G&H | Stingray manufacturing site in the United States or the ISO 14001:2015 recommendation for G&H | ITL in the United Kingdom. But the Group’s eco-supportive strategies do not stop here. In fact, our commitment towards sustainable development is embedded in the fabric of our product innovation plan. The G&H high-performance portfolio includes technologies that are aiding the global call for greener solutions. In line with several international movements such as Environmental Awareness Month or Organic September, we are highlighting those high-tech G&H products that are making a difference for a more nature harmonious world. Some important fields that are benefitting from our solutions include: Global sub-sea telecommunications An optimized underwater cable lifecycle promotes a sustainable outlook by achieving intercontinental connectivity across the globe. Even in the face of larger data consumption, these cable networks still offer an energy-efficient alternative to fossil fuel heavy transport such as air travel required for face-to-face meetings. G&H, through its extensive heritage in fiber optics, delivers low-loss, high-reliability fused fiber couplers that have been used extensively to form the global undersea telecommunications network that host 99% of the world’s data traffic. From a sustainability viewpoint, it is important to also recognize the carbon footprint that submarine cable networks leave behind through their lifecycle, which is comprised of manufacturing, placement, operation, maintenance, and, eventually, retirement. That is why the G&H HI REL ruggedized couplers line has been designed to withstand the harshest underwater conditions, where the costs of component replacement are prohibitive and reliability is of a main concern. Terrestrial climate observation and sensing Following the exchange of water, energy and carbon in Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems is facilitated by optically powered technology which translates optical input into useful data about climate conditions. For this purpose, G&H produces low loss, terrestrial fused fiber couplers, Fiber-Q® components and modular assemblies that have a rugged hermetic design and an excellent stability in both polarization-maintaining (PM) and non-PM formats. They have become an industry standard for applications in high performance wind LIDAR instruments that measure and detect wind energy, air quality and other important meteorological data. For example, wind farms utilize LIDAR technology to detect and predict gusts of wind. This information is then used to optimize and protect large assets such as wind turbines from stresses by carefully choosing the turbine location. In turn, this approach prolongs the life of the respective wind turbines, all while reducing running and repair costs. Other applications of similar sensing technology include the detection of potential biodiversity loss and land degradation. Extraction efficiency Until feasible fuel alternatives are available on a wider scale, we need to improve existing extraction practices and steer current extraction machines in a greener direction. The same Fiber-Q® and fused fiber couplers from G&H are used in distributed optical fiber sensing systems deployed in harsh environments such as oil and gas wells or bore holes. They are also incorporated into remote access spaces such as oil and gas pipelines, ensuring that the most efficient extraction and protection (including leak detection) of oil and gas assets is possible. This effort also targets waste minimalization and environmental pollution prevention. Industrial lasers Laser technology stands at the core of industrial processes. That is why its importance within the sustainability chain cannot be understated, as highlighted by Jim Kafka, Emeritus Fellow at MKS and Spectra-Physics: “An integral part of tackling climate change is the transition to green energy and sustainable living. Lasers are, and will continue to be, an indispensable tool for the manufacturing of technologies central to that transition, such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. What’s more, lasers lie at the heart of other technologies, such as optical sensors and lidar-based environmental mapping, that hold key roles in addressing numerous climate challenges such as water supply and food sustainability. In short, the rapid transformation to a more climate-friendly world simply can’t happen without the help of lasers.” Our Fiber-Q® and accompanying fiber optic couplers have been extensively used in high-energy efficient, low-power materials processing for a variety of applications. As a result, the end laser solution uses less power for its activity and wastes less material throughout the process. Nuclear fusion The advent of nuclear fusion represents one giant forward leap for the sustainability movement. Its eventual takeoff as an achievable physical process will mark the most exciting pivot point for the entire energy industry, promising large scale, cost-effective, low-carbon power. Some of the immediate benefits listed by ITER of nuclear fusion for the environment are: access to abundant energy, an operative time of more than 1,000,000 years considering the lithium reserves in seas, no CO₂ emissions, no long-lived radioactive waste, limited risk of proliferation, and no risk of meltdown. Advanced fusion technologies are dependent on fiber optics for crucial processes such as plasma diagnosis, temperature sensing, strain measurements and data transmission. The plight for a better and more sustainable development is a multi-faceted process that includes a weighing technological component. At G&H, we choose to be part of the solution, from employing an improved eco-management to delivering high performance solutions that ultimately help make the world better. We firmly stand by this commitment, with more ambitious sustainable goals to come.

The second half of a two-part article series on the G&H (LON:GHH) solutions that facilitate the transition towards a more environmentally focused world. G&H’s ethos to make a better world with photonics includes supporting sustainable development and eco-awareness through the applications that leave our factories. Next to the ongoing strategic decisions taken in this direction in 2024, the business is also including its technological solutions under the umbrella of its continuous efforts to cater to the environment. Our high-performance line of acousto-optic devices, for example, ends up in some of today’s fast-rising sustainable solutions, paving the way towards a greener future. In line with several international movements such as Environmental Awareness Month or Organic September, we are highlighting those high-tech G&H products that are making a difference for a more nature-harmonious world. Some important fields that are benefitting from our solutions include: Solar panel production In the production cycle of solar panel cells, acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) are used for multiple purposes, starting with cutting and patterning via laser applications, offering more precise shapes that fit given specifications. In that regard, lasers play a crucial role in maximizing the available space of solar panels, and consequently, in increasing the amount of energy these pieces can process. One technique that is regarded as one of the most environmentally friendly compared to alternatives in the field creates special laser-induced grooves around the edges of the panels. Their purpose is to hermetically seal the edges and prevent any potential power loss, making the panels more energy efficient. Other laser-based applications include drilling wafers to put together solar modules, which is used for tracking the supply chain and solar cell ablation. All applications require precisely tuned lasers, that need to incorporate high-quality acousto-optic modulators. Metal sintering and 3D printing An emerging market, metal sintering is the process of fusing metal powders under pressure to create solid objects. Today, this process is more commonly seen in the automotive industry, in aerospace and defence, as well as in medical device manufacturing, among other fields. The environmental aspect about this process is that, through high-precision lasers, the waste from the used raw materials can be recycled and put back into the production cycle. Compared to the historical processing method of taking big chunks of metal and using a mill to cut out all the unwanted pieces, current day practices in metal sintering include using a 3D printer which works with metal powder. More specifically, the melting process uses a laser to carve out the sections that give way to the final, desired outcome. Any powder residue can be reused, creating a more sustainable business line. Again, to work under such highly defined conditions, the accuracy and performance of the lasers needs to be state-of-the-art, something that G&H AOMs are widely known for. Wildfire detection Lidar applications help detect wildfires in an easier and faster manner, making them a great resource in environmental management. These applications measure wind speed, turbulence, water vapor, and temperature, among other properties. Lidars use lasers that emit light pulses into the atmosphere - light out of which a small fraction is detected by a receiver.The working principle behind these detection solutions lies in a byproduct of acousto-optics, through which one gets a frequency shift when the light goes through the device - a frequency shift that ends up being translated into useful monitoring data.As such, acousto-optic modulators play a significant role in the data transfer part of the control cycle, helping the detection of forest fires in their early stages. According to a 2023 research paper from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Cagliari, “These technologies have significantly improved the speed and accuracy of fire detection and monitoring, allowing for prompt response and effective resource allocation”[1], making lidar performance a crucial environmental topic. G&H fosters a deep appreciation for the environment, from strategy to product. Our dedication toward sustainability is captured by our various actions that promote a wholistic understanding and addressing of our environmental impact. We are confident that, by each doing our part in supporting the green movement, we will be able to achieve G&H’s vision of making the world better – in our case, with photonics. [1] Carta, F., Zidda, C., Putzu, M., Loru, D., Anedda, M., & Giusto, D. (2023). Advancements in Forest Fire Prevention: A Comprehensive survey. Sensors, 23(14), 6635. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23146635.

G&H (LON:GHH), the leading optics and photonics solutions provider, is pleased to be part of the recent statement from JAXA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, about the success of the communication between their Optical Data Relay Satellite (ODRS) with the Daichi No. 4 Advanced Radar Satellite at a speed of 1.8 gigabits per second (Gbps) in the 1.5 μm wavelength band – one of the world’s fastest inter-satellite data transmissions to be recorded. G&H has been involved with the project via its fiber optic systems and photonic technologies included in LUCAS (Laser Utilising Communication System), a hardware developed in collaboration with Japan’s NEC Corporation that has been placed on board ODRS. This system has been paramount to the success of the Japanese mission, powering the recorded downlink speed without issues over 40,000 km of distance between satellites. G&H’s role in this success story corresponds to the development of the cutting-edge, power-efficient optical amplifier technology that enabled closing the link budget at the presented speed and distance. The LUCAS system includes two G&H-designed and built optical amplifiers that are used to facilitate an all-optical bidirectional link between the geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. A high-power optical amplifier is used to boost the signal at the transmitter, and a low-noise pre-amplifier is placed at the receiver end to amplify the photons coming from tens of thousands of kilometers away. G&H space photonics expertise, originating from Constelex, a small Greek start-up acquired in 2013, was combined with the long-standing G&H’s heritage in manufacturing high reliability systems for undersea fiber optics to move up the value chain in the space sector. In the frames of this project, G&H managed to qualify new space-grade fiber optic components and has integrated them into state-of-the-art amplifier systems built in dedicated clean rooms at the company’s Torquay facility in the United Kingdom. The inter-satellite communication development comes as a positive response to the growing connectivity challenges the space industry is facing. These include topics such as available bandwidth, time sensitivity and the security of the transferred data. G&H, through fiber optic and laser-based product lines similar to the ones in LUCAS, is expanding the space ecosystem of tools and technology that provides high-precision solutions with an upstanding accessibility threshold. “Seeing an idea transform from a design on a piece of paper to a fully space-qualified system orbiting the planet is overwhelming,” comments Stratos Kehayas, President of the Photonics Division at G&H. “From the beginning, we were certain that a different technological approach was required to make laser communications not only possible but also scalable, future-proof and ultimately a commercial success. So, this recent news from JAXA reporting on the success of the high-speed transmission of data between its satellites reminded us all at G&H what teamwork, persistence and innovative thinking can achieve. Just imagine: our starting point in space heritage were passive coupler modules placed on the European Space Agency’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite that weighed only a few grams and measured a few centimeters. By the end of that project, we were flying complex photonic systems containing fiber-optics, lasers and electronics weighing several kilograms – a great achievement regarding going up the value chain. None of that would have been possible without the G&H space photonics team in Torquay, UK and I feel extremely lucky to have worked alongside these brilliant engineers. I am also grateful for our Japanese Sales team, Masashi Wada and Yoshitaka Yokoyama, for guiding us throughout this entire journey. I also want to extend my congratulations to JAXA for this world-leading result. We will always be thankful for the trust the NEC Space Technologies team showed us by selecting us to be part of this ground-breaking project and we are looking forward to pioneer future space technologies together.” “We are very honored to have been involved in such a trailblazing space project as this one from JAXA,” affirms Masashi Wada, Senior Sales Director Asia Pacific at G&H.“I believe our team’s passion for the purpose of this technological advancement in space comms has been made visible through the achieved results. Working alongside NEC Corporation on the optical link has also been a true privilege. We have put in a lot of effort, time, and focus into overcoming many issues with this project, as one is to expect when testing new frontiers. But together, with both G&H and NEC on board, we all succeeded. From my side, I would like to extend special thanks to Stratos and his team, who first introduced the capability of Space Photonics to G&H. We also would want to express our deepest appreciation to the NEC team, with whom we have kept close communication throughout all stages of this project. We are extremely proud to have collaborated with their teams, a company dedicated to pioneering space development in Japan. NEC, equipping Dr. Itokawa’s Kappa rocket with a telemetry transmitter and receiver back in 1956, have built the satellite relay system for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and have delivered Japan’s first artificial satellite in 1970. Today, they have announced their breakthrough in inter-satellite communication. We are honored to have been able to contribute with our technology, thus taking new steps in space history together.” The undertaken mission will continue its experimental documentation of how different positions, speeds and distances between the Optical Data Relay Satellite and the Daichi No. 4 influence communication quality, an experience powered by state-of-the-art G&H fiber optics and laser technology.

October 21st marks Day of Photonics, a moment that honors the 1983 Conference on Weights and Measures where the value for the speed of light was established. Since then, the photonics sector has grown at exponential scale. To map the immense successes and the current challenges the field is experiencing, we sat down with one of the key actors in photonics, Dr. Stratos Kehayas, President of the Photonics Division at G&H, for a conversation on innovation, Star Trek and the emerging landscape of today’s photonics arena. Q: What has drawn you to the world of photonics? SK: The photonics sector captivated me from a young age due to its unique ability to be disruptive. Photonics can completely change the game whenever it is introduced into new applications, displacing the existing incumbent technology. I have been fascinated with light and the physics behind photonics and fiber optics since I was 16 years old. Because I'm a sci-fi enthusiast, I have been able always connect what I was reading or watching with ways in which we can generate and manipulate light. Just check out Star Wars, Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica – you’ll find plenty of photonics-inspired examples there such as tractor beams, laser guns and phasers, to name a few. Did you know that tractor beams actually exist and are used on the nano-level to manipulate atoms with application in bioengineering and quantum sensing? Q: What do you find most surprising about the photonics industry? SK: Despite the fact that we all use products made with photonics hundreds of times daily, the field is still considered an exotic niche. Considering the plethora of applications and areas photonics is underpinning, such as chip manufacturing, telecoms, space, biomedical imaging, laser surgery, AI etc. it’s frustrating to see that photonics is still not a very well-known industry. In this sense, we are failing as a community to explain to the rest of the world what we actually do. Electronics on the other hand managed to be established as a ubiquitous enabling technology, underpinning trillions dollar upstream industries. But, from a behavioral perspective, the status quo is no different for optics and photonics. Your laptop, your smartphone, your TV, your solar panels, your oven, your car - all incorporate tens or hundreds of steps that need lasers to get manufactured. The chips that can be found in every device need lasers to get manufactured. And still, if you ask someone what photonics are, they will think Sci-fi. AI chips, undersea networks, Mars rovers, planes, trains, automobiles, medical devices – all need photonics to function; the field is very diverse and the global impact, massive. Q: So where does the issue of recognizability for the photonics field stem from? SK: In my opinion, the issue stems from its versatility. Going back to the comparison with electronics, one might say the photonics branch is more technical, so automatically that would translate into it being less accessible to the public. But that is not the reason for its shadow position. The difference between the popularity of electronics versus photonics lies in the fragmented nature in terms of both technology and market verticals. Electronics are fairly standardized; If you think electronics you usually visualize a chip and a green circuit board that can go into virtually everything humans create. Photonics is very different. We are talking about a multi-material technology that can be applied in a plethora of applications; you can have multiple combinations of the periodic table that give you unique and exotic parameters that then in turn enable completely different applications. The versatility and power of photonics then becomes a weakness by being scattered, fragmented without critical mass and a single voice. This status quo in our industry is why we need to overly disseminate, as a community, what photonics represent and concentrate on what we have in common rather than what is different. At the moment, we are focusing on the differences between us. But what we should do instead is to concentrate on the impact we have as a community on the world through the market verticals we're enabling. That extends to saving lives using photonic-enabled medical equipment, revolutionising the way we communicate with fiber-optics, enabling planetary exploration and making artificial intelligence a reality. Q: Since you mentioned the disruptive aspect of the field, what are the inventions you would want to see happening that would change our world? SK: Throughout my career, I have been present at different stages of industry disruption with photonics. There were a couple of instances that I joined the R&D community and did my part in pushing that boundary. So, I am personally invested in bringing even more of that side of technology into the world. We are approaching a few exciting new frontiers in photonics. For example, human interaction with photonic sensors is going to change the way we approach life sciences, with the advent of concepts like optogenetics. Photonic integrated circuits are going to be disruptive and together with quantum computing will revolutionise the world. Humans are not thinking fast enough to sustain the same level of evolution we have been seeing in the last few years – we need machines to help us advance as a species and get the answers we need. We can’t wait 80,000 years to reach Alpha Centauri – can we get machines to help us build photonic teleportation devices? The Flux Capacitor? We don’t want to exhaust the planet’s energy sources by operating these quantum computers, so we need projects like laser fusion to be successful and help us access atomic and subatomic energy pockets. So, simply put, we need Quantum Computers and AI to think for us, biophotonic integrated systems so we can live longer and infinite supply of energy – so I can finally take my well-deserved vacation to Alpha Centauri. It is a privilege to be part of such a vibrant, forward-thinking field and work with a group of people who are talented and motivated. We just need to be more extrovert and don’t be shy to talk about what we do in our daily lives – we work in Photonics.

Breast cancer, an abnormal cell growth in breast tissue, is the second most common cancer type in the world, with it being number one in affecting women. In 2022, 2,296,840 new cases were detected in women according to the World Health Organization[1], while in 2024, 360,000 people are likely to be diagnosed with this disease in the United States alone according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.[2] Behind each number, there is a story of shock, dismay, and, ultimately, hope for healing. In this regard, emerging discoveries and technologies from this field add hopeful incentive for accurate breast cancer detection and screening. This translates into cancers being discovered in their early phases when the condition is not life-threatening. At G&H, we are empowering the latest generation of cancer care tech through the Sentimag® platform in partnership with Endomag. As mentioned by Cathy Coleman, Assistant Professor at the University of San Francisco School of Nursing and Health Professions, San Francisco, CA, “Currently there is no cure for breast cancer; although primary prevention through risk reduction utilizing chemoprevention or prophylactic surgery remain options for selected women at significantly high risk. Therefore, secondary prevention through earlier detection and screening offers the most viable, effective, and practical interventions for women worldwide.”[3] This has been the driving idea behind Endomag, a UK-based, life sciences company whose mission is to improve breast cancer treatment for all. In particular, their focus lies on preventing surgical and other invasive therapies, since overtreatment, as well as undertreatment can lead to significant complications for the patient. Endomag has partnered with G&H through our G&H | ITL facility in Ashford, United Kingdom, to design and develop a state-of-the-art surgical guidance system for breast cancer – a challenging project in the face of the numerous complexities presented by the disease evolution and the diverging treatment schemes. The premise for the proof-of-concept came out of a university project called Biomagnetometer Project, set up by Quentin Pankhurst, Co-founder of Endomag and Director of the UCL Healthcare Biomagnetics Laboratory, at University College London (UCL). While looking for applications for magnetic nanoparticles, the project team had been advised by Michael Douek, a surgeon, to consider implementing the idea for operations. Medical personnel dealing with breast cancer surgeries needed new tools that could help them gain critically important information about the affected tissue, emphasizing high precision. With the advent of trackable magnetic material, the team at Endomag decided to pursue this research avenue in a way that would make the tool reliable for surgeons and safe to use for patients. G&H was tasked with taking this raw idea, which included the use of highly sensitive liquid nitrogen and a superconducting quantum interface device (SQUID), and developing a commercially viable, production-ready medical solution. Next to making sure the new device functioned at peak capacity, the new product also required user-friendly handling. For this, the G&H team capitalized on our well-established industrial design know-how, creating an aesthetically pleasing, ergonomic version of the Sentimag® that would seamlessly fit any operating theater. Today, the device is helping hundreds of surgery teams from around the world in conducting breast biopsies with stellar diagnosis results. The transition from new product to full-volume output for Endomag confirms G&H as a trusted contract manufacturer, as production volumes and device sales increase. According to the American Cancer Society[4], breast cancer death rates have been consistently declining since 1989, resulting in an overall 42% decrease through 2021. This data precisely shows where life science partners such as Endomag make the biggest difference in the field of cancer care. By working on life-saving innovations such as Sentimag®, we are showing our active support for the main message of October, which marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month – staying hopeful, because there is so much to be hopeful about in this field today. [1] World Health Organization: WHO & World Health Organization: WHO. (2024, March 13). Breast cancer. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/breast-cancer. [2]Breast cancer information, support & donations - National Breast Cancer Foundation. (2024, September 26). National Breast Cancer Foundation. https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/. [3] Coleman, C. (2017). Early detection and screening for breast cancer. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 33(2), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soncn.2017.02.009. [4]Breast cancer Statistics | How common is breast cancer? (n.d.). American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html#.

Gooch & Housego, G&H (LON:GHH), a global leader in advanced photonics solutions, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Phoenix Optical Technologies Ltd., a specialist in the manufacture of precision optics based in St. Asaph, Wales, UK. This strategic acquisition strengthens G&H’s Aerospace & Defence capabilities and expands the company’s presence in the UK and European markets as a critical supplier to leading defence primes. Phoenix Optical Technologies brings expertise in precision optics processes, including prisms, domes, specialist machining and Single Point Diamond Turning (SPDT). These capabilities will significantly bolster G&H’s Optical Systems division, enhancing the company's ability to deliver cutting-edge optical systems solutions to its customers in Aerospace & Defence as well as Industrial and Life Sciences markets. Charlie Peppiatt, CEO of G&H, commented, “I am delighted to welcome Phoenix to the G&H Group. Phoenix is a highly capable, well-regarded British precision optics supplier with a strong portfolio of products and services. Together we will be able to better solve our customers’ most complex optical systems requirements. The combination of the Phoenix and G&H teams brings together industry leading technology and know-how with efficient scalable operations that will support G&H to deliver an exceptional customer experience, become a first-choice optical systems solutions provider and make a better world with photonics.” Tony Palframan, Founder and CEO of Phoenix Optical Technologies, shared his enthusiasm for the acquisition, stating, “We are excited to join forces with G&H, a company that shares our commitment to precision, quality, and innovation. By combining our expertise with G&H’s global scale and reach, we see tremendous opportunities to further develop our offerings and bring even more value to our customers.” With this acquisition, G&H is well-positioned to accelerate growth, enhance its precision optics and optical systems capabilities, and solidify its position as a leading provider of optical and photonic solutions. About Gooch & Housego Gooch & Housego (G&H) is a world leader in optical design, testing and manufacturing. As experts in the technology of light, G&H works with customers to provide optical systems, assemblies, and components for demanding applications. Headquartered in Ilminster Somerset, UK with eleven facilities in the UK and USA, G&H is recognised for the breadth of their acousto-optic, electro-optic, crystal-optic, fibre optic, and precision optic products. G&H is the preferred source of photonics capabilities for OEMs in the life sciences, industrial, and aerospace and defence industries, with a history of quality and excellence that dates back over seventy-five years. About Phoenix Optical Technologies Ltd. Phoenix Optical Technologies Ltd. (POTL), based in the heart of the North Wales optical manufacturing hub in St. Asaph, has been at the forefront of precision optics since its founding by Tony Palframan in 1991. Over the past three decades, POTL has continually adapted to meet the evolving technological demands of today’s world, providing a comprehensive in-house service that spans the entire optical manufacturing process. From raw glass materials to polished, coated finished optical parts, prisms, and assemblies, POTL offers an end-to-end solution for the most complex requirements. With advanced machinery, long-standing customer relationships, and highly skilled teams across four sites, POTL remains a trusted partner in precision optics as it embraces cutting-edge innovations in optical science. For media inquiries, please contact: Brittany Ryan Global Marketing & Communications Manager, G&H (216) 453-8616 Bryan@gandh.com

Client relationship management (CRM) represents one of the toughest jobs within any business sector because of its delicate and ever-changing nature. So much can be at stake, in particular when dealing with difficult scenarios for the involved parties. Aside from understanding potential concerns, the team working on client success needs to first and foremost make sure expectations are being met. We’ve sat down with Bill Keating, General Manager at G&H Moorpark, who has recently been involved in a partnership transformation with one of G&H’s most critical clients: Honeywell. In this discussion, Bill explains more about the initial status quo with our partners on a specific project, what strategies have been employed to create a positive outcome and what formed the key to success for both G&H and our client. Discover the real path to client success in the conversation below: Q: Bill, tell us a bit about yourself and your background as a professional. BK: Certainly. I’m Bill Keating, General Manager at G&H Moorpark, a design and manufacturing facility for precision optics, particularly known for its super-polished optics and photonics engineering within the larger G&H Group. My role is to make sure the site runs smoothly and that everyone, from employee to customer, is satisfied with their experience at Gooch and Housego. My career is coming close to a 30-year benchmark. I studied Electronics at the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Massachusetts and, later, followed an MBA program at the University of Rhode Island in the United States. Right after my studies, I went into work, especially in roles that covered strategy and process optimization. If I look back, the essence of my roles within companies has always revolved around fixing things – changing the status quo into something better. I'd typically go into a business that would not be performing…at least not to the standards it envisioned for itself, and I'd fix it through all sorts of strategic tweaks. And then, I'd take on another business and fix that. Of course, each process took its respective time. I don't jump around very much in terms of businesses. In fact, this role with G&H is only my fourth job in my entire career. I usually look for companies that are underperforming in a certain aspect, that I believe should be able to achieve better results within the engineering realm. Many of the companies where I’ve been are based on built-to-order OEM relationships. That’s how I fit in so well with G&H in my current role. You know, I've done some pretty significant distribution work with multi-site companies that were operating internationally – a resemblance with the current G&H ecosystem. That is how I ended up maintaining a lot of customer relations in different countries and have been able to grow the businesses I was involved with to a significant degree together with the teams I was responsible for. I pretty much started on a production floor and worked my way all the way up into general management and discovered that full profit-and-loss (P&L) responsibility is kind of where I like to sit mostly. Q: Internally, you are known for receiving stellar feedback from our customers in terms of relationship management, even informally. There was even one important project that you were assigned to with tech giant Honeywell, one of our most important partners, which needed a general, refreshed outlook. How did you start working on this specific customer partnership? BK: I started working on this project on November 3rd of last year. So, when I was assigned to handle this partnership, we were quite a bit behind on a commitment to ramp up about a 50% increase in the amount of product that we would ship to Honeywell. So, we had to go back and really rework the ramp-up plan, trying to make sure that we had enough capacity in each of the areas that would contribute to the overall goal. What was essential for this partnership was its communication element – something to which both parties actively contributed. We started off with a thorough plan of what we needed to do, and then we included a standardized communication process to make sure that everyone was aware of what was going on, of what was happening at every single checkpoint. If something didn't work out according to plan, we made sure that the counterparts from Honeywell were aware of the situation, so that they could readjust their schedules accordingly. We started with high-end questions at G&H such as understanding whether we had enough equipment to fulfil the requirement. And then, of course, if we maximized the equipment aspect, what types of shift profiles would we need to operate? That is how we decided to expand our second shift and then also work into getting coverage on weekends as well. We had plenty of raw stock, which was a great starting point. But then, we discovered our infrastructure needed a boost. So, we had to make pretty significant capital investments in that area. I think right now we're probably close to a $2.5 million investment in state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment over the last 2 years. That decision defined an important moment of trust between our team and those from Honeywell, as they saw concrete improvements being made for their high-tech project. We have also expanded our workforce with about a 15% increase in staffing in order to cover the specific project needs. In a nutshell, through such leadership decisions, our partners could see that we were serious. And we are serious about every order we commit to. We also let our Honeywell clients know every decision that was being taken and got them involved in the entire manufacturing process. As such, they felt seen and involved, which made a big difference down the line. Q: And which was the most challenging aspect of this partnership refresh? BK: Honestly, that would be its beginnings. My first meeting with the Honeywell team was a little tense because I had presented them the fact that we were behind where we said we would be by that point in time. The whole point of that meeting was really to reset expectations in a way that would be advantageous for both sides. That’s how we got a team from their side to come in and work together quite collaboratively in order to help each other be successful with this project. You know, as an example, we loaned them a piece of our capital equipment, to help them out on another project they were working on. We actually shipped that piece of equipment to their facility for their convenience. What we are now trying to do at G&H regarding customer delight is to go beyond what is expected. Anyone can do basics, but a partnership goes beyond that. We aim to provide an exceptional customer experience and together with my team, we’re in the business of looking at what else we can do to maximize performance and profits for everyone involved. Q: What was the key to making this process a success story? BK: I cannot understate how important teamwork is, when it’s honest and focused. At the end of the day, the only reason we ended up fixing what could have become a broken client relationship are the people involved. We are an OEM supplier to our customers. What is very critical is that our components go in a very early stage in our clients’ manufacturing process. So, we need to make sure that we're delivering when we say we are or that we are notifying them if something goes wrong, so that they're aware. I think that's really fundamental as an OEM supplier: you have to make sure you take care of all these points. I mean product quality is very, very important in our line of business, which at G&H, it can almost be taken for granted. It shouldn’t be, but the truth is that our teams are top-notch experts in their fields. And because of our organizational culture, we pay attention to what makes a product work above and beyond. But if you look at the ratings and even at the feedback coming from customers, on-time delivery usually comes up a little higher above product quality. To be able to pull all of this off, you need committed people who don’t give up when the going gets tougher. I am lucky to have Susana Contreras, our Customer Account Relationship Specialist, and Rod Schuster, Regional Sales Manager, who were 2 fundamental people for our customers. Like I told Charlie Peppiatt, our CEO, I believe that this is a niche that we should be able to convert into a profitable line of growing business for the Group if we can get our act together. And that’s what we’ve been working on really hard over the past year. As a result, I believe we are going to see some great results in 2025, aside from the thriving atmosphere in our current partnership with Honeywell. I want to thank everyone involved for helping turn this into what will become a true success story and I am looking forward to even better, more fruitful times ahead.

With the advent of advanced data processing for emerging technologies such as AI or 6G, the pressure is on for scientists to come up with accommodating solutions. People demand reliable, fast and cost-effective innovations at an unprecedented scale to facilitate next-gen data management breakthroughs. Dr. Stuart MacFarquhar is precisely one of those standing on the precipice of scientific trial and error, working on the latest design developments in Photonics Integrated Circuits (PICs) – a piece of technology whose evolution will disrupt everything from quantum computing to how we treat diabetes. As a Design Engineer at G&H (LON:GHH), his efforts have been recognized in the latest Photonics 100 round-up, an award that sums up the world’s leading talent in optics and photonics. We sat down with Stuart to understand what is so exciting about the emergence of next-gen PICs, what role he is playing in moving this technology forward and how he feels about winning such a prestigious accolade from ElectroOptics. Q: Stuart, congratulations on being added to the Photonics 100 2025 list! How does it feel to receive this award? SM: Thank you, I haven't worked it out yet if I'm being perfectly honest. The announcement has landed as a surprise and at a point where I am fully immersed in some demanding, yet truly interesting projects within our Photonics division at G&H. I believe being recognized at this level is a very nice feeling to experience. Especially given the other names on the Photonics100 list for 2025, I am truly humbled and grateful for this public appreciation. Q: Tell us more about the award – what was it for? SM: My current field of research is Photonic Integrated Circuits. Basically, they are a way to manipulate light via a microchip, a technology which opens up a vast array of applications because of their reliability, scalability and high-volume cost effectiveness. At G&H, we wanted to firstly create our own PIC designs and test out these different strategies, to see what can be made possible with them. At the moment, we’re busy with micro-transfer printing for heterogeneous photonic integrated circuits in collaboration with strategic EU-based partners. We know the concept is fairly widespread in certain R&D circles, but what we are trying to do is to prove its commercial viability, too. Q: Why is this process challenging to achieve? SM: Like everything PIC-related, alignment is one of the biggest challenges we face when making a functional system. Compared to the fiber-optics that we’re used to, there’s almost no room for error, in some cases losing half the light if we’re off by less than 1/1000th of a mm. This means that the selection and placement have to be done with extreme accuracy, but also high speed to avoid disrupting the high-volume manufacture. Q:Working on PICs, what demand are you answering with this emerging technology? SM: Photonic integrated circuits answer a variety of market needs. It’s truly a Leonardo da Vinci type of innovations. Specifically for photonics, one of the underlying trends is the push for miniaturization, making things smaller or making them fit in smaller spaces. The scale of this process includes reducing size, weight and power for devices and subsystems. In the case of the research and development we’re handling, my angle has been to reimagine an optical circuit design that currently fits in something the size of matchbox-to fingernail-size, meaning a 5x3 cm to 5x5 mm conversion roughly, with enhanced functionality. Silicon-based photonics is currently considered as one of the class stars for different implementations, particularly regarding high circuit complexity models, which is what we are working with at the moment. Plus, coming back to the micro-transfer printing idea, that process helps us optimize the reliability of the micro- and nano-sized solutions. By working on this big-picture process, we are paving way for a solid manner of element bonding, done in a very precise manner. We're trying to develop a methodology where you create your optical circuitry on the silicon nitride wafers as you would for any other process. And then, the point would be to independently create all of your lasers, detectors and so on, on their own native substrate materials to optimize them properly. What this means is that you can come in with a separate and carefully designed stamp that uses very, very minor adhesion forces. And then, you apply just enough pressure to cause adhesion on the laser block, together with breakage on the tethers on the new design. The logic behind this process is that by carefully adjusting the shape and positioning of the stamp, you can achieve the material transfer that you want, potentially endlessly in theory. This is something that is currently being investigated in photonics and we are making great progress on this at G&H. We want to elevate those branches that are being powered by photonic integrated circuits by offering more time-effective manufacturing options. Q: What are some examples of those branches that are about to be overhauled by this optimized technology? SM: Oh, there are all sorts of interesting things you can do in integrated photonics. There are companies interested in developing, for example, a fully implantable diagnostic sensor fora diabetes monitor.It’s the first thing that came to mind. As long as your entire device is in biologically safe and you use materials that can be implanted into the body, you could take a sort of 5-millimetre by 5-millimetre chip, surgically implant it somewhere where there is blood flow and have constant data input about your blood sugar level.Compared to the more intermittent and invasive way people are checking that data today, this emerging solution means that you don't have to take a blood sample every time you feel wobbly. You don’t even need to get to that wobbly stage in the first place. That translates into a massive life improvement which could be available to the 422 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes around the world, according to the World Health Organization. Especially now that we have the capability to merge photonics know-how with life sciences acumen within the G&H group, such applications are becoming more of a possibility than ever before. Q: That is incredible. Thank you, Stuart, for your time and thought-provoking insights. SM: Thank you as well for this space, and again, thank you to everyone involved in putting together such a prestigious, community-building list for photonics like the Photonics 100. I am humbled by this honor.

2024 has been a remarkable year for breakthroughs in research and technology. From ancient hot water trails on Mars to taking concrete steps towards restoring brain cells, humanity has been making significant scientific progress in recent months. G&H(LON:GHH), is marching to the same beat as the proverbial drummer, in the spirit of our guiding principle: facilitating a better world with photonics. Aside from our own internal celebration of 75 years of excellence in optics, photonics and life sciences, our teams have managed to deliver solutions that have gained international recognition. Here, we highlight these important moments of acknowledgement that underscore our contributions to technological advancements in 2024. The Photonics 100 Innovation Photonics100 – Stuart MacFarquhar We are delighted to find our colleague Stuart MacFarquhar, Optical Design Engineer at G&H, as a laureate on the prestigious Photonics100 list for 2025, an award that celebrates the photonics industry’s most innovative figures. Stuart is a rising star who is currently working in the exciting and emerging branch of Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs). In his current position at G&H, Stuart is looking into developing the first company-owned designs for PICs, specifically adapted for detection devices. One of the underlying trends in photonics-based technology is the push for miniaturization. This involves reducing size, weight and power for devices and subsystems, while maintaining high performance. In the case of the research and development project Stuart is steering, his angle has been to reimagine an optical circuit design that currently fits into something the size of a matchbox and convert it into a fingernail-sized dimension with enhanced functionality. Tech South West Awards Finalist Tech South West – Space & Aviation finalists Through the G&H Torquay site, our company has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Space & Aviation Award at the Tech South West Awards 2024. The nomination is for our innovative SmallCAT laser transmitter, currently onboard the Norwegian NorSat Technology Demonstrator (NorSat-TD). This groundbreaking technology significantly enhances data transmission of small satellites, surpassing conventional radio frequency (RF) communications. TNO, the Dutch applied scientific research organization leading the space project, has validated the satellite-to-ground station stability of the transmitted signal in the first half of 2024, marking the first successful space communications experiment of its size in European space photonics. This high-tech solution has also been awarded second place in the “Impact Delivered” category at the 16th EARTO Innovation Awards for the CubeCAT laser communication terminal. Lab Innovations Logo Sustainability Lab Awards – Sustainable Lab of the Year finalists Our G&H | ITL site in Ashford, United Kingdom has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Sustainable Lab of the Year Award at the Lab Awards 2024, hosted by Lab Innovations. This nomination reflects G&H's continuous efforts to implement sustainable practices that lower environmental impact and enhance resource efficiency. Over the years, our team at the Ashford facility in the UK has made consistent progress toward greener goals, and this recognition highlights our investments in sustainability. The pinnacle of the year was the recommendation for our Life Sciences Center of Excellence to achieve accreditation for ISO 14001:2015 in Environmental Management Systems (EMS) by the International Organization for Standardization, proving G&H’s continuous efforts to integrate sustainable solutions into our technological ecosystem. Tech South West Awards Finalist Operational success Tech South West – Nick Matthews for People’s Choice Award finalist A visionary leader within the company, Nick Matthews, Site General Manager – Optical Systems at G&H, has been recognized for his extraordinary craft around organisational change by delivering a 41% increase in production output with the team at G&H | Artemis in the first year after the acquisition of the Plymouth-based business. Nick worked with the engineers on site to identify new coating technologies and was able utilize the site’s CapEx budget to purchase and develop a specialized coating plant for this purpose – transitioning it into immediate full capacity production. The project took 10 months to complete and added 15% extra capacity at G&H | Artemis. Streamlining the part traveling process reduced operational inefficiencies by 40%, significantly enhancing productivity and ensuring on-time delivery. We are grateful to receive such appraisals on a variety of categories, each marking important milestones for our optics, photonics and life sciences business. These 2024 accolades demonstrate G&H’s unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability across all facets of our work, something that will continue in 2025.

Recent technological advancements in optics and photonics have significantly increased the demand for ultra-smooth lens surfaces, critical for high-precision, state-of-the-art optoelectronic systems. As mentioned in the 2024 scientific paper “A Review of Emerging Technologies in Ultra-Smooth Surface Processing for Optical Components”, “Advancements in astronomical telescopes and cutting-edge technologies, including deep ultraviolet (DUV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, have escalated demands and imposed stringent surface quality requirements on optical system components. Achieving near-ideal optical components requires ultra-smooth surfaces with sub-nanometer roughness, no sub-surface damage, minimal surface defects, low residual stresses, and intact lattice integrity. This necessity has driven the rapid development and diversification of ultra-smooth surface fabrication technologies.”1 At G&H (LON:GHH), our 75+ years of experience delivering high-performing optics and photonics solutions confirm this growing need for near-ideal surface quality. Traditional polishing methods, such as Chemical-Mechanical Polishing (CMP), Bonnet Polishing, Plasma Chemical Vaporization Machining (PCVM), and Ion Beam Figuring (IBF), have long been used to achieve smoother optical surfaces. Superpolishing has been one of the better-known manufacturing processes for producing lower surface roughness parts in flat optics. The metric that determines the quality of the polishing process is the Root Mean Square roughness (RMS roughness) that quantifies surface deviations. Typically, the term “superpolishing” is applied to parts with an RMS roughness of less than 0.1nm (1 Å or Angstrom) when the measurements are filtered over the length range of 0.0025 mm to 0.080 mm per component. G&H’s Moorpark facility in the United States is one of the few suppliers in the world that can achieve surfaces with a roughness of < 0.5 Å. To put this metric into perspective, a value of 0.5 Å is smaller than the diameter of an atom, making the surface in question almost atomically smooth. Submerged polishing using specially prepared solutions of polishing compound are used to achieve these super-smooth surfaces. The process is however limited to either planar surfaces or surfaces with long radius curves (R>1.5m). Introducing G&H’s Novel Polishing Innovation To address this challenge, G&H has developed a pioneering polishing process, provisionally referred to as Low Surface Roughness Polishing. Peter MacKay, Principal Technologist at G&H Ilminster, explains the importance of surface roughness for optical systems: “For any optical surface, a lower surface roughness is desirable to reduce the scatter of the light by the optical surfaces within a system. Potential applications of lower surface roughness parts include systems using UV and blue wavelengths of light where scattering is greater, and high-power laser systems where the scattered light could reach hazardous levels.” Unlike traditional superpolishing methods limited to planar optics, G&H’s innovation expands these capabilities to spherical and aspherical surfaces, both concave and convex, making it a versatile solution for next-generation optical systems. Experimental Trials and Results The initial trials focused on a set of plano convex lenses and plano concave lenses, each 37mm in diameter. Measurements were conducted using a ZYGO NewView 9000 white light interferometer at 20x magnification. Known for its sub-nanometer precision and ISO 25178 and ISO 21920 compliance, this high-performance tool ensured accuracy in quantifying surface roughness (Rq) across the standardized spatial range of 0.0025 mm to 0.080 mm (the default parameters for optical surface roughness according to ISO 10110-8). The results demonstrated a clear improvement: Control batch (standard polishing): Rq = 0.37 nm (concave) Rq = 0.19 nm (convex) Post-process (Low Surface Roughness Polishing): Rq = 0.115 nm (concave) Rq = 0.075 nm (convex) Standard deviation = 0.01 nm These improvements translate into significant benefits for optical applications, including: Highly reduced light scattering; Enhanced light beam control; Superior image quality; Improved optical coating performance; Minimized contamination risk. Material Versatility: Beyond Fused Silica Following the successful trials on fused silica, G&H applied the process to other common optical glasses, n-BK7 (hard glass) and n-SF11 (soft glass). The results were equally impressive: n-BK7: Rq improved from 0.89 nm to 0.125 nm n-SF11: Rq improved from 1.14 nm to 0.14 nm These results highlight the material versatility of G&H’s Low Surface Roughness Polishing process, enabling its application across a wide range of optical materials and geometries. Shaping the Future of Optical Polishing As optical technologies continue to evolve, surface roughness for lenses has emerged as a critical factor in enabling next-generation performance. G&H’s novel Low Surface Roughness Polishing process not only meets these exacting demands but also redefines the possibilities for spherical and aspherical optics. By advancing the standards of optical surface quality, G&H is empowering innovations in high-power lasers, UV optical systems, and other cutting-edge applications. From the heart of the United Kingdom, G&H is setting a new standard for ultra-precision optics, delivering innovative solutions to the most demanding challenges in the photonics industry.

As 2024 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on an extraordinary year at G&H (LON:GHH). From industry-leading advancements to inspiring collaborations and meaningful celebrations, this year has been one for the books. To highlight these achievements, we’ve compiled the Top 10 most visited stories from our news and resources hub. These moments showcase the innovation, dedication, and partnerships that define G&H. Join us as we count down the highlights that shaped our 2024. 10. G&H CPTO Stratos Kehayas featured in Electro Optics Magazine, discusses strategic moves in life sciences sector In an exclusive interview with Electro Optics, Stratos Kehayas, G&H’s Chief Product & Technology Officer, shared insights into the company’s strategic growth in the life sciences sector. He reflected on how G&H’s focused efforts post-pandemic have positioned us for success in this evolving market. 9. New G&H Life Sciences Innovation Hub in Rochester, NY, Awarded ISO 13485:2016 Certification for Quality Management of Medical Devices A testament to our commitment to quality and innovation, the G&H | ITL Life Sciences facility in Rochester, NY, achieved ISO 13485 certification. This milestone reinforces our capability to deliver advanced medical solutions for a growing global market. 8. Designed with the driver in mind: performance and state-of-the-art customization of the Embedded Image Periscope for Challenger 3 tanks G&H proudly delivered cutting-edge optics technology for the British Army’s Challenger 3 tanks in partnership with Rheinmetall Electronics UK. Our Embedded Image Periscope set a new standard for surveillance and driver safety. 7. G&H CEO Charlie Peppiatt featured in BioStock, commenting on Prolight Diagnostics collaboration Charlie Peppiatt joined BioStock to discuss our collaboration with Prolight Diagnostics, showcasing how G&H is driving innovation in point-of-care diagnostics, particularly for myocardial infarction detection. 6. Capturing a moment in history: an interview with one of G&H’s first employees, Norma Knapp We celebrated a piece of G&H’s rich history with Norma Knapp, one of our first employees. Her stories offered a heartwarming reflection on the company’s journey from its early days to today’s global success. 5. The Apollo Lens System – Optical Systems for Space G&H’s Apollo Lens System is empowering commercial space ventures by delivering adaptable, space-qualified optical solutions. From Earth’s orbit to far-reaching missions, innovation has no limits. 4. All About Her at G&H – celebrating International Women’s Day On International Women’s Day, we proudly celebrated the women of G&H whose leadership and expertise are driving innovation across our company. Their work inspires a brighter, more inclusive future. 3. Together Through Thick and Thin: What Real Customer Success Looks Like with Bill Keating, General Manager at G&H Moorpark Bill Keating, General Manager at G&H Moorpark, shared a powerful story of collaboration and customer success with Honeywell. This partnership highlights G&H’s commitment to delivering excellence, even in the face of challenges. 2. Day of Photonics – an interview with Dr. Stratos Kehayas, President of the Photonics Division at G&H In celebration of Day of Photonics, Dr. Stratos Kehayas shared his perspective on innovation, challenges, and the exciting future of photonics—a field with limitless potential for technological breakthroughs. 1. G&H Strengthens Aerospace & Defence Capabilities with the Acquisition of Phoenix Optical Technologies Ltd. Our top story of 2024 marked a significant milestone: G&H’s acquisition of Phoenix Optical Technologies Ltd. This strategic move enhances our capabilities in Aerospace & Defence and underscores our commitment to growth and leadership in optical systems. G&H’s acquisition of Phoenix Optical Technologies Ltd. From groundbreaking innovations to powerful partnerships, these stories represent the spirit of G&H—a company that continues to drive progress year after year. As we look ahead to 2025, we remain committed to advancing technology, empowering our people, and delivering solutions that make a difference. Thank you for being part of our journey this year. Here’s to even greater achievements in the year ahead!

As 2024 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on an extraordinary year at G&H (LON:GHH). From industry-leading advancements to inspiring collaborations and meaningful celebrations, this year has been one for the books. To highlight these achievements, we’ve compiled the Top 10 most visited stories from our news and resources hub. These moments showcase the innovation, dedication, and partnerships that define G&H. Join us as we count down the highlights that shaped our 2024. 10. G&H CPTO Stratos Kehayas featured in Electro Optics Magazine, discusses strategic moves in life sciences sector In an exclusive interview with Electro Optics, Stratos Kehayas, G&H’s Chief Product & Technology Officer, shared insights into the company’s strategic growth in the life sciences sector. He reflected on how G&H’s focused efforts post-pandemic have positioned us for success in this evolving market. 9. New G&H Life Sciences Innovation Hub in Rochester, NY, Awarded ISO 13485:2016 Certification for Quality Management of Medical Devices A testament to our commitment to quality and innovation, the G&H | ITL Life Sciences facility in Rochester, NY, achieved ISO 13485 certification. This milestone reinforces our capability to deliver advanced medical solutions for a growing global market. 8. Designed with the driver in mind: performance and state-of-the-art customization of the Embedded Image Periscope for Challenger 3 tanks G&H proudly delivered cutting-edge optics technology for the British Army’s Challenger 3 tanks in partnership with Rheinmetall Electronics UK. Our Embedded Image Periscope set a new standard for surveillance and driver safety. 7. G&H CEO Charlie Peppiatt featured in BioStock, commenting on Prolight Diagnostics collaboration Charlie Peppiatt joined BioStock to discuss our collaboration with Prolight Diagnostics, showcasing how G&H is driving innovation in point-of-care diagnostics, particularly for myocardial infarction detection. 6. Capturing a moment in history: an interview with one of G&H’s first employees, Norma Knapp We celebrated a piece of G&H’s rich history with Norma Knapp, one of our first employees. Her stories offered a heartwarming reflection on the company’s journey from its early days to today’s global success. 5. The Apollo Lens System – Optical Systems for Space G&H’s Apollo Lens System is empowering commercial space ventures by delivering adaptable, space-qualified optical solutions. From Earth’s orbit to far-reaching missions, innovation has no limits. 4. All About Her at G&H – celebrating International Women’s Day On International Women’s Day, we proudly celebrated the women of G&H whose leadership and expertise are driving innovation across our company. Their work inspires a brighter, more inclusive future. 3. Together Through Thick and Thin: What Real Customer Success Looks Like with Bill Keating, General Manager at G&H Moorpark Bill Keating, General Manager at G&H Moorpark, shared a powerful story of collaboration and customer success with Honeywell. This partnership highlights G&H’s commitment to delivering excellence, even in the face of challenges. 2. Day of Photonics – an interview with Dr. Stratos Kehayas, President of the Photonics Division at G&H In celebration of Day of Photonics, Dr. Stratos Kehayas shared his perspective on innovation, challenges, and the exciting future of photonics—a field with limitless potential for technological breakthroughs. 1. G&H Strengthens Aerospace & Defence Capabilities with the Acquisition of Phoenix Optical Technologies Ltd. Our top story of 2024 marked a significant milestone: G&H’s acquisition of Phoenix Optical Technologies Ltd. This strategic move enhances our capabilities in Aerospace & Defence and underscores our commitment to growth and leadership in optical systems. G&H’s acquisition of Phoenix Optical Technologies Ltd. From groundbreaking innovations to powerful partnerships, these stories represent the spirit of G&H—a company that continues to drive progress year after year. As we look ahead to 2025, we remain committed to advancing technology, empowering our people, and delivering solutions that make a difference. Thank you for being part of our journey this year. Here’s to even greater achievements in the year ahead!

G&H (LON:GHH), a global leader in advanced photonics solutions, is pleased to share its 2024 Annual Report. "During FY2024 we made further positive progress in establishing strong foundations to deliver our strategic priorities and enhance mindshare with our customers many of whom are demonstrating a growing confidence in G&H. Despite the challenges the Group experienced in the first half of FY2024 due to reduced demand in our industrial and medical laser markets, G&H delivered a strong performance in the second half of the year underpinned by the solid demand for our Life Sciences and A&D products and also reflecting the significant operational improvements that have been made across the Group," says Charlie Peppiatt, CEO at G&H. https://gandh.com/news-and-resources/2024-annual-report