The International Conference on Optics of Surfaces and Interfaces (OSI) is a well established biennial meeting that gathers researchers from all over the world from diverse fields of surface/interface optics, including nano-systems and metamaterials.

Optical spectroscopy provides non-invasive, in-situ, operando, real time (and sometimes femtosecond time-resolved) probing of surfaces and buried interfaces over macroscopic areas, features that complement atomic-scale probes such as scanning-tunneling microscopy, and has a particular focus on both experiment and solid state theory.

Since its inception back in 1995, the International Conference on Optics of Surfaces and Interfaces (OSI) has included cutting-edge experimental and theoretical work in ellipsometry, reflectance-anisotropy spectroscopy, magneto-optics, Raman scattering and non-linear optics (second-harmonic and sum-frequency generation). More recent OSI conferences have also featured work on optical methods that resolve sub-wavelength structures, plasmonics, organic and biological interfaces, nanostructures, graphene-like surfaces including transition metal dichalcogenides, meta-surfaces and single nano-objects. An emerging field of metamaterials applied to subwavelength optical devices is now present in the OSI plethora of topics.

Launched in Rome in 1995, OSI biennial conferences have taken place in Åalesund (Norway), Sainte-Maxime (France), Bad Honnef (Germany), León (México), Aalborg (Denmark), Grand Targee (USA), Ischia (Italy), Akumal (México), Chemnitz (Germany), Austin (USA), Dublin (Ireland), and in León, México (in 2019). The conference has alternated between Europe and the Americas, reflecting its international profile. After the 2019 conference in México, OSI-14 was scheduled to be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA in 2021. The biannual series of conferences was interrupted on account of COVID-19 restrictions.

The OSI series will take place again, this year in Mauterndorf, Austria, organized by C. Cobet, E. Mayrhofer, K. Hingerl (JKU Linz), N. Esser (TU Berlin and ISAS Berlin) and D.R.T. Zahn (TU Chemnitz).

Mauterndorf, approximately 90 km south of Salzburg, is a beautiful location in the “Hohen Tauern” mountain area in the larger state of Salzburg, Austria. The conference center is located  in the medieval castle (1280 A.C.) often used by the Austrian semiconductor physicists for workshops and winter schools with morning and evening sessions. The surrounding main chain of the Alps guarantees that during the winter, the weather will be good enough to ski or take a horse sleigh ride.

info.OSI14(at)jku.at