Photonics Research Laboratory

❗PRL Call for Apprentices and Immersionist for Midyear 2026❗

Applications for our apprenticeship and immersion program are now 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡 to aspiring undergraduate and graduate NIP students until June 2, 2026. Kitakits! ✨

𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺:
https://tinyurl.com/PRLAppM26
https://tinyurl.com/PRLAppM26
https://tinyurl.com/PRLAppM26

Miguel was a member of the Photonics Research Lab during his undergrad and masters. He went invisible (optical cloaking) then made a technique to find invisble planets (exoplanet detection).

We wish him goodluck on his dissertation defense on typhoons! Surely, way far out from optics but physics nonetheless.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1RpskrXkYb/

In 2023, Malaysia captured global attention with a luminous experiment on a quiet stretch of road near Semenyih. Instead of traditional streetlights, the tarmac itself glowed — coated with photoluminescent paint capable of shining for up to ten hours after sunset. No electricity required.

The paint worked by absorbing sunlight during the day and slowly releasing it through the night. The compound behind it, strontium aluminate, had been tested in the Netherlands and Japan, but Malaysia's 245-meter rural stretch was one of the most ambitious real-world applications yet.

Public response was overwhelmingly positive. Drivers reported dramatically improved visibility in rain, fog, and darkness — conditions where standard road markings frequently fail. With over 6,000 road fatalities annually, many on poorly lit rural roads, the initiative felt like exactly the kind of solution Malaysia needed.

Then came the cost.

Standard road paint runs RM40 per square meter. The photoluminescent coating? RM749. Nearly twenty times more expensive. Trials in Selangor and Johor also revealed that Malaysia's hot, humid, and rainy climate caused the paint to degrade far faster than expected, requiring reapplication within 18 months.
Internal reviews concluded the performance didn't justify the price. Expansion plans covering 46 locations across two states were quietly cancelled by late 2024. As Deputy Works Minister Ahmad Maslan put it plainly in Parliament, "We ran tests, but it did not satisfy the experts from the ministry."

Public enthusiasm followed. As the novelty faded, citizens shifted their frustration toward more familiar problems — potholes, faded markings, and poor signage. The glowing road experiment, once celebrated as a symbol of innovation, was increasingly seen as a misallocation of resources.

The 245 meters near Semenyih remain. A bright idea dimmed not by failure, but by the gap between what's inspiring and what's practical.

From ideas to impact—𝗵𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗸 𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗴 ✨𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁✨! 💡
🎵🎶💃🏻👣 ICYMI: Aira, Arrianne, Dennis, Evan, Jayne, and Jesse proudly represented with their poster and oral presentations at OPIC 2026 in Yokohama, Japan 🇯🇵

✨ 希望の光 ✨
PRL represents at OPIC 2026: the Optics & Photonics International Congress in Yokohama, Japan! 🔬

Congratulations, Dr. Zosa!

The College of Science congratulates Dr. Myles Allen H. Zosa of the National Institute of Physics (NIP) for being awarded the 2025 UPAA-W Professorial Chair for his exemplary contributions to teaching, research, and service at the National Institute of Physics.

Dr. Zosa is an Assistant Professor at the NIP and the Program Coordinator of the Photonics Research Laboratory. Dr. Zosa is also currently serving as a councilor of the Samahang Pisika ng Pilipinas.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞!

Be part of the 𝟭𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, a gathering of passionate student researchers committed to innovation and sustainable development.

📅 𝘼𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙡 23, 2026�📍 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗧𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹

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𝕋𝕠𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣, 𝕝𝕖𝕥’𝕤 𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕖 𝕗𝕦𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕠𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕣𝕠𝕨 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙.