Precision Unlocked: PI launches its own podcast 

How do you get light onto a chip? And how do satellites maintain a laser link whilst travelling at several kilometres per second? In the new podcast from Physik Instrumente (PI), experts answer precisely these kinds of questions. 

PI has been part of the HOERBIGER Group since April 2026 and has now launched its new podcast series. In it, colleagues discuss the technologies that are currently transforming entire industries. The discussions are easy to follow and practical. Two episodes are already online. 

Laser link in orbit
Satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) travel at several kilometers per second and communicate over distances ranging from hundreds to thousands of kilometers. When they need to exchange data via laser, the beam must nevertheless remain precisely aligned at all times. Dr. Jochen Gaiser, Marketing Strategy Manager, and sales expert Marc Syguda discuss this in the first episode. They also reveal what it takes to make technology fit for use in space.
Click here for Episode 1: Fast Steering Mirrors for Free-Space Optical Communication – with Dr. Jochen Gaiser. 

Why copper is no longer enough
Data centers and AI applications require ever-increasing bandwidth. Copper-based connections are reaching their limits, both in terms of transmission distance and energy consumption. In the latest episode, Nikta Jalayer, Global Portfolio Director for Photonics at PI, explains why light can be the solution. She also discusses why it’s worth testing photonic chips as early as possible, even before they leave the wafer. 
Click here for Episode 2: Photonics Is Scaling. Is Testing Ready? – with Nikta Jalayer.

Coming soon: Quantum technology
Quantum technology is regarded as one of the major fields of the future because it utilises physical effects that play no role in classical technology. However, quantum systems only function at temperatures close to absolute zero and often in a vacuum as well. Nevertheless, components must still be positioned with nanometer precision even under these conditions. Find out how this is achieved and why quantum technology needs new solutions for this in the next episode. It will be published shortly on PI’s YouTube channel.