---
title: "Laser Focus World: FPGA Adaptability for the Future of Photonics"
description: Laser Focus World features Red Pitaya CTO Črt Valentinčič on how FPGA hardware adaptability is driving the future of photonics.
image: https://content.redpitaya.com/hubfs/blog%20featured%20image%20(49).jpg
---
[](https://redpitaya.com/)
[](https://redpitaya.com/)
- Products
- [STEMlab 125-14 Gen 2](https://redpitaya.com/stemlab-125-14-gen2/)
- [STEMlab 125-14](https://redpitaya.com/stemlab-125-14/)
- [SIGNALlab 250-12](https://redpitaya.com/signallab-250-12/)
- [SDRlab 122-16](https://redpitaya.com/sdrlab-122-16/)
- [STEMlab TI (Texas Instruments)](https://redpitaya.com/stemlab-ti-texas-instruments/)
- [Multi-channel Solutions](https://redpitaya.com/multi-channel-solutions/)
- [Accessories](https://redpitaya.com/accessories/)
- [Applications](https://redpitaya.com/applications/)
- Documentation
- [Technical Documentation](https://redpitaya.com/documentation/)
- [Teaching materials](https://redpitaya.com/teaching-materials/)
- [Student projects](https://redpitaya.com/student-projects/)
- [User forum](https://forum.redpitaya.com/)
- [About](https://redpitaya.com/about-us/)
- [History](https://redpitaya.com/history/)
- [Distributors](https://redpitaya.com/distibutors-red-pitaya/)
- [Blog](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog)
[Shop](https://redpitaya.com/shop/)
- [ACADEMIA](https://redpitaya.com/academia/)
- [RADIO AMATEURS](https://redpitaya.com/radio-amateurs/)
- [Home](https://redpitaya.com/)
- Products
- [STEMlab 125-10](https://redpitaya.com/stemlab-125-10/)
- [STEMlab 125-14](https://redpitaya.com/stemlab-125-14/)
- [SIGNALlab 250-12](https://redpitaya.com/signallab-250-12/)
- [SDRlab 122-16](https://redpitaya.com/sdrlab-122-16/)
- [Accessories](https://redpitaya.com/accessories/)
- [Applications](https://redpitaya.com/applications/)
- [Resources](https://redpitaya.com/documentation/)
- [Shop](https://redpitaya.com/shop/)
- [About](https://redpitaya.com/about-us/)
- [Blog](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog)
- [Compare](https://redpitaya.com/compare/)
- [Login / Register](https://redpitaya.com/my-account/)
### Red Pitaya Blog
[Home](https://redpitaya.com) » [Media](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/tag/media) »
[Media](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/tag/media)
# Laser Focus World: FPGA Adaptability for the Future of Photonics
- Posted by  [Črt Valentinčič](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/author/črt-valentinčič) , September 25, 2025
.jpg)
From high-speed LiDAR in autonomous vehicles to fiber-optic networks and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in medical imaging, photonics is moving into the mainstream faster than ever. In my latest piece for **Laser Focus World**, titled *“Photonics Needs FPGA-Level Adaptability,”* I discuss why traditional processors and off-the-shelf "black-box" instruments are no longer enough to meet modern performance demands.
When you need to timestamp laser pulses with picosecond precision or run a real-time control loop with microsecond latency, relying on a PC or CPU creates a massive bottleneck. FPGAs provide a blank digital slate that allows hardware engineers to build custom, low-latency processing pipelines right at the signal source.
In the article, I explore:
- How open-source platforms like **Red Pitaya** enable startups like LongPath Technologies—as well as institutions like NASA and CERN—to bypass bulky, expensive test boxes.
- The critical role of accessible software ecosystems, such as **PyRPL (Python Red Pitaya Lockbox)**, in bridging Python simplicity with real-time FPGA control for quantum optics and laser frequency stabilization.
- How combining AMD Xilinx Vivado toolchains with high-level design environments makes custom logic design vastly more approachable for optics teams.
The future of photonics belongs to reconfigurable hardware that can evolve alongside changing standards and physical demands.
Read the full article on [Laser Focus World here](https://www.laserfocusworld.com/optics/article/55314239/photonics-needs-fpga-level-adaptability?utm_content=346628666&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&hss_channel=lcp-3236576).
##### Categories
- [academia (47)](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/tag/academia)
##### Recent Posts
- [](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/end-of-life-notice-stemlab-125-14-original-generation-boards-gen-2-migration-guide)
[End of Life Notice: STEMlab 125-14 Original-Generation Boards & Gen 2 Migration Guide](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/end-of-life-notice-stemlab-125-14-original-generation-boards-gen-2-migration-guide)
October 29, 2026
- [](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/hardware-fingerprinting-red-pitaya-cyber-physical-security)
[Hardware Fingerprinting for Cyber-Physical Systems: How an FPGA-Based Board Identifies Rogue Devices at the Physical Layer](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/hardware-fingerprinting-red-pitaya-cyber-physical-security)
October 27, 2026
- [](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/experimenting-with-red-pitaya-stemlab-gen-2-book)
[What’s Inside Experimenting with Red Pitaya STEMlab Gen 2?](https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/experimenting-with-red-pitaya-stemlab-gen-2-book)
October 20, 2026
##### Subscribe to our newsletter
An open-source solution for hobbyists, professors,
radio amateurs and industrial clients.
**Red Pitaya**
Velika pot 21,
5250 Solkan
Slovenia, Europe
Phone: +386 30 322 719
Email: [info@redpitaya.com](mailto:info@redpitaya.com)
**Red Pitaya US**
TX, Dallas - Downtown Republic Center
325 N. St. Paul Street
Suite 3100
Dallas, Texas, 75202
United States of America
IMPORTANT: This address does not accept RMAs
Phone: (888) 637-2706
Email: [US.office@redpitaya.com](mailto:US.office@redpitaya.com)
- Customer Service
- [Customer Support](https://redpitaya.com/customer-support/)
- [Shipping & Returns](https://redpitaya.com/shipping-returns/)
- [Contact us](https://redpitaya.com/contact-us/)
- [Cookie Policy](https://redpitaya.com/cookie-policy/)
- SLO
- [O nas](https://redpitaya.com/o-nas/)
- [Pogoji poslovanja](https://redpitaya.com/pogoji-poslovanja/)
- [Politika zasebnosti](https://redpitaya.com/politika-zasebnosti/)
- [Politika piškotkov](https://redpitaya.com/politika-piskotkov/)
##### Follow Us
#### Subscribe to our newsletter
Get notified about new SW features & updates, news about latest community projects & events and new Red Pitaya products & discounts
[Subscribe](https://go.redpitaya.com/cs/c/?cta_guid=36ccbdc0-0344-49c4-aa91-aa67cf437c09&signature=AAH58kHkxFYTAKU-ILQzHI1jlrdI_co0RA&placement_guid=a24cb732-1dfb-4d0a-8c52-aa6851ce9102&click=556cfaee-eee4-48e4-95e7-c483a4f78883&hsutk=537e15e740555d2fd6a1c1ad931d2b6f&canon=https%3A%2F%2Fredpitaya.com%2Fabout-us%2F&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fredpitaya.com%2Fcompare%2F&portal_id=7715357&redirect_url=APefjpGj5Dm9poAAzHFGh4S6pJ-2TvNzBdwZZlfbr7toxfw-epFUtzEHOKToHx0i2TYYr39srj9aSERdntJBh8lJqoSXL-pUF2gwhYvOW6IMm28hQVmhYML2AIbbIRrr3YaoyJkZQ0iRxq-uHlFt66i3_8XpQpXT_M2zF9fS7t0f6hlBjGBJ7X_aXDrhBwXcEAqwoWWleG4uxonSGOR-BBp3tpKcySXYELTGHeGn5Yo61r3xrFvqFP5P6BxVwxTi51_ceW9uBzOMvA1rYz4BsIhLSF8n4bhcHqJTvhibH_laJrjDNdEUUrU&__hstc=72355340.537e15e740555d2fd6a1c1ad931d2b6f.1635738083317.1635738083317.1635746314170.2&__hssc=72355340.5.1635746314170&__hsfp=530052575&contentType=standard-page)
**Red Pitaya** 2025 All Rights Reserved.
- [Privacy Policy](https://redpitaya.com/privacy-policy/)
- [Terms of Use](https://redpitaya.com/terms-of-use/)
```json
{
"@context" : "https://schema.org",
"@type" : "BlogPosting",
"author" : {
"@type" : "Person",
"name" : "Črt Valentinčič",
"url" : "https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/author/črt-valentinčič"
},
"dateModified" : "2026-10-27T11:48:36.249Z",
"datePublished" : "2025-09-25T08:00:00.000Z",
"headline" : "Laser Focus World: FPGA Adaptability for the Future of Photonics",
"image" : [ "https://content.redpitaya.com/hubfs/blog%20featured%20image%20(49).jpg" ],
"mainEntityOfPage" : {
"@id" : "https://content.redpitaya.com/blog/laser-focus-world-fpga-photonics",
"@type" : "WebPage"
},
"publisher" : {
"@type" : "Organization",
"logo" : {
"@type" : "ImageObject",
"url" : "https://content.redpitaya.com/hubfs/Red-pitaya-logo.jpg"
},
"name" : "Red Pitaya d.o.o."
}
}
```