We support and inspire the community advancing optics and photonics in Poland.
Our initiatives promote progress in light sciences and empower individuals whose work drives the development of these fields.
We established the Candela Foundation in February 2021 as a result of a crowdfunding campaign. The core principle of our activities is to actively organize and participate in initiatives of significant importance to the scientific community in Poland.
Transparency 
Inclusiveness of actions 
Flexible support 
Support for young Events
We organize and support events (scientific conferences, workshops, summer schools, training sessions, webinars) that foster growth within the optics and photonics community. We create opportunities for networking, presenting research findings, and promoting them within the international community.
Support Programs
We acquire funding to carry out key initiatives that directly assist individuals working to advance optics and photonics in Poland. Our priorities include promoting international experts, increasing student mobility within Poland, and expanding the reach of science to a broader audience.
Communication
We build and manage nationwide communication channels that provide access to the latest information on optics and photonics in Poland. Our flagship project is the Polish Newsletter on Optics and Photonics co-created with the Polish Technology Platform on Photonics. Sign up for it on the Newsletter page!
Projects
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Polish Newsletter on Optics and Photonics
Implementation: December 2021 – present
Funded by the Candela Foundation.
In progress -
Candela Open Lectures
Bose-Einstein Condensates
Implementation: 5 march – 23 April 2025
Financed by the Candela Foundation.
In progress -
Resonators Scholarship Programme
2025 Edition
Implementation period: 2025
Funded by the Candela Foundation.
In progress -
Candela Open Lectures
Terahertz radiation
Implementation persian: 16 October – 4 December 2025
Funded by the Candela Foundation.
Implemented
What is Candela?
The Candela Foundation takes its name from one of the basic units in the SI system – the candela. The candela defines how intense the light emitted in a given direction is. It is based on light with a specific frequency (540 terahertz, corresponding to visible light) and a specific power in relation to the angle at which the light is emitted. In simple terms, a candela is the modern equivalent of old ways of measuring brightness, such as comparing it to candlelight – hence its name.
In choosing this name, the founders wanted to emphasise the foundation’s direct connection to optics and photonics – fields of science and engineering that use light and its unique properties to create innovative solutions.
Events
Organized (or Supported) by Candela
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PSAS’2022
International Conference on Precision Physics of Simple Atomic Systems
May 16 – 20, 2022
stationary -
Ion-Atom 2022
Workshop on Cold Hybrid Ion-atom Systems
June 8 – 10, 2022
Co-organizers: Unversity of Warsaw
stationary -
PKO’2022
VI Polska Konferencja Optyczna
June 12 – 15, 2022
Co-organizers: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, The Optics Section of the PPS
stationary