Optical System Design
Architecture of imaging, sensing, and beam-delivery systems: ray tracing, wavefront analysis, stray light, and tolerance budgeting tied to assembly and test realities.
Applied Photonics Engineering
Optical engineering
for the systems
that must work
Phoconn is an applied optical and photonics engineering firm. We help technical teams design, integrate, test, and deploy optical systems that work in the field, not just on the bench.
Phoconn
What We Do
Optical design and simulation are starting points, not the sole deliverable.
We are the engineering layer that turns optical concepts into hardware that works.
Reliable optical systems depend as much on integration, alignment, test architecture, and long-term stability as on the optical design itself.
Capabilities
Technical depth across
the full optical stack
Photonic Integration & Packaging
Chip-to-fiber coupling, hermetic enclosures, adhesive strategy, CTE-matched mounting, and electrical feedthrough specification for photonic modules.
Fiber Optic Systems
Single-mode, PM, and specialty fiber network design: routing constraints, back-reflection mitigation, connectorization, and polarization handling.
Laser & Detector Integration
Laser diodes, solid-state sources, photodiodes, and APDs, with matched drive electronics, TEC control, dynamic range, and noise floor management.
Precision Alignment
Active and passive alignment with sensitivity analysis, repeatability studies, and documented procedures for production transfer.
Test & Validation
Custom test setups with documented uncertainty, characterization against spec, and metrics that correlate to real-world performance.
How We Engage
The right engagement
for where you are
Engagement 01
Optical Design & System Architecture
Translating physical requirements into a buildable architecture: topology, component classes, tolerance budget, and how each decision affects alignment, testability, and stability.
Engagement 02
Integration Engineering
Hands-on support making bench components work together reliably in reproducible hardware: alignment, fiber routing, packaging, adhesives, and thermal stability, through to a documented process for production transfer.
Engagement 03
Test Setup Development & Validation
Custom test setups with documented measurement uncertainty, reducing operator dependence and defining metrics that correlate to real-world performance.
Engagement 04
Troubleshooting & Root-Cause Analysis
Structured diagnosis of optical failures: mapping loss budgets, isolating variables, tracing degradation to physical origin. Defined scope, root-cause report with corrective recommendations.
Engagement 05
Embedded Engineering Partnership
Sustained optical engineering capacity on a retained basis, carrying technical context across design phases without the overhead of a permanent hire.
How We Work
A structured process
for unstructured problems
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Technical Scoping
A direct technical conversation: system requirements, constraints, what you have tried, what data you have. No sales deck.
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Analysis & Approach
Optical analysis of the problem and a proposed approach with defined scope, risks, and decisions the work will support.
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Execution
Work performed against defined deliverables: design docs, test data, alignment procedures, root-cause reports. Surprises flagged early.
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Transfer
Deliverables packaged so your team can carry the work forward independently. Where engagements continue, technical context carries across phases.
About Phoconn
Optical systems fail for physical reasons.
We are engineers who find them.
Phoconn is a specialist applied optical and photonics engineering practice. We work with technical teams who need engineering capability that can handle the physics, without being handed a simplified brief. What we offer is a deep, practical understanding of how light behaves in real optical systems, and the engineering discipline to translate that understanding into hardware that works, can be tested, and can be reproduced.
Founded by Austin Conn, an applied optical engineer with industry experience across commercial and high-power laser systems, photonics, and aerospace applications.
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We do not confuse simulation with hardware. Models inform decisions. They do not replace measurement.
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Testability is designed in. A system that cannot be measured cannot be validated, repaired, or improved.
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We say what we find. If the root cause is in the specification, we say so early, not in the close-out report.
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Cross-disciplinary by necessity. Optical performance is shaped by mechanics, thermal, electronics, and process.
Common Questions
What to know
before reaching out
How do you handle confidentiality and IP?
Any technical information you share, whether through the contact form or in early conversations, is treated as confidential. If you require a signed NDA before any technical discussion, that is signed before work or detailed discussion begins. Intellectual property developed during an engagement belongs to you, with specific terms defined in the engagement agreement.
Do you work remotely or on-site?
Both, depending on what the work requires. Architecture, design, analysis, and review are handled remotely. Integration, alignment, hands-on troubleshooting, and test setup work are typically done on-site where the hardware is. Most engagements involve a mix, and the balance is agreed up front.
What does a typical engagement look like?
Engagements range from a short, scoped diagnostic effort to a sustained retained partnership across design phases. Every engagement begins with a defined scope and agreed deliverables. You work directly with the engineer doing the work, not an account manager. Surprises are flagged early rather than saved for a close-out report.
How is your work priced?
Pricing depends on scope and engagement type, and is agreed before work begins. Short diagnostic efforts are typically scoped as fixed-price. Longer or open-ended work is structured on a retained or time basis. The initial scoping call carries no charge and no obligation.
Who will I actually be working with?
You work directly with the engineer doing the work. Phoconn is a focused practice, not an agency: there is no account manager layer, and the person scoping your problem is the person solving it.
What if my problem turns out to be outside your scope?
We will tell you. If an engagement is not the right fit, or the problem sits outside applied photonics, you will hear that directly in the first conversation rather than after a contract is signed. Where possible, we will point you toward a better-suited resource.
Start a Conversation
Tell us about
your optical problem
A good first conversation is technical. Come with your system requirements, your constraints, and your current unknowns, and we will tell you honestly whether and how we can help.
- info@phoconnoptics.com
- Response time
- Within two business days
- Initial call
- 30-minute scoping at no charge
- NDA
- Available before any technical discussion