It publishes journals, organizes conferences and exhibitions, and carries out charitable activities.

It soon published its first journal of research results and established an annual meeting.

[5] The first series of joint meetings with the American Physical Society took place in 1918.

[7] In 2024, following an employee whistleblower complaint, Bloomberg News reported that the Optica Foundation Challenge was funded entirely by Huawei.

[8][9][10] In response, the United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology launched a probe and Optica announced that it would no longer accept money from Huawei, remove the company's representation on a panel of judges, return donations made by Huawei from 2022 onward, and remove Elizabeth A. Rogan as CEO.