A new imaging tool has been developed to help understand and predict the structure of nanometer-sized pieces in living cells and devices. The technique, called phase-modulation 2D fluorescence spectroscopy, allows researchers to study complex molecular structures at the nanoscale.
Researchers at NIST have created a chip-scale, microwave version of an optics experiment that places a single microwave photon in two frequencies, or colors, at the same time. This experiment demonstrates quantum superposition and has potential applications for linear optical quantum computing.
The Cornell-developed Planar Fourier Capture Array (PFCA) is a pinhead-size, lens-free camera that can resolve images about 20 pixels across. It uses the principles of the Fourier transform to capture multiple angles of light and has numerous applications in science, including surgery and robotics.
Dr. John Rogers has developed revolutionary products in human health, fiber optics, semiconductor manufacturing, and solar power, with many currently in commercial use. He is also a mentor to students at University of Illinois, encouraging future inventors to think ingeniously and pursue solutions to grand challenges.
Researchers at Penn propose two-dimensional graphene metamaterials that can manipulate electromagnetic waves in the infrared spectrum. The metamaterials' conductivity can be altered using voltage, enabling transformation optics and applications in telecommunications, imaging, and signal processing.
Researchers successfully imaged rod photoreceptors in the living human eye for the first time, revealing cellular structure with unprecedented detail. This breakthrough enables earlier diagnosis and treatment of degenerative eye disorders, potentially leading to more effective sight-saving interventions.
Engineers at Vanderbilt University created a 'spongy' silicon biosensor that detects small molecules with high sensitivity. The new sensor's porous structure increases its surface area, allowing it to capture more molecules than traditional sensors.
The NAPANIL project explores the potential of 3D nanoimprinting techniques in various applications, including optics, life sciences, and industry. The project aims to bridge the gap between basic research and industrial uptake, with a focus on cost-efficient products and novel functionalities.
The National Academies Keck Futures Initiative has awarded $1 million for 13 interdisciplinary research projects in imaging science, aiming to improve detection and treatment of diseases. The selected projects focus on developing new biomedical imaging methods, including adaptive optics, statistical analysis, and multiscale modeling.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics successfully stored quantum information in a single atom, overcoming previous challenges in photon-atom interactions. The technique uses a rubidium atom to store the quantum state of photons, enabling potential applications in powerful quantum computers and networks.
Green UV sterilization uses LEDs to safely disinfect food and water without mercury. MEGa-rays enable precise detection of nuclear threats by penetrating through lead and thick containers. Researchers also develop a full 3D invisibility cloak in visible light.
The new journal, Optical Materials Express, launched by OSA, explores the intersection of optics and materials science, offering rapid online publication and open-access features. The inaugural issue includes research on metamaterials, microlasers, and chiral optical materials.
A team of physicists creates a miniature 'carpet cloak' using metamaterials, which can conceal objects by bending light around them. The device is smaller than previous cloaking techniques and has potential for futuristic applications in optoelectronics industry.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have successfully created ordered layers of nanoparticles using spincasting, a technique that utilizes centrifugal force to distribute liquids onto solid substrates. This approach has promising results for the creation of materials with various uses, from optics to electronics.
Researchers at Ohio State University developed a single, stationary lens to create 3D images of microscopic objects from nine different angles. The freeform lens, made from thermoplastic material, enables miniaturized products with reduced equipment needs and improved precision.
Researchers at the University of Innsbruck have successfully produced controlled strong interactions between two fermionic elements, exhibiting analogies to the Big Bang's primordial substance. The experiment opens new avenues for investigating cosmic phenomena and novel states of matter in solid-state physics.
Researchers at NYU have created a new method for generating extended and knotted optical traps in three dimensions using computer-generated holograms. This breakthrough could lead to advancements in fusion energy and medical diagnostics, enabling the manipulation of small objects in complex 3D environments.
Researchers have developed an iPad application for optical tweezers, overcoming limitations of computer mouse control. The multi-touch-based app allows for clear representation of particle systems and offers various techniques for movement.
Researchers have developed a new strategy to improve microscopy by following the astronomers' guide star technique, allowing for sharper images of biological samples. This method uses adaptive optics and two-photon fluorescence microscopy to correct for light waves hitting cells in different directions.
GRIN plasmonics combines transformation optics and plasmonics to control strongly confined light waves. The technique uses an isotropic dielectric material on a metal substrate to create efficient plasmonic devices, including Luneburg and Eaton lenses.
Researchers at Stanford have developed a new method that allows them to examine the deep brain's neurons for months, enabling studies on diseases like dementia and cancer. The technique uses tiny glass tubes with microendoscopes to monitor individual cells over prolonged periods.
Ibn al-Haytham, considered the father of modern optics, developed revolutionary theories on light and vision while imprisoned. His work challenged Aristotle's ancient thought and paved the way for modern physics.
Recent progress in chalcogenide glass photonics has been driven by scientific and technological challenges. The issue highlights the unique optical properties of chalcogenides, which have found important applications in electronics, imaging, and sensing applications.
A clinical study published in Science Translational Medicine shows the Catalys Precision Laser System significantly improves precision in cataract surgery, reducing risks and enhancing visual outcomes. The system's advanced optics and control software enable surgeons to perform critical steps with greater accuracy.
A new computer program helps researchers map brain connectivity in children and adults, showing how white matter improves with age. The tool may aid epilepsy and schizophrenia research, and inform brain surgeons about potential surgical sites.
Research highlights include colorful connections in the brain, disease-detecting lights for osteoporosis monitoring, and direct laser cooling of molecules. New techniques like Raman spectroscopy and two-photon microscopy are also being showcased.
Using new optics technology developed at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory, astronomers have obtained images of a planet on a closer orbit around its parent star than any other extrasolar planet previously found. The discovery enables scientists to search for planets closer to the star than has been previously possible.
Physicists at the University of California, Berkeley and the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics successfully observed an electron being ejected from an atom using ultrafast laser pulses. The experiment enabled the capture and photography of valence electrons for the first time, paving the way for better control over high-speed elec...
Researchers at NIST have created an optical Schrödinger's cat by detecting three photons simultaneously, a state predicted in quantum optics for years. This achievement enhances prospects for manipulating light to improve measurement techniques and contribute to quantum computing and communications.
The Big Bear Solar Observatory has achieved 'first light' using a deformable mirror, resulting in the most detailed visible light image of a sunspot ever captured. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the observatory's adaptive optics system, which will enable better studies of solar complex phenomena and space weather.
Researchers have developed revolutionary ultrasonic transducers that can generate and detect ultrasound at scales a thousand times smaller than conventional ultrasonics. These tiny devices can be used to perform intracellular ultrasonics, produce high-frequency ultrasounds smaller than visible light wavelengths.
Researchers have made significant progress in plasmonics, a field that overcomes diffraction limitations to fabricate nano-scale optical components. These advancements enable the development of integrated nanophotonic circuits with substantial improvements in bandwidth and speed for next-generation information technologies.
A team of astronomers from the University of Arizona developed a technique called laser adaptive optics, allowing for sharper images and faster data collection. This technology will enable scientists to study ancient galaxies and star clusters more efficiently.
A $2.4 million NSF grant will enable NJIT physicist Philip R. Goode to develop a new adaptive optics system, allowing for better study of sunspots and space weather. The improved optics will increase the distortion-free field of view, enabling researchers to study larger areas of the sun.
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new approach to overcome the fundamental limitation of metamaterials, which could enable breakthroughs in transformation optics. By placing dye between two layers of silver, they were able to amplify light and reduce absorption, promising applications such as ultra-powerful microscopes,...
JILA's technique uses infrared laser light to quickly and precisely heat 'nano bathtubs'—tiny sample containers—for microscopy studies of single molecules and nanoparticles. The new method enables fast, noncontact heating of very small samples, enabling new experiments with single molecules.
Researchers at Tufts University have made significant advancements in silk materials, transforming them from commodity textiles to high-tech applications. The development of silk hydrogels, films, fibers, and sponges enables advances in photonics, nanotechnology, electronics, adhesives, and microfluidics.
Research features standardized approaches to measure and compare tumor size in lung cancer. The use of precise quantitation tools may allow for more rapid evaluation of the success or failure of drug candidates in clinical trials.
Researchers from Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley have developed a novel approach to transformation optics, allowing for the manipulation of near-field optical waves on uneven surfaces. This breakthrough enables the design of plasmonic devices such as beam splitters, shifters, and directional light emitters.
Scientists measure delay of tens of attoseconds between light pulse and electron emission, challenging existing models. The findings have important implications for simulating electronic properties of materials.
The Optical Society (OSA) has launched a new peer-reviewed journal called Optical Materials Express, which will focus on advances in novel optical materials. The journal aims to cover a wide range of topics in optical materials, including biomaterials, detector materials and metamaterials.
Researchers at Rice University have discovered a way to extract hydrogen atoms from graphane, creating spaces that resemble quantum dots. This breakthrough enables precise control over the semiconducting properties of quantum dots, with potential applications in advanced optics, single-molecule sensing, and nanoscale circuitry.
Researchers will present advances in laser cooling, 3D laser inscribing, and ultra-short light pulses at the CLEO/QELS conference. The Linac Coherent Light Source, producing short X-ray pulses millions of times brighter than others, has enabled scientists to probe matter at atomic scale.
Research in unconventional polarization states of light has the potential to affect a broad range of disciplines. Beams with certain geometrical symmetries can create small focal regions of axially polarized light, essential for interacting with nanostructures and coupling to fields tightly confined to metal surfaces.
Researchers at Boston University develop a new metamaterial device that can detect and control terahertz radiation, paving the way for safer medical and security scanners. The device uses an array of split-ring-resonators to manipulate electromagnetic properties of THz energy.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic are testing new endoscopic optics to detect precancerous polyps and micrometastasis. The pCLE system shows the highest accuracy yet in detecting small polyps, with a specificity of 100%. This technology has the potential to perform virtual biopsies, reducing unnecessary procedures.
Dr. Koby Scheuer's plastic-based technology uses nano-sized grooves to filter noise from information in optical devices, making them smaller, more flexible, and powerful.
The inaugural issue of OSA's Energy Express highlights research on solar concentrators, which aim to increase the efficiency of solar energy generation. New devices and technologies are being developed to concentrate sunlight, making solar power more economical and efficient.
Researchers at University of California, San Diego developed a new solar concentrator design that minimizes materials, alignment, and assembly costs. The innovative system collects sunlight with thousands of small lenses imprinted on a common sheet, reducing the need for individual photovoltaic cells.
Dr. Jacob Scheuer's new invention transmits binary lock-and-key information in light pulses, ensuring secure communication without eavesdropping. The system uses a special laser to send different signals that can be distinguished by the sender and receiver but appear identical to an attacker.
Researchers at the University of Rochester have discovered a way to make liquid flow vertically upward along a silicon surface, overcoming gravity's pull. By carving intricate patterns in silicon with high-powered laser bursts, they increase the attraction that water molecules feel toward it, allowing the liquid to rise on its own accord.
A German-Spanish research group has developed an experiment to test for quantum properties in objects composed of one billion atoms, including the flu virus. This technique could potentially allow researchers to study life and consciousness in the context of quantum mechanics.
A team of physicists at the University of Innsbruck successfully demonstrates a quantum walk in trapped ions, with up to 23 steps. This process differs from classical random walks, allowing quantum particles to spread faster and potentially aiding in understanding natural phenomena like energy transport in plants.
The zone-plate array optical detection system can analyze nearly 200,000 droplets per second and is scalable and reusable. This technology integrates high performance optics with microfluidics to enhance lab-on-a-chip devices, making them more practical for disease detection and environmental sensing.
Researchers at University of Innsbruck simulate Dirac equation using calcium ion, demonstrating Zitterbewegung and antiparticle behavior. The experiment provides a proof-of-principle for simulating relativistic quantum systems.
Researchers discover ultrafast population switching of quantum dots in a structured vacuum, enabling photonic computers that are hundreds of times faster than electronic counterparts. The breakthrough could lead to compact computers without heat dissipation issues.
Researchers successfully tested physical-layer quantum encryption over free space optical links with AOptix's patented adaptive optics correction, achieving low loss and stability. NuCrypt's AlphaEta quantum-noise randomized encryption technology enhances security without compromising current optical infrastructure.
Researchers have successfully demonstrated the world's smallest semiconductor laser, paving the way for ultra-sensitive bio-detection, nanoscale optics, and enhanced communication systems. The breakthrough technology has potential applications in various fields, including healthcare, optics-based telecommunications, and optical computing.
Physicists from the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information produced a Bose-Einstein condensate of strontium atoms, outperforming competitors in an international race. The breakthrough was achieved using the isotope 84Sr, which has ideal scattering properties for this phenomenon.
Researchers at Air Force Office of Scientific Research have successfully established high-data-rate optical links over long distances using adaptive optics to overcome atmospheric distortions. The next step is to conduct flight tests at increased altitudes to demonstrate air-to-ground quantum communications capabilities.