A team of scientists has developed a single spin-decoupled metasurface that can distinguish between spatial angular moment (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. The device exploits the geometric phase and dynamic phase to transform vortex beams into focusing patterns, enabling simultaneous detection of SAM and OAM.
Smartphone-based imaging systems can guide diagnosis and treatment with portable, user-friendly biomedical imaging. Emerging technologies like multispectral and quantitative fluorescence imaging offer promising diagnostic applications.
Researchers developed a novel assembly technique to fabricate CQD-assembled microspheres with high thermal stability and efficient light-matter coupling. Single-mode lasing is achieved at temperatures up to 450 K, paving the way for large-scale industrial production.
Researchers developed a result-diversified automatic design method for freeform optics, generating various three-mirror systems with high imaging qualities. The method provides a brand new thought for fully automatic optical design, enabling exploration of solution spaces and changing the working mode in engineering applications.
Engineers successfully folded NASA's James Webb Space Telescope sunshield, a five-layer diamond-shaped structure to fit within its launch vehicle. The compact form will remain through launch and the first few days in space to protect optics from heat interference.
Scientists quantify space-time nonseparability of electromagnetic pulses using quantum state tomography and calculate fidelity, concurrence, and entanglement. They propose novel concepts for measuring space-time entanglement in structured light, opening new avenues for ultrahigh-capacity communication and high-security encryption.
A team of researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University has developed a new way to break the Abbe diffraction limit and realize subwavelength imaging in an all-optical manner. By utilizing nonlinear four-wave mixing, they create super-resolution through scattering of evanescent fields into the far field.
Researchers developed a new noise-suppression technique that reduces noise photon counts by at least 50 times, enabling accurate 3D imaging up to 201.5 km with single-photon sensitivity. The technique is achieved through optimized transceiver optics and coating the telescope for high transmission.
Dr. Kiana Aran's new technology, CRISPR-SNP-chip, detects single nucleotide polymorphisms without amplification, revolutionizing genetic research and diagnostics for diseases like Sickle Cell Disease and ALS.
Haiyan Wang developed a new approach to creating high-quality thin films used in devices for optics, acoustics, and electronics. The innovation uses a versatile nanocomposite-seeded method to create single-layer films, improving production efficiency.
A research team developed a straightforward method to find high-Q modes in single dielectric nanocavities. They discovered high-Q modes using Mie mode engineering and avoided crossing, resulting in improved photonic device performance and applications.
Researchers Adam Overvig and Andrea Alù show that strict periodicity is not required for Fano resonances, enabling novel properties in metasurfaces. They demonstrate a nonperiodic metasurface with perfect reflection and phase conjugation, opening up new applications in optics and beyond.
Researchers successfully ignite lean methane/air mixtures using intense fs-lasers, achieving a 100% ignition success rate with sub-mJ energy. The approach has general applicability to complex combustion conditions and provides possibilities for ultrafast physical/chemical processes investigation.
Scientists have proposed an effective approach to achieve full Poincaré sphere polarizers in one step using monolayer metasurfaces with arbitrary polarization conversion dichroism. The system can generate an arbitrarily polarized beam at any position on the Poincaré sphere, making it a monolithic arbitrary polarization generator.
Researchers develop compact optical machine-learning decryptors that process information at the speed of light without consuming power. These devices can be integrated on CMOS chips and have a neuron density of over 500 million neurons per square centimeter.
Stephanie Law, associate professor of materials science and engineering, received the Young Investigator Award for advances in growing novel optical materials, including heavily doped semiconductors and topological insulators. The award recognizes her work on improving material quality for infrared and terahertz optics and plasmonics.
A team of scientists has created a novel material with unique properties, exhibiting half-auxetic behavior under both strain and compression. This discovery could lead to breakthroughs in sensing and magneto-optics technologies.
Researchers at Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a new technique to control optical nonlinearity in 2D materials. The twistoptics approach enables giant nonlinear optical responses in small volumes, leading to compact laser systems and potential applications in quantum computing, spectroscopy,...
Researchers at Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics successfully interconnected two qubits over a 60-meter distance, enabling the first prototype of a distributed quantum computer. The breakthrough opens up a new development path for distributed quantum computing, potentially leading to more powerful systems.
Researchers developed a data transfer system that pairs high-frequency silicon chips with a polymer cable as thin as a strand of hair, transmitting information up to 10 times faster than a USB. The system offers improved energy efficiency and bandwidth for applications such as server farms, aerospace, and automotive industries.
Scientists used X-ray technology to compare brain tissues of schizophrenia patients with those of healthy individuals, revealing unique structural differences. The findings suggest a link between these differences and the onset of the disease, paving the way for potential new treatments.
A Duke University research team has made a major advance toward ditching fiber in fiber optics by capturing visible and infrared light for high-speed wireless internet. The researchers replicated plasmonic speed enhancements on macroscopic devices, achieving speeds of two gigabits per second.
Researchers have created an angle-insensitive 3D-printed miniature spectrometer that can be fabricated directly on a miniature image sensor. This innovation enables complex measurement systems in medical engineering and precision farming, with potential applications in hyperspectral imaging.
Scientists at Max Born Institute create new method for generating narrowband XUV laser pulses by employing four-wave mixing scheme. This enables applications in electron spectroscopy, resonant transitions, and coherent diffractive imaging.
Researchers developed a new AO module comprising two deformable phase plates, enabling direct integration with existing microscopes. The system successfully corrected sample-induced aberrations in synthetic samples, demonstrating improved image quality and doubling the aberration correction range.
Researchers at UCLA have developed Diffractive Deep Neural Networks (D2NNs) for all-optical object classification, achieving higher accuracy than individual constituent D2NNs and digital AI models. The success of the ensemble learning approach demonstrates the power of combining multiple predictions to obtain a more accurate prediction.
A new laser-based process allows for the 3D printing of intricate glass parts with high precision and resolution. The technique uses multiphoton polymerization, which enables the creation of complex shapes without layer-by-layer buildup.
Researchers at the Max Born Institute developed a novel laser-driven X-ray source generating femtosecond copper K° pulses with unprecedented flux of 10^12 photons per second. This breakthrough enables investigating ultrafast structure changes in condensed matter by time-resolved X-ray scattering.
A Sandia Labs research team used machine learning to complete materials science calculations 42,000 times faster than normal, accelerating the creation of new technologies for optics, aerospace, and energy storage.
Researchers have created a millimeter-band signal propagation model that can predict wireless signal behavior in industrial environments. The study demonstrates the potential of Wi-Fi technology to replace cabled connections in manufacturing processes, enabling faster and more reliable data transfer.
Researchers at UCI have discovered a way to control the hierarchical assembly and optical properties of reflectin, a protein that gives squids and octopuses their color-changing abilities. This breakthrough could lead to innovations in optics, electronics, and medicine.
The event presents new research and innovations in photonics, including interactive sessions on nanophotonics, imaging, quantum research, and metalenses. Registration is free and open to the public.
Researchers discovered a way to create more efficient metamaterials using semiconductors and a novel aspect of physics that amplifies the activity of electrons. This breakthrough has the potential to increase resolution in medical scanning and scientific imaging, as well as reduce the size of supercomputers.
The Inouye Solar Telescope has released its first image of a sunspot, revealing striking details of the sunspot's structure. The image achieves a spatial resolution about 2.5 times higher than ever previously achieved, showing magnetic fields as small as 20 kilometers on the surface of the Sun.
The study enables the creation of highly specialized light-focusing abilities, increasing data-routing capability in computer chips and optical systems. The researchers' method will impact the manufacturing of complex optical components and advance personal computing.
Researchers develop novel design and fabrication techniques for rainbow light trapping, enabling extreme light confinement and versatile application in low concentration molecular sensing, enhanced photocatalysis, and super-resolution optics. The technique uses analytical modeling to optimize groove geometry for broadband electromagnet...
Researchers have developed an AI-based algorithm called OxyGAN to accurately measure tissue oxygenation from single snapshots. This approach uses a conditional generative adversarial network to learn realistic output images and determine correct reconstructions for given input data, demonstrating robustness in measuring oxygen levels.
Scientists create technique to remotely manipulate heat sources and associated fluid flows using laser light. This enables new functionalities in optofluidics, such as selective delivery of nano-objects and analytes. The method also demonstrates programmable control over optical propulsion forces and fluid streams.
Researchers have developed an ultracompact metalens array that enables wide-field microscope imaging with large field of view and high resolution. The metalens-integrated imaging device (MIID) achieves compact architecture and working imaging distance in the hundreds of micrometers, paving the way for real-world applications.
Two Stanford engineers developed a technique to disinfect personal protective equipment (PPE) with ultraviolet light, eliminating 99.9999% of pathogens in under five minutes. They designed and donated a method for healthcare providers worldwide to build PPE sterilization units, helping launch do-it-yourself efforts in over 25 countries.
A label-free imaging technique has been developed to examine immune cells called macrophages in the retina of healthy humans and patients with glaucoma. Cell density decreased with age in healthy participants, while cell processes moved more quickly and covered a smaller area in patients.
Researchers derived an analytical model of optical activity in black phosphorous under an external magnetic field, discovering tunable phenomena. The findings show optical activity conforming to that previously observed in chiral metamaterials and have applications in polarization optics, stereochemistry, and molecular biology.
Jifeng Liu, a professor at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering, has been named an OSA fellow for his work on renewable energy and reducing energy consumption in information technology. His research focuses on advancing solar technologies that are less expensive and more efficient.
Weidong Zhou, a UT Arlington electrical engineering professor, has been named a fellow of the Optical Society (OSA) for his significant contributions to photonic crystal membrane lasers and hybrid nanomembrane optoelectronics. His research involves developing on-chip systems for healthcare applications and efficient, scalable lasers fo...
Researchers developed an optical neuron system using quantum cascade lasers, operating 10,000× faster than biological neurons. The system demonstrates behaviors like thresholding and spiking, with fine-tuning of modulation and frequency allowing control of time intervals between spikes.
Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a way to visualize molecules in 3D, showing their position, orientation, and wobble. This technology, called CHIDO, could shed light on biological processes involved in diseases like COVID-19.
The event will feature a diverse cohort of neuroscientists presenting and discussing their latest research on the development and application of neurophotonics tools. The mini-symposium will highlight hot-off-the-press advances in neuroscience-related optical technology and its applications in in vivo imaging and neurocomputation.
Researchers create a device that displays directionally asymmetric reflective colors based on viewing direction, enabling information encryption via optical camouflage. The design allows for bidirectional display of tuneable messages/images, opening up new photonic applications.
Topological photonics explores discrete states of light, similar to Fock states of electrons. The connection between the Maxwell and Schrodinger equations reveals new topological phases, including a Haldane model for valley Hall effect.
Dr. Ed Fry, a distinguished professor at Texas A&M University, received the 2020 Nils Gunnar Jerlov Award for his contributions to understanding light scattering and optical absorption of water. The award recognizes his innovative research in ocean optics.
Scientists at the University of Jena have developed a novel material platform by integrating 2D materials with glass fibers, enabling novel applications in sensors and non-linear optics. The breakthrough allows for the direct growth of 2D materials on optical fibers, overcoming laborious transfer processes.
Scientists have developed a new imaging technology to study the brain's deep structures at high resolution. The technology, called adaptive optics two-photon endomicroscopy, enables in vivo imaging of deep brain structures and sheds light on brain functions.
Astronomers using Gemini South's adaptive optics system have captured detailed images of the Carina Nebula with a resolution comparable to the Webb Space Telescope. The high-def images reveal intricate structures within the nebula, including parallel ridges and fragments being sheared off by strong winds.
The team used adaptive optics on the Gemini South telescope to reveal a wealth of detail in the nebula, including unusual structures and evidence for a jet of material ejected from a newly-formed star. The image provides the sharpest view to date of how massive young stars affect their surroundings.
Kyu Young Han, an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida, has been awarded a $1.7 million NIH grant to develop a novel bioengineering tool and imaging system for super-resolution microscopy. This technology could enable researchers to image multiple proteins in a single cell in just 24 hours, revolutionizing the under...
Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have developed a floating laser resonator that breaks records in resonance enhancement. The device amplifies light power by an astonishing 10 million watts, equivalent to a large neighborhood's electricity consumption.
Researchers have developed a method to observe nonlinear x-ray processes in atoms, allowing for detailed insight into molecular motion. This new approach may help steer chemical reactions in desired directions.
Researchers have optimized Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) to achieve lower energy consumption while maintaining high data transmission rates. The study demonstrates that doubling the number of devices can reduce total energy consumption by 50% without compromising device lifetime or reducing current density.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a compact Hyperspectral Stripe Projector that combines depth and spectral information, enabling real-time 3D spectroscopy. This technology has potential applications in self-driving cars, machine vision, crop monitoring, and surface wear and corrosion detection.
Researchers have experimentally observed effective gravity and two-time physics in ferrofluid-based hyperbolic metamaterials, paving the way for ultra-fast all-optical hypercomputing. This phenomenon has potential applications in time-sensitive fields such as real-time computing and target recognition.