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Halas awarded Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry

Naomi Halas' work has pioneered new insights into how light and matter interact at the smallest scales, leading to discoveries in biomedical applications such as cancer therapy and water purification. Her research on plasmonic catalysts could dramatically reduce energy required for chemical reactions.

A new technology with UPV hallmark improves the accuracy of radars and LiDAR systems, key technologies for autonomous transport and environmental monitoring

A new technology developed by researchers from UPV, BUPT, CAS Institute, Air Force Early Warning Academy and University of Ottawa improves the accuracy of radars and LiDAR systems by up to 14 times, enabling faster and more accurate navigation in autonomous vehicles and detailed environmental studies.

SourceUniversitat Politècnica de València·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 9, 2024

New nano-device for generating structured light for advanced applications developed

Researchers developed a tiny device that creates radially polarized photons at room temperature, improving the efficiency of devices using structured light. The breakthrough enables advancements in communication and optical technology, paving the way for new possibilities in secure communication and quantum applications.

SourceThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem·JournalACS Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 20, 2024

Turning up the signal

Osaka University researchers develop a new method for long-range enhancement of fluorescence and Raman signals using Ag nanoislands protected with column-structured silica layers. This leads to an astonishing ten-million-fold increase in signal strength, making it ideal for sensitive biosensing applications.

SourceOsaka University·JournalLight Science & Applications·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 28, 2024

KAIST develops Janus-like metasurface technology that acts according to the direction of light​

Researchers at KAIST have developed a Janus metasurface capable of controlling asymmetric light transmission, enabling the creation of two independent optical systems with a single device. This technology also enables optical encryption by generating different images depending on the direction and polarization state of incoming light.

SourceThe Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)·JournalAdvanced Materials·TypeMeta-analysis·DateOct 16, 2024

A new advancement in photonic chips set to unlock an industry

Researchers have developed a new engineering approach to on-chip light sources, enabling the widespread adoption of photonic chips in consumer electronics. The innovation involves growing high-quality multi-quantum well nanowires using a novel facet engineering approach, which enables precise control over the diameter and length of the...

SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalLight Science & Applications·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 4, 2024

Breaking through silicon

The team achieves nanofabrication of nanostructures buried deep inside silicon wafers, enabling sub-wavelength and multi-dimensional control directly inside the material. The breakthrough opens up new possibilities for developing nano-scale systems with unique architectures.

SourceBilkent University Faculty of Science·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 16, 2024

New technology gives people a better sense of what they’re breathing

Scientists developed a miniaturized micro-spectrometer to detect multiple toxic and greenhouse gases, offering increased control over individual exposure. The technology uses machine learning and metasurface spectral filter arrays to create a compact sensor that can be integrated into wearable devices.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalMicrosystems & Nanoengineering·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 6, 2024

New all-optical approach to revolutionize night vision technology

Researchers at TMOS have developed a new infrared filter thinner than cling wrap, which can be integrated into everyday eyewear, allowing users to view both visible and infrared light spectra. This breakthrough miniaturizes night vision technology, opening up new applications in safety, surveillance, and biology.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalAdvanced Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 3, 2024

New metasurface-based edge detecting filter for remote sensing transforms crop monitoring

A new, tuneable edge-detecting filter for flat-optic imaging systems can switch between an image of an object's outline and a detailed infrared image, enabling precise crop management and habitat restoration. The filter is compact, lightweight, and can be mass-manufactured.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 28, 2024

1,000 times smaller than a grain of sand—glass sensors 3D-printed on optical fiber

Researchers have developed a method to 3D print silica glass micro-optics on the tips of optic fibers, creating structures 1,000 times smaller than a grain of sand. This breakthrough enables more sensitive remote sensors for environment and healthcare applications, as well as innovations in pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

SourceKTH, Royal Institute of Technology·JournalACS Nano·TypeObservational study·DateMay 15, 2024

Pixelated non-volatile programmable photonic integrated circuits

The researchers achieved 20-level intermediate states of phase change materials using a micron-scale laser writing system. This allows for the demonstration of ultra-high flexibility in phase modulation and potential applications in neuromorphic photonics, optical computing, and reconfigurable metasurfaces.

SourceInternational Journal of Extreme Manufacturing·JournalInternational Journal of Extreme Manufacturing·DateMar 21, 2024

Breakthrough in single-photon integration

Researchers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem have successfully integrated single-photon sources onto tiny chips at room temperature using a hybrid metal-dielectric bullseye antenna. This innovation enables efficient back-excitation and front coupling of emission to optical fibers or low numerical aperture optics, promising advanceme...

SourceThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem·JournalNano Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 8, 2024

Recovering lossless propagation: HKU physicists overcoming optical loss in polariton system with synthetic complex frequency waves

A research team led by HKU physicists has introduced a solution to address optical loss in polariton propagation using synthetic complex frequency waves. This approach enables more efficient light-based devices, improved accuracy in sensors and imaging techniques, and enhanced nanophotonic circuits.

SourceThe University of Hong Kong·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 24, 2024

In a new light – new approach overcomes long-standing limitations in optics

A multi-institutional research team, including Osaka University, has developed a new approach to enhance the efficiency of Mie scattering, which could lead to significant advancements in meta-photonics and applications like all-optical transistors. The researchers found that misaligning the incident laser on a nanometer scale can induc...

SourceOsaka University·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 12, 2023

Study paves way for development of advanced quantum networks

Researchers at UNICAMP developed a new technology to create bridges between superconducting circuits and optical fibers, enabling efficient transmission of information in the electromagnetic spectrum. This breakthrough paves the way for the development of advanced quantum networks with potential applications in computing and communicat...

Photonic chip that ‘fits together like Lego’ opens door to semiconductor industry

Researchers at the University of Sydney have invented a compact silicon semiconductor chip integrating electronics with photonic components, significantly expanding radio-frequency bandwidth and filter control. The new technology has potential applications in advanced radar, satellite systems, wireless networks, and telecommunications,...

SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 30, 2023

New cooling ceramic can enhance energy efficiency for the construction sector and help combat global warming—City University of Hong Kong research

Researchers at City University of Hong Kong have developed a passive radiative cooling material that achieves high-performance optical properties. The cooling ceramic reduces thermal load, provides stable cooling performance, and can be used in various building applications.

SourceCity University of Hong Kong·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 10, 2023

Ultrafast lasers on ultra-tiny chips

A new method developed by Caltech's Alireza Marandi enables the creation of ultrafast mode-locked lasers on photonic chips, opening up opportunities for compact and affordable ultrafast photonic technologies. The breakthrough could lead to significant advancements in fields like frequency metrology and precision sensing.

Photonics team develops high-performance ultrafast lasers that fit on a fingertip

Researchers have developed high-performance ultrafast lasers on nanophotonic chips, enabling compact devices for GPS-free precision navigation, medical imaging, food safety inspection and other applications. The new technology has the potential to enable futuristic chip-scale atomic clocks, biological imaging and more.

SourceAdvanced Science Research Center, GC/CUNY·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 9, 2023

Way cool: UVA professor developing ‘freeze ray’ technology for the Air Force

UVA professor Patrick Hopkins is developing a 'freeze ray' technology to cool electronics in spacecraft and high-altitude jets, which can't be cooled by nature due to the vacuum of space. The technology uses heat-generating plasma to create localized cooling, and has been granted $750,000 by the Air Force.

SourceUniversity of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalACS Nano·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 31, 2023

The Good Fight: Advance in flexible photodetector could improve monitoring of greenhouse gases

Researchers have developed flexible photodetectors that can detect visible to long-wave infrared radiation, covering the full spectrum of greenhouse gases without complex optical components. The new detectors are simple and cost-effective to make, with production at room temperature.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalAdvanced Functional Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 20, 2023

New recipes for better solar fuel production

A team of researchers from China and the UK has developed new ways to optimise the production of solar fuels by creating novel photocatalysts. These photocatalysts, such as titanium dioxide with boron nitride, can absorb more wavelengths of light and produce more hydrogen compared to traditional methods.

SourceXi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University·JournalApplied Surface Science·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 11, 2023

The world's fastest electron microscope

The team uses a continuous-wave laser to create ultrashort electron pulses, allowing for attosecond time resolution. They investigate nanophotonic phenomena and film electromagnetic processes inside waveguide materials, opening up new developments in photonic integrated circuits and metamaterials.

SourceUniversity of Konstanz·JournalNature·DateMay 31, 2023

Leaky-wave metasurfaces: A perfect interface between free-space and integrated optical systems

Scientists at Columbia University create a new class of integrated photonic devices that can convert light from an optical waveguide to an arbitrary optical pattern in free space. The devices simultaneously control all four optical degrees of freedom, paving the way for applications in quantum optics, optogenetics, and holographic disp...

KAIST researchers find the key to overcome the limits in X-ray microscopy​

Researchers at KAIST have successfully developed a new X-ray microscope technology that can overcome the resolution limitations of existing microscopes. This breakthrough enables high-resolution imaging of nanoscale structures, with a resolution of 14 nm, which is comparable to that of electron microscopes. The technology uses random d...

SourceThe Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)·JournalLight Science & Applications·TypeMeta-analysis·DateApr 11, 2023

Scientists open door to manipulating ‘quantum light’

Researchers at the University of Sydney and the University of Basel have demonstrated the ability to manipulate and identify small numbers of interacting photons with high correlation. This achievement represents a significant step towards advancing medical imaging and quantum computing technologies.

SourceUniversity of Sydney·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 20, 2023

Ultrafast beam-steering breakthrough at Sandia Labs

A team of researchers has demonstrated the ability to dynamically steer incoherent light pulses using a semiconductor device, paving the way for applications such as holograms, remote sensing, and self-driving cars. The technique uses metasurfaces to manipulate light waves, offering a low-power alternative to traditional laser beams.

SourceDOE/Sandia National Laboratories·JournalNature Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 20, 2023

Casting light on counterfeit products through nano-optical technology

Researchers developed a novel 3D printed nano optical security label with 33 possible combinations, utilizing higher dimensional structured light and incoherent white light illumination. This technology has the potential to revolutionize anti-counterfeiting methods and provide a powerful platform for advanced information security.

SourceSingapore University of Technology and Design·JournalNature Nanotechnology·DateMar 14, 2023