Add BrightSurf on Google Email

'Quiet' light

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have successfully created a chip-scale laser that emits light with a fundamental linewidth of less than 1 Hz, quiet enough to move demanding scientific applications to the chip scale. This breakthrough uses stimulated Brillouin scattering to produce extremely quiet light and has significant implications ...

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalNature Photonics·DateFeb 1, 2019

Fiber sensors may leave the jacket on

Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have successfully mapped liquids outside coated optical fibers, enabling sensing applications beyond the lab. The use of a polyimide coating overcomes the protective barrier previously hindering sensor performance.

SourceBar-Ilan University·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateJan 28, 2019

An important step towards completely secure quantum communication networks

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a new technique to improve the storage time of quantum states in optical fibers, enabling secure quantum information transmission over longer distances. This breakthrough enables the creation of a completely secure quantum communication network by teleporting quantum informatio...

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 29, 2018

Millimeter waves for the last mile

The new modulator enables efficient and low-cost high-frequency microwaves transmission, covering the last mile with high data rates, and is compatible with 5G technology and future industry standards.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature Photonics·DateNov 21, 2018

New air-filled fiber bundle could make endoscopes smaller

Researchers have created a new air-filled optical fiber bundle that can improve endoscopes used in medical procedures like minimally invasive surgeries. The technology allows for higher resolution images at double the wavelength range, enabling diagnostic procedures not possible with current endoscope technology.

SourceOptica·JournalOptics Letters·DateOct 24, 2018

New technology to allow 100-times-faster internet

Researchers at RMIT University have developed a new nanophotonic device that can encode and process data using twisted light beams, increasing bandwidth by up to 100 times. This technology has the potential to revolutionize optical communications and quantum computing research.

SourceRMIT University·JournalNature Communications·DateOct 24, 2018

Fiber optic sensor measures tiny magnetic fields

Researchers developed a light-based technique for measuring weak magnetic fields, like those from the brain. The sensors can detect the brain's magnetic field and have the potential to replace MRI machines, offering an alternative for real-time brain activity mapping.

SourceOptica·JournalOptics Letters·DateSep 19, 2018

Ultrathin endoscope captures neurons firing deep in the brain

Scientists have created an ultra-thin fiber-based endoscope that can image neurons firing in living mice, offering new insights into brain function. The device is five times thinner than the smallest commercially available microendoscopes and allows for deeper brain imaging without damaging tissue.

SourceOptica·JournalBiomedical Optics Express·DateMar 26, 2018

Researchers create fiber optic sensors that dissolve in the body

The new bioresorbable optical fiber Bragg gratings can be used to sense pressure at joints or act as tiny probes that can safely reach and assess the heart and other delicate organs. The sensors could also improve laser-based tumor removal techniques by delivering accurate real-time temperature sensing.

SourceOptica·JournalOptics Letters·DateFeb 5, 2018

Clamping down on causality by probing laser cavities

A collaboration between University of Central Florida and Yale has discovered novel optical behaviors in laser cavities, providing a unique window into fundamental physics. The research demonstrates the role of gain clamping in governing optical responses and reveals fundamental aspects of causality's limits.

SourceOptica·DateAug 29, 2017

New 3-D display takes the eye fatigue out of virtual reality

A new type of 3D display, mimicking the depth cues our eyes are accustomed to in the real-world, improves viewing comfort in VR headsets and AR glasses. The innovative display module, measuring only 1 x 2 inches, produces depth cues that create a unified 3D image, eliminating vergence-accommodation conflict.

SourceOptica·JournalOptics Letters·DateJun 21, 2017

Light beam replaces blood test during heart surgery

Researchers have developed a new technology using light to continuously monitor a surgical patient's blood, providing real-time status during life-and-death operations. This technology has the potential to replace the need for doctors to wait while blood is drawn and tested, potentially saving lives in intensive care settings.

SourceUniversity of Central Florida·JournalNature Biomedical Engineering·DateFeb 27, 2017