Articles tagged with Infrared Radiation
Scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have produced groundbreaking global maps of land plant fluorescence, providing a more direct window into the inner workings of photosynthesis. The maps show sharp contrasts in plant fluorescence between seasons and demonstrate the feasibility of measuring fluorescence from space.
Researchers have demonstrated the first true nanoscale waveguides for next-generation on-chip optical communication systems, enabling ultrafast data transfer. The use of hybrid plasmon polaritons in a metal-insulator-semiconductor device reduces optical losses and increases signal confinement.
A University of Missouri engineer has developed a flexible solar sheet that captures more than 90% of available light, capturing both sunlight and heat for electricity generation. The team plans to make prototypes available within five years, with potential commercial applications in various industries.
Researchers have developed a new technique for analyzing the local chemical composition and structure of nanoscale materials. The nano-FTIR instrument uses thermal radiation to focus light onto a sample, allowing for high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy of single nanoparticles or devices.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a new technology that could dramatically improve solar energy panels by merging nanoscale antennas with semiconductors. This technique allows the capture of infrared light's energy, which is currently unable to be converted into electricity in silicon-based solar cells.
Researchers use synchrotron radiation to detect amino acids in ancient bone tissue, confirming the presence of primary biomolecules. The study expands our understanding of protein preservation in fossils, challenging previous assumptions about the limited availability of soft tissues and endogenous biomolecules.
A team of researchers at Northwestern University has created a terahertz invisibility cloak that manipulates light to render objects invisible in the terahertz range. This design could have implications for biomedical research, security and communication.
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.
Assistant Professor Tom Vandervelde of Tufts University has been awarded a $400,000 NSF Career Award to continue his research on thermophotovoltaics. His goal is to make these cells more efficient at lower temperatures, enabling applications in medical devices and sustainable energy solutions such as cooling data server farms.
Scientists at nanoGUNE have successfully transmitted and focused infrared light with miniature transmission lines, enabling single molecule spectroscopy and sensitive optical detection. The technique uses tapered transmission lines to confine light down to nanometer scales.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab have fabricated a perovskite-based superlens that captures evanescent light waves in the mid-infrared range, enabling highly sensitive biomedical detection and imaging. The superlens achieves an imaging resolution of one micrometer, surpassing the diffraction limit of conventional lenses.
Researchers at the University of Utah discovered that invisible infrared light can activate rat heart cells and toadfish inner-ear cells, sparking potential breakthroughs in cochlear implants for deafness. The study also raises possibilities for optical pacemakers that use infrared signals instead of electrical signals.
The James Webb Space Telescope's sunshield is a complex system of five layers, each less than half the thickness of paper, working together to create an effective SPF of 1,000,000. The sunshield unfurls like a giant beach umbrella to protect the telescope and instruments from solar heat and light.
A new synchrotron-based imaging technique provides high-resolution pictures of tissue molecular composition with unprecedented speed and quality. The IRENI facility cuts imaging time from hours to minutes while quadrupling sample size range, revealing detailed structure and chemistry.
The team built a functioning anti-laser called a coherent perfect absorber (CPA), which absorbs 99.4% of incoming light and could pave the way for novel technologies in optical computing and radiology.
Researchers at Princeton University developed an air laser that can detect hidden bombs, pollutants, and greenhouse gases from afar. The new technique uses an ultraviolet laser pulse to generate an entirely new beam of light that interacts with molecules in the air, providing a powerful tool for remote measurements.
The Iowa State team developed a process for producing a thin and uniform light-absorbing layer on textured substrates that improves the efficiency of polymer solar cells by increasing light absorption. Tests showed a 20% increase in power conversion efficiency and a 100% increase in light captured at the red/near infrared band edge.
Rice University researchers found that adding tiny amounts of ozone to single-walled carbon nanotubes decorates them with oxygen atoms, enhancing their near-infrared fluorescence intensity and shifting the wavelength. The process is simple enough for a physical chemist to do, and lab tests showed stable fluorescent properties for months.
A CU-Boulder scientist is using data gathered by a world-class telescope flying aboard a modified Boeing 747 to observe a distant star-forming region. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) allows scientists to study stellar targets in wavelengths that can't be observed by ground-based telescopes.
Physicists from the University of Bonn have developed a new source of light, a Bose-Einstein condensate consisting of photons. By cooling and concentrating Rubidium atoms, they created a 'super-photon' with characteristics resembling lasers.
A new device can analyze samples thousands of years old in minutes, helping archaeologists determine ancient activities. It works by lifting off spectral fingerprints with infrared light and analyzing molecular peaks to tease out material origin differences.
Scientists have successfully created an optical analogue of Hawking radiation using a laser beam and glass target. This experiment confirms the theoretical predictions of Hawking radiation, which is emitted by black holes but difficult to detect.
Researchers have developed Meta-flex, a flexible smart material that can cloak objects from visible light. The breakthrough resolves two major challenges in creating such materials.
A European team of astronomers has confirmed that the UDFy-38135539 galaxy is the most remote object identified so far in the Universe. By analyzing its light's redshift, they found that it was seen just 600 million years after the Big Bang, providing valuable insights into the era of reionisation and galaxy formation.
Physicists at Georgia Tech have developed a critical component of a quantum repeater, allowing for secure encryption key transmission over longer distances. The new technology enables the relay of entangled particles over 1,000 kilometers, significantly improving the security of quantum cryptography.
Scientists have developed an improved laser-based technique to detect traces of key molecules in a gas, including greenhouse gases and pollutants. The new technology can identify a wider variety of molecules with lower concentration levels than before, making it suitable for applications such as breath analysis and atmospheric monitoring.
Researchers found that mice exposed to dim light at night gained about 50% more body mass than those in a standard light-dark cycle. The study suggests that timing of eating is critical to weight gain and may be contributing to the obesity epidemic in Western countries.
Researchers at the University of Oregon have invented a method to change the color of single photons in a fiber optic cable, enabling faster data transfer and more secure communication. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize quantum computing and internet security.
Astronomers have discovered a new phenomenon called coreshine, which scatters mid-infrared light by large dust grains in cosmic clouds. This discovery promises to reveal crucial information about the earliest phase of star formation.
Researchers have invalidated the most commonly used model to explain the behavior of highly mismatched alloys, which could lead to more efficient solar cells. By using molecular beam epitaxy, they created gallium arsenide nitride alloys with nitrogen that can tap into infrared radiation.
A team of McGill chemists has discovered a technique that can identify the composition of pigments used in art work that is decades or even centuries old. The technique, known as photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy, analyzes the infrared spectra emitted by pigments when exposed to light, allowing researchers to classify 12 historically...
Researchers developed a new infrared light probe to study lysosomes, which could help diagnose and treat tumors. The breakthrough allows for longer periods of imaging without limitations.
Researchers at NIST create a laser power detector coated with the world's darkest material, a forest of carbon nanotubes that reflects almost no light. The new detector will be used for precision measurements in advanced technologies like optical communications and solar energy conversion.
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Vanderbilt University used an infrared laser to pace an avian embryonic heart, showing no harm to the tissue. This non-invasive device may help understand environmental factors affecting heart rate in embryos and develop new pacemakers.
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.
Researchers at Nanjing University develop a new method to trap a wide spectrum of light, including visible radiation, using a self-similar-structured dielectric waveguide. This breakthrough has potential applications in on-chip spectroscopy, photon processing, and quantum computing.
A study by Carnegie Institution scientists reveals that radiation drives stomatal response, rather than just humidity. This breakthrough has significant implications for weather forecasting, climate change research, and agriculture.
The European Space Agency has received tiny microshutters, as small as human hair, which will focus the infrared camera on specific targets to the exclusion of others. These microshutters are a key component in the James Webb Space Telescope's ability to observe distant stars and galaxies.
Researchers developed a noninvasive combination technique that uses ultrasound-guided optical tomography to distinguish early-stage cancers from benign lesions in the breast. The study found that the technique was effective in identifying malignant lesions with high sensitivity and specificity, particularly in smaller lesions.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered a way to control the curvature of Airy beams, which can be used to sort molecules according to size or quality. This technology has immediate applications in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
Scientists and engineers from NASA and NOAA worked together to recover the Solar X-Ray Imager instrument on GOES-15, which finally came online on June 3. The team conducted long-duration turn-on tests and successfully captured several test solar images after overcoming a challenging recovery process.
Researchers at NIST and JILA developed a new type of pulsed laser that excels at not producing light, generating sustained streams of dark pulses. These ultrashort pulses are suitable for measurements on short timescales and may be useful in signal processing.
Researchers have deciphered the molecular structure of phytochrome, a key 'light switch' in plant growth. The study reveals a twisted area of contact between two units, suggesting that light adjusts its strength and orientation to transmit signals.
Data from NASA's Swift satellite have solved a decades-long mystery about black holes emitting vast amounts of energy. The survey confirms that galaxies colliding trigger the 'lighting up' of supermassive black holes.
A NIRCam engineering test unit has arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to undergo a year-long testing process. The unit, built by Lockheed Martin, will simulate the flight unit's functions before the actual instrument is integrated into the James Webb Space Telescope.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a nanotechnology-based 'microlens' that enhances infrared imaging signal without increasing noise. The gold-covered lens-less structure doubles the detectivity of a quantum dot-based infrared detector and has the potential to boost it by up to 20 times.
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.
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.
Scientists found 7,000 times less methane and plenty of carbon monoxide on GJ 436b, challenging standard chemistry theories about planetary atmospheres. The discovery suggests that scientists should be more flexible in their theories about similar planets.
Researchers have taken the first close-up pictures of Epsilon Aurigae's mysterious dark companion, revealing a geometrically thin, dark, dense, but partially translucent cloud. The images show that the basic paradigm was right despite slim probability, and provide new insights into the system's shape and surface characteristics.
Researchers at Stanford University have made major advances in the optogenetics technique, enabling a wider range of experiments with larger animals. The new capabilities include using any visible color of light and harnessing intracellular trafficking to spread the optogenetic effect throughout brain circuits.
Researchers found that gamma rays originate closer to one light year from black holes than expected, and the jet curves as it travels away from the black hole. This new understanding of blazar jets requires a rethinking of their structure and poses challenges for theorists trying to construct such jets.
Astronomers have found that typical galaxies still hold sufficient quantities of gas and dust for star formation, but their efficiency has slowed down over cosmic time. This means that present-day galaxies form fewer stars due to a decrease in gas and dust supplies rather than a change in their ability to make stars.
A team of astronomers has detected a population of compact and ultra-blue galaxies from 13 billion years ago, just 600 to 800 million years after the Big Bang. The newly found objects are crucial for understanding the evolution of the first stars and galaxies.
The new Hubble image showcases over 12 billion years of cosmic history, from star birth to galaxy assembly. The image combines multiple colors to reveal details about galaxy distances and stellar populations.
The MIRI detectors will enable the Webb telescope to observe the earliest stars and galaxies in the universe, allowing scientists to study the formation and evolution of the cosmos. The new video showcases the technology behind MIRI and its potential for groundbreaking discoveries.
Researchers at Cornell University used a tiny beam of light to move a silicon structure up to 12 nanometers, switching its optical properties. This technology could have applications in MEMS and MOMS, where it might be useful for creating tunable filters or preventing silicon parts from sticking together.
Researchers at University of Missouri have developed a pupil response test that is 92.5 percent accurate in separating children with autism from those with typical development. Children with autism show slower pupil responses to light change, a potential biomarker for early screening and improved developmental outcomes.
Researchers at NIST and University of Konstanz create a frequency comb that can be visually observed, allowing for precise measurement of visible light frequencies. The new comb has approximately 50,000 distinct 'teeth' separated enough to be seen with the naked eye, enabling applications in astronomy, communications, and other fields.
Researchers discovered mantis shrimp eyes can convert linearly polarized light to circularly polarized light, a crucial function in CD and DVD players. This natural mechanism works across the entire visible spectrum, outperforming human-made quarter-wave plates.