Research using lasers and light-based technology. Covers electron control, metalens optics, mid-flight drone charging, and water purification.
Researchers have created a bio-based, water-resistant wood film that can emit and scatter light, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional lighting materials. The luminescent panel demonstrates excellent mechanical properties and can be used as cover panels for lamps, displays, and laser devices.
Researchers have designed novel linear nanomotors powered by laser light, enabling controlled movement and reducing complexity. The technology uses localized surface plasmon resonance to produce directional scattering, allowing for precise navigation.
Scientists create nanoscale silicon resonators for logic gates of light pulses, potentially leading to faster and all-optical computer switches. This breakthrough could bridge the gap between electronic and optical signals in computing.
Researchers at Princeton University create device that excites erbium atoms using laser light, allowing control of multiple atoms without spatial information. This enables study of rich quantum mechanical behavior and entanglement in atoms at tiny distances.
LaserNetUS, a high-power laser consortium including Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, receives $18 million from the US Department of Energy. The funding will support user support and expand LaserNetUS operations for three years.
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 created a new type of ceramic nanocomposite (Ho3+:Y2O3-MgO) that can be used in high-capacity lasers operating in the medium infrared range. The material has increased thermal and mechanical resistance due to its almost pore-free structure, allowing it to transmit over 75% of light in the medium IR wavelengths.
Researchers at Rice University and Politecnico University have demonstrated the first nanophotonic platform capable of manipulating polarized light 1 trillion times per second. The platform uses plasmonic metasurfaces to exploit ultrafast electronic mechanisms, enabling faster data transmission rates.
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.
Scientists at NIST and the University of Maryland have developed a microchip technology that can generate a wide range of visible laser colors using near-infrared laser light. This approach enables precise control over wavelength, opening up new possibilities for applications in precision timekeeping and quantum information science.
Scientists have developed a simple method to comprehensively assess spectrometer performance within seconds using only incoherent excess noise. This approach enables high-quality visible light OCT imaging with improved spectral resolution uniformity, revealing new insights into the mouse photoreceptor layer.
A team of physicists successfully transported light stored in a cloud of ultra-cold rubidium-87 atoms over 1.2 millimeters using an optical conveyor belt. The controlled transport process has minimal impact on the stored light's properties, enabling potential applications in quantum communication and computing.
Researchers at UC Davis have developed a new method to characterize and calibrate spectrometers using excess noise in light signals. This approach allows for faster and more accurate calibration, with results comparable to traditional methods in just a few seconds.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a novel approach to frequency doubling in nonlinear crystals, utilizing disordered nanocrystals to achieve efficient light conversion. The method, which combines two seemingly irreconcilable approaches, enables wide-range frequency tuning and minimizes material usage.
The research team developed a new ultrafast fiber laser that produces an average power of over 10 kW without significant degradation in beam quality. This technology paves the way for industrial-scale materials processing and visionary applications such as space debris removal.
A new technique realizes PT symmetry in a single spatial resonator by manipulating polarization-dependent response, enabling effective suppression of sidemodes and stable single-mode lasing. The proposed polarimetric PT symmetry concept opens avenues for non-Hermitian photonic systems with various optical parameters.
Researchers developed tiny optically powered machines that self-assemble and can manipulate tiny cargo for applications like nanofluidics and particle sorting. The machines use circularly polarized light from a laser to create a nanoparticle array acting like a gear, influencing nearby particles to orbit the array.
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.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a novel concept for laser-based communications using an almost noiseless optical preamplifier in the receiver. This results in an unprecedented receiver sensitivity of one photon-per-information bit at a data rate of 10 gigabits per second.
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 at EPFL have developed a novel deposition method that enables the creation of highly efficient and stable black-phase FAPbI3 perovskite solar cells. The new method, which uses vapor-assisted deposition, overcomes the stability issues associated with traditional methods, resulting in power-conversion efficiencies of over 23%.
A landmark discovery at New York University has developed a method to create colloids that crystallize into the diamond lattice, enabling cheap and reliable fabrication of 3D photonic crystals for optical circuits. This breakthrough could lead to lightweight high-efficiency lasers, precise light control, and new materials for managing ...
A new approach uses photoacoustic tomography to capture 3D images of finger veins, enabling levels of specificity and anti-spoofing previously not possible. The method achieves 99% accuracy in correctly accepting or rejecting identities.
The new extreme ultraviolet facility allows for investigation of time-dependent phenomena and reveals details of biological or physical samples with unprecedented clarity. It offers ultrashort pulses with high frequencies, useful for probing fast phenomena and investigating the structure and chemical properties of matter.
Researchers at NIST have developed a system that can reliably detect even the faintest signal pulses using quantum physics, enabling record-low error rates and reducing energy requirements. The system uses novel receiver technology to process extremely weak signals with up to 16 distinct laser pulses encoding four bits of data.
Researchers led by David Pine have devised a new process for the reliable self-assembly of colloids in a diamond formation, which could lead to cheap, scalable fabrication of colloidal diamonds. This breakthrough discovery holds promise for advanced optical technologies, including high-efficiency lasers and precise control of light.
A new microendoscope combining photoacoustic and fluorescent imaging has been developed, enabling the measurement of blood dynamics and neuronal activity simultaneously. This innovation could advance our understanding of the brain's structure and behavior in specific conditions.
A team of scientists has developed a free-space optical transmission system that relies on an optical amplifier without excess noise, achieving unprecedented error-free sensitivity of one photon-per-information-bit at 10.5 Gbit/s. The system operates at room temperature and is scalable to higher data rates.
Researchers at Skoltech have developed a method to synthesize artificial solid-state crystal structures using only laser light, creating arbitrarily shaped and reprogrammable lattices for exciton-polaritons. This allows for the study of dissipative many-body quantum physics in a unique lattice environment.
Researchers at MTU and Argonne National Laboratory have developed a new mechanism to improve optical signal processing, enabling the fabrication of smaller devices. The study reveals an unexpected phenomenon called optical nonreciprocity, which enhances magneto-optic response in iron garnet films.
A new spectrometer uses dual-comb spectroscopy to measure spectra in mere microseconds, enabling real-time biological imaging and machine vision applications. The device can analyze gases and solids at high speeds, making it ideal for applications like explosion analysis and chemical signatures capture.
Researchers have developed an approach to create electrically driven nanolasers for integrated circuits, enabling coherent light source design at the nanoscale. This breakthrough could lead to ultrafast optical data transfer and potentially create a 1,000-core processor that is virtually 100 times faster than its counterpart.
Researchers develop novel approach for efficient generation of coherent vibrations using semiconductor structures. The phonon laser operates in the tens of GHz range and is based on Einstein's predictions for Bose-Einstein condensates of coupled light-matter particles.
A Harvard team has successfully cooled a six-atom molecule to just above absolute zero using laser light, marking the first time such a complex molecule has been achieved. The breakthrough opens up new avenues of study in quantum simulation and computation, particle physics, and quantum chemistry.
Researchers created a compact and ultrafast high-power yellow laser with excellent beam quality, filling the need for practical yellow light source emitting ultrafast pulses. The laser's wavelength range is highly absorbed by hemoglobin in blood, making it useful for medical treatments, dermatology, and eye surgery.
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a system that can reconstruct three-dimensional hidden scenes based on the movement of individual particles of light. This technique complements other vision systems and is more focused on large-scale situations, such as navigating self-driving cars in fog or heavy rain.
Researchers at ORNL developed a quantum microscope that measures signals with sensitivity better than classical limits, revealing fine details hidden by noise in microscopy signals. The approach uses squeezed light to reduce noise and achieve higher signal-to-noise ratios.
Scientists have successfully moved electrons in an organic superconductor by irradiation of ultrashort laser pulses, generating a polarized net current. The observed effect is attributed to scattering-free current, sensitive to superconducting fluctuations, with potential applications in ultra-fast computing and understanding microscop...
Researchers have successfully overcome the phenomenon known as lasing death in quasi-2D perovskites by managing triplet excitons. By incorporating an organic layer to hold triplets in a low energy state, continuous lasing was achieved under constant optical excitation.
Researchers have developed a new method for creating multicolor single-mode microlasers capable of emitting over the full visible spectrum. The lasers are achieved through heterogeneously coupled cavities constructed with three spherical microcavities and distinct gain media.
Researchers developed a precise method to measure ultrafast magnetization changes in materials by observing emitted terahertz radiation. The technique enabled the detection of an acoustically-driven ultrafast magnetization signal, confirming its accuracy and sensitivity.
Researchers at the University of Central Florida have developed a method to generate attosecond pulses using industrial-grade lasers, making it more accessible to scientists from various disciplines. This breakthrough could lead to new applications in power generation, chemical- and biological-weapon detection, and medical diagnostics.
Researchers at Stanford University have created nanostructures that can slow down and redirect light, allowing for new technologies such as quantum computing, virtual reality, and biosensing. These 'high-Q' resonators have demonstrated quality factors up to 2,500, enabling applications like detecting COVID-19 antigens and antibodies.
Scientists create hierarchical assembly of dye molecules in a host-guest hybrid metal-organic framework to achieve up to three-wavelength single-mode polarized lasing. The resulting three-color single-mode lasing has a large wavelength coverage of ~186 nm and a low threshold of ~1.72 mJ/cm2.
Researchers developed a new instrument to measure tiny light-evoked deformations in individual rods and cones, offering potential for earlier detection of retinal diseases. The system combines high-speed OCT imaging with adaptive optics technology to capture photoreceptor responses, paving the way for improved diagnosis and treatment.
A new design for light-emitting diodes (LEDs) developed by NIST scientists achieves a significant increase in brightness and the ability to create laser light, overcoming a long-standing limitation in LED efficiency. The device shows an increase of 100 to 1,000 times in brightness over conventional tiny LEDs.
Physicists have created a new method to study previously invisible quantum states of electrons using optical vortices. By combining conventional laser beams with swirls of light, researchers can detect the properties of emitted photoelectrons and gain insights into material structure and interaction with light.
Scientists have successfully applied optogenetics to higher plants, using blue light to trigger electrical excitation and simulate plant stress responses. This allows for the non-invasive investigation of cellular communication pathways and the analysis of membrane potential waves.
Researchers have developed a new type of laser beam that doesn't follow long-held principles about how light refracts and travels. The beams, known as spacetime wave packets, can be arranged to behave in the usual manner, not changing speed at all, or even speeding up in denser materials.
Researchers have developed a new method to detect algae and measure key properties in the ocean's depths using laser-based lidar. The technique allows for measurements up to three times deeper than satellites, shedding light on ocean biology and its role in climate.
A team of international researchers developed propagation-invariant light fields using caustics that do not change during propagation. This breakthrough enables new applications in high-resolution microscopy, material processing, and multidimensional signal transmission.
Black phosphorus has potential for emerging devices, including medical imaging and environment monitoring, thanks to its versatility and manipulation as a 2D material. The material's ability to tune electron energy levels makes it suitable for electro-optic modulation, which is essential for faster computing and data communication.
A new study using optical tweezers reveals the sensitivity of photoreceptors to mechanical stimuli, opening up new questions on their function. The researchers detected specific molecules sensitive to mechanical stress and observed variations in electrical signals.
Scientists from IPC PAS develop holographic OCT tomography, capturing cornea in a fraction of a second with high resolution, without contact or anesthesia. This breakthrough technology enables sharper images even with micro-movement of the eye, revolutionizing diagnosis of eye diseases.
Researchers at Tomsk Polytechnic University have developed a new method to significantly increase the operation range and stability of optical tweezers. This technology uses dielectric particles to form a photonic jet, which acts as a trap or tweezers, allowing for more precise control over micron-sized objects.
The NIST researchers developed a portable laser-based system to test the effectiveness of different wavelengths of UV light against various microorganisms. The study found that narrower wavebands were more effective in inactivating germs, with some unexpected results.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have created a simple device to convert circularly polarized visible laser light into circularly polarized vacuum ultraviolet light, twisted in the opposite direction. This new method can be useful for researchers in medicine, life sciences, molecular chemistry and solid state physics.
A color-multiplexed holography system has been developed to record 3D information of objects illuminated by a white-light lamp and self-luminous specimens as a single multicolor hologram. The system acquires color 3D information with only a single-shot exposure and no color filter array.
Researchers created nanophotonic cavities in a nanopatterned InGaAsP membrane, exhibiting photonic analogue of valley-Hall effect. The structure supports quantized spectrum of modes confined to the domain wall, enabling topologically controlled ultrathin light sources.
The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has successfully produced its first X-ray beam using the upgraded LCLS-II facility, demonstrating significant advancements in X-ray technology. The new undulators offer dramatic new capabilities, including precise control of X-ray beams and unprecedented repetition rates.