Research using lasers and light-based technology. Covers electron control, metalens optics, mid-flight drone charging, and water purification.
A new nanophotonic coherent imager (NCI) developed at Caltech uses an inexpensive silicon chip to provide the highest depth-measurement accuracy of any such device. The NCI produces high-resolution 3D images with micron-level resolution, enabling applications in 3D scanning and printing, driverless cars, and human machine interfaces.
Researchers are testing light therapy on brain function in veterans with Gulf War Illness, using red and near-infrared light to improve blood flow and stimulate damaged brain cells. The study aims to determine if this therapy can be a valuable adjunct to standard cognitive rehabilitation.
Researchers developed a nanoscale speed bump called a plasmonic phase modulator to regulate plasmon waves, enabling faster data processing. The device uses a tiny gap in metal wires to slow down plasmons, allowing for selective cancellation and optical switching.
Scientists at Niels Bohr Institute create novel sensor using entangled atoms to precisely measure tiny magnetic fields, enabling new insights into biology and medicine. The researchers employ a unique technique involving laser light and quantum uncertainty relations to overcome classical physics limitations.
Researchers have directly and experimentally confirmed the link between macroscopic quantum states and entangled particles. The study uses a beam of squeezed light to demonstrate entanglement among individual photon pairs, paving the way for advances in superconductivity, optical communications, and quantum computing.
The study observes the convergence of classical and quantum behavior in photons, revealing a 'point of transition' where quantum nature 'collapses' to conform to classical rules. The researchers also detect bi-photons at an unprecedented high rate using a fiber-based nonlinear process.
The UW nanolaser is built using a single atomic sheet of a tungsten-based semiconductor, which emits light efficiently and can be easily fabricated. This technology has the potential to revolutionize next-generation computing and optical communication by consuming less energy and enabling faster device performance.
Researchers at UTEP and UCF developed a new method to steer light beams through tighter curves without losing energy, paving the way for ultra-fast data-transmission devices in smaller spaces. This technology has the potential to revolutionize next-gen computing by enabling thousands of times faster data transmission.
Acne sufferers may benefit from a new therapy that reduces breakout frequency and intensity using ultrasound, gold-covered particles, and lasers. The treatment works by deactivating sebaceous glands, reducing sebum production and preventing bacterial growth.
Scientists at OIST successfully demonstrated a more robust method for controlling single, micron-sized particles with light using higher order modes. The technique allows particles to move up to eight times faster along a microfiber, with applications in physics, biology, and quantum research.
Researchers at UCL develop technology to suspend and cool glass particles to absolute zero, enabling the creation of quantum states in objects far larger than atoms. This could lead to breakthroughs in motion sensors and quantum computer networks.
Researchers explain the causes of singlet exciton fission, a process that could double electrical current from blue and green light in solar cells. By understanding this mechanism, they may develop new materials to enhance solar cell efficiency.
The study used infinitely short light pulses to observe ultrafast changes in superconductors, supporting the hypothesis that electron interactions are delayed and mediated by other electrons. The snap-shot observations took only 10 femtoseconds, a record-breaking achievement for material scientists.
Four scientists, Winfried Denk and Arthur Konnerth (Germany), and Karel Svoboda and David Tank (USA), have been awarded the €1m Brain Prize for their invention of two-photon microscopy. This technology enables researchers to study individual nerve cells with high precision, revealing key mechanisms in brain function.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have developed a method that reduces the noise in atomic clocks, enabling them to be even more precise. The new technique uses a quantum frequency filter to sort out unwanted wavelengths of light, resulting in a laser beam that is much more stable and precise.
Researchers at the University of Sydney developed a method to selectively enhance or inhibit optical nonlinearities in photonic chips, which can be useful for both hindering and helping signal processing applications. This breakthrough uses a grating structure on chip scale devices to control optical nonlinearity.
The Advanced Laser Light Source at INRS has received significant funding to advance its mission as an international center of excellence in ultrafast science. With this new investment, the facility will continue to explore fundamental questions in physics and chemistry through high-quality light sources.
Researchers at EPFL have captured a single snapshot of light exhibiting both wave-like and particle properties using electrons to image the phenomenon. The experiment demonstrates the simultaneous observation of quantization and interference pattern of a plasmonic near-field.
Physicists use high-resolution spectroscopy to study and control matter, enabling precise control over atomic transitions and revealing hidden information about atom structure. The technique has applications in quantum computing, where it could offer significant boosts in computing power and improve computer security.
Researchers in California and Japan develop OLEDs with finely patterned structures, producing bright, low-power light sources. The key finding is confining charge transport and recombination to nanoscale areas, extending electroluminescent efficiency by almost two orders of magnitude.
The newly developed optical atomic clock boasts extraordinary precision, with an error of less than one second in tens of millions of years. The clock's stability is ensured by advanced physical mechanisms, allowing it to maintain accuracy over extended periods.
Researchers develop cubic nanoantennas made of insulating materials, overcoming heating and fabrication challenges, enabling applications in biomedicine, nanolasers, and photovoltaics. The antennas have the potential to measure food safety, identify pollutants, diagnose cancer, and transmit data with ultrafast processing.
Austro-Russian research team develops high-energy mid-infrared laser capable of igniting laser filaments in air at normal atmospheric pressure. This technology enables tracing pollutants in the atmosphere using back-scattered light analysis.
Researchers successfully demonstrate a new technique combining a solar telescope with a laser frequency comb to analyze distant stars with unprecedented accuracy, potentially leading to the discovery of Earth-like planets. The technique enhances spectral analysis and advances research in astrophysics.
Researchers have developed gold nanotubes that can selectively destroy cancer cells while imaging tumors, using near-infrared light to convert to heat. The technique has the potential to enhance conventional treatments with minimal toxicity.
Scientists generate Moebius strip from laser light to process materials and manipulate microparticles, opening up new possibilities for nanotechnology. The optical tool could also be used to guide nanoparticles on complex paths using optical tweezers.
Researchers developed two cryogenically cooled optical lattice clocks that can synchronize to a one part in 2.0 x 10^-18, nearly 1,000 times more precise than current international timekeeping standard. This precision could enable clock-based geodesy and measure the strength of gravitational potential at different locations.
A German-American research team has determined the three-dimensional shape of free-flying silver nanoparticles for the first time, using DESY's X-ray laser FLASH. The tiny particles exhibit an unexpected variety of shapes, including Platonic and Archimedean bodies.
Berkeley researchers create nano-sized optical antenna that boosts spontaneous light emission by 115 times, enabling faster LED technology for microchips and alternative applications. The innovation has the potential to replace lasers for short-distance optical communications.
A team of researchers from UCLA and Columbia University has made a breakthrough in controlling light on a nanoscale by using random crystal lattice structures. This discovery could lead to more precise data transfer in computer chips and the development of new optical materials for laser emission.
Researchers grew large, pure perovskite crystals and studied how electrons move through the material as light is converted to electricity. The study identifies the bar for ultimate solar energy-harvesting potential of perovskites and shows that progress is slated to continue without slowing down.
Researchers at University of Illinois have demonstrated Brillouin Scattering Induced Transparency (BSIT), a phenomenon that can slow down, speed up, and block light in optical waveguides. BSIT uses sound waves to eliminate opacity and create a non-reciprocal behavior, enabling the creation of isolators and circulators.
Researchers from the University of Rochester created extraordinary new surfaces that efficiently absorb light, repel water, and clean themselves using femtosecond laser pulses. The multifunctional materials have potential applications in durable, low-maintenance solar collectors and sensors.
Scientists have created the first germanium-tin semiconductor laser for silicon chips, enabling faster data transfer and reducing energy consumption. The new material can be applied directly onto a silicon chip, paving the way for high-speed data transmission.
Researchers at the University of Bonn have successfully observed the interaction of exactly two atoms in a light cage, contradicting the assumption that two atoms would behave differently from a single atom. The experiment reveals that backaction suppresses high light waves, limiting the emergence of photons.
Researchers at Princeton University have successfully built a rice-sized laser powered by single electrons tunneling through artificial atoms known as quantum dots. The device demonstrates a major step forward for efforts to build quantum-computing systems out of semiconductor materials, according to co-author Jacob Taylor.
Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have developed a new 3D display system that uses laser beams to create 3D effects without the need for special glasses. The system can display hundreds of images simultaneously, creating a realistic 3D effect similar to walking around an object.
A City College of New York led-team successfully demonstrated enhancing light emission and capturing light from metamaterials with light emitting nanocrystals. The breakthrough could lead to practical applications in ultrafast LEDs, nanoscale lasers, and efficient single photon sources.
Researchers at CSIC have developed a new borane material that efficiently emits laser light in the blue spectrum while maintaining resistance against degradation. This breakthrough could lead to more cost-effective and environmentally friendly liquid lasers.
Researchers at UCSB's Reich Group have developed a method for spatially and temporally controlling the release of proteins inside cells using near-infrared laser-activated nanocarriers. This technology allows for targeted protein delivery, enabling new avenues for basic research and therapeutic applications.
Monkeys can be taught to recognize themselves in a mirror through visual-somatosensory training, demonstrating the neural basis of self-awareness. The study's findings have hopeful implications for people with brain disorders affecting self-recognition.
Researchers at the University of Bristol have developed a new acousto-optic device that can shape and steer light beams at speeds never before achieved. The device, which consists of 64 tiny piezo-electric elements, can create complex sound fields that deflect and sculpt light passing through it.
Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have developed a novel method to measure and control the number of atoms on an ultra-thin glass fiber, with an accuracy of just eight atoms. The technique allows researchers to capture up to 2,500 cesium atoms while minimizing loss, which is crucial for future quantum computer networks.
A team of researchers at Harvard, UC Santa Barbara, and the University of Chicago has developed a technique to precisely place nitrogen vacancy centers within nano-sized diamond structures, enhancing their fluorescence. This achievement is crucial for using NV centers as qubits in future quantum computers.
Scientists created a simple mathematical model to explain the stunning colors of Yellowstone National Park's hot springs. The model takes into account spectral reflection, microbial mats, and solar conditions, reproducing the brilliant hues of the springs.
Four pulses of laser light on nanoparticle photocells reveal how captured sunlight can be converted into electricity. The study, published in Nature Communications, uses a novel approach to understand multiple exciton generation in nanomaterials.
Researchers have developed a new method for authenticating physical keys using quantum mechanics, making it impossible to spoof or copy. This 'Quantum-Secure Authentication' uses the unique properties of light to create a secure question-and-answer exchange.
A team of researchers at the University of California, San Diego, has developed a silicon chip that can emit and control quantum light at room temperature. The device uses Spontaneous Optical Nonlinear Mixing to generate entangled photon pairs, which can be tuned over a wide range of Schmidt numbers for specific quantum optic properties.
Researchers used attosecond XUV spectroscopy to capture individual snapshots of electrons transitioning from the valence shell to the conduction band in silicon. The transition takes less than 450 attoseconds, allowing scientists to study complex electronic processes that were previously too fast to be approached experimentally.
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new lithography technique that uses nanoscale spheres to create three-dimensional structures. The new method reduces the cost of nanolithography and allows for the creation of complex nanostructures without expensive equipment.
Researchers discovered that using solid-state proteins instead of solution increases laser intensity, leveraging natural protein structures to optimize brightness. This breakthrough enables the development of efficient miniature solid-state lasers and potential biocompatible applications.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab achieved a world record energy for laser-plasma accelerators, accelerating electrons to 4.25 giga-electron volts in just 9-centimeter long plasma tube. The setup marks a significant breakthrough in particle acceleration technology, offering potential for shrinking traditional accelerators.
Researchers capture highest-resolution protein snapshots with X-ray laser to track structural changes in photosynthetic bacteria upon light exposure. This breakthrough paves the way for studying biologically important molecules at ultrafast timescales.
Scientists have developed a new technique to capture the fast dynamics of biomolecules using high-speed X-ray lasers, revealing subtle processes with unprecedented clarity. The study used the photoactive yellow protein as a model system and achieved snapshots of molecular movements at atomic resolution.
A team of researchers from Lebanon and France has developed a laser biospeckle technique capable of detecting the climacteric peak in fruits like apples, bananas, and pears. This non-invasive method uses coherent light to analyze speckle patterns, which change with time depending on the medium's scattering properties.
Scientists have developed a system that can identify chemicals in the atmosphere from up to one kilometer away. The technique uses terahertz radiation and an infrared laser to detect toxic gases, including nerve gas, chemical spills, and industrial pollutants.
Scientists at RIT and NASA are exploring a new type of space telescope using swarms of particles controlled by laser to form large-aperture lenses. This concept could lead to unprecedented resolution and detail in astrophysical imaging and remote sensing.
Researchers found that the retina can sense infrared light when laser pulses rapidly deliver a double hit of energy, allowing the eye to detect light outside the visible spectrum. This discovery may lead to developing new tools for examining and stimulating the retina.
Researchers at University of Melbourne developed a new laser treatment that improves eye health in AMD patients by reducing disease signs and enhancing supporting cells. The nanosecond laser does not cause damage to the retina, raising hope for monocular treatment options.
Researchers at Penn have engineered a nanowire system that can combine two light waves to produce a third with a different frequency, using an optical cavity to amplify the intensity of the output. The system achieved high efficiency in mixing frequencies, enabling fundamental computation capabilities.