Researchers have discovered that blue light can effectively destroy two common strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a laboratory setting. The study found that high-dose photo-irradiation using 470-nm blue light was able to kill up to 90.4% of the bacteria, making it a promising potential treatment for MRSA i...
Researchers at Berkeley Lab and Cal Tech have created a high-Q surface-plasmon-polariton whispering-gallery microcavity, enabling ultra-small device fabrication and strong light enhancement. This innovation paves the way for future nanolasers with applications in photonics and optical microchips.
Researchers discovered that adding a small notch to the disk edge provides a single outlet for laser light to stream out, increasing the speed of computers and telecommunication networks. The optimal geometry and boundary pumping parameters can aid in designing better-collimated microlasers.
Researchers at U of T have made a groundbreaking discovery that could lead to more efficient organic solar cells, medical imaging techniques, and flexible electronics. The team found that quantum effects can control the movement of energy through molecules, enabling faster and more effective light absorption.
The portable device is relatively inexpensive, replacing expensive diagnostic equipment with light-emitting diodes. It allows visually challenged individuals to access the Internet, view friends' faces, and express themselves through photography.
A Princeton-led team discovered a new mechanism for making electronic materials emit laser beams, potentially leading to more efficient lasers with applications in environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics. The new laser phenomenon has some interesting features, including reduced photon absorption and improved performance.
The RHIC will continue to drive standardization in immunology, allowing for better comparison of data worldwide. The center's expertise will help advance three cutting-edge technologies to maturity, including arrayed image reflectometry and quantum dot nanostructures.
Researchers at Purdue University developed a technique using laser and holograms to precisely position numerous tiny particles within seconds. This potential new tool can analyze biological samples or create devices using nanoassembly.
Researchers at Yale University have demonstrated a marriage of nanophotonics and nanomechanics, enabling extreme miniaturization of optics and mechanics on silicon chips. The photon force is strong enough to operate nanoscale machinery, paving the way for ultra-high speed and low power telecommunications.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have discovered that certain atoms can move apart and rejoin together under specific conditions, creating a phenomenon known as a 'nano-riot'. This behavior can be controlled using laser light, enabling the creation of tiny computer components with reduced heat emissions.
Researchers Leif Ristroph and Jun Zhang used a tabletop experiment to show that two or more flexible objects in a flow experience drag differently than rigid objects. For example, when one flag flaps, it reduces its own drag but increases the drag on its follower, contrary to expected behavior.
Researchers at Duke University discovered that gold nanostars can dramatically enhance the reflected light, making them useful as tracers, labels, or contrast agents. The size and shape of the nanostars affect the spectrum of reflected light, allowing for 'tuning' to identify specific molecules or chemicals.
Researchers at Durham University and Caltech used gravitational lensing to study a young star-forming galaxy in the distant Universe, revealing its internal velocity structure and spiral disk. The findings provide insight into how the galaxy evolved into a present-day system like our Milky Way.
Researchers from Sony and Max Planck Institute demonstrate bendable optically assessed organic light emitting displays for the first time. The new technology enables flexible computers, televisions, posters, and newspaper display technology, offering advantages over traditional projection displays and TVs.
The new calibration system uses a Nobel Prize-winning technology to create an extremely precise 'ruler' for spectrographs. This will enable astronomers to accurately measure the velocities of stars and galaxies, search for planets around other stars, and study the expansion of the Universe.
Researchers at NIST study gas-liquid interactions using powerful lasers, observing the rotational dynamics of a molecule bouncing off a liquid surface. They found molecules tend to tumble forward with a 'top spin' motion.
An international team produced two of the brightest, sharpest x-ray holograms of microscopic objects ever made, with resolutions of up to 50 nanometers. The technique used is called massively parallel x-ray Fourier-transform holography with 'coded apertures', inspired by the pinhole camera.
Scientists at UC Berkeley have developed a way to confine light in incredibly small spaces, potentially leading to breakthroughs in optical communications, miniature lasers and optical computing. The technique could give remarkable control over light, allowing for the creation of compact optical transistors.
Researchers at Harvard University developed a plasmonic collimator that reduces beam divergence by 25 times, enabling applications in photonics and communications. The innovation opens doors to edge-emitting and surface-emitting semiconductor lasers operating at various wavelengths.
The new silicon-based LED research has the potential to replace all incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs, offering dramatic energy and environmental benefits. The Purdue team's breakthrough allows for efficient production on low-cost metal-coated silicon wafers, reducing costs by up to 20 times.
A new solar concentrator design developed by MIT engineers could significantly increase the efficiency of solar panels and reduce their costs. By using a mixture of dyes to concentrate sunlight, the system can boost electrical power obtained from each solar cell by a factor of over 40.
Researchers at UC San Diego have developed laser-produced light sources for next generation Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL), which could make the process more efficient, simpler, and cheaper. This breakthrough may lead to advancements in flash memory chips, enabling denser and faster storage.
A new laser-powered treatment has been shown to kill a wide range of bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains, without causing significant heat damage. The treatment uses indocyanine green dye activated by near-infrared light, which penetrates deep wounds and increases the area cleansed.
Mechanical engineering Professor Adela Ben-Yakar has developed a laser microscalpel that targets individual cancer cells in 3D without damaging surrounding cells. The device uses femtosecond lasers to sear targeted cells quickly and accurately, potentially revolutionizing surgeries for cancer, epilepsy, and other diseases.
Researchers at Princeton University have invented a technique to pattern surfaces on the nanoscale using lasers and plastic beads. The method enables the creation of ultrasmall features, such as lines and dots, that are 1,000 times narrower than a human hair, with potential applications in biology, medicine, and computing.
Two Montana State University graduate students, David Hoffman and Amin Nehrir, have been awarded prestigious $30,000 NASA fellowships for their research on lidar technology. They will work with top scientists at NASA's Langley Research Center, developing instruments to study the climate and atmospheric science.
Researchers produce 'quantum images' pairs of information-rich patterns whose features are entangled by quantum physics, offering improved detection and amplification of light beams. The technique may also enable storing data in quantum computers and transmitting encrypted information.
Researchers developed a new set of non-linear equations that fit both conventional and non-conventional lasers, predicting important properties from simple inputs. This unifying theory solves the long-standing problem in laser physics, providing a substantially broader perspective on laser structures.
Researchers at RIT's RIDL create a new type of LIDAR detector that can build high-resolution topography and atmospheric property measurements. The device will extend NASA science capabilities for planetary applications, enabling robots and astronauts to navigate and explore celestial bodies with greater accuracy.
The USC Viterbi School has received a $4.3M DARPA grant to create continuously tunable optical delays for high-speed photonic data processing. This technology could enable accurate synchronization and multiplexing of photonic data streams, potentially revolutionizing data transmission and processing.
Researchers at TU Delft have mapped the process of light passing through small holes, promising a significant improvement in Terahertz microscopy and microspectroscopy. The study confirms the Bouwkamp model and reveals that sufficient light can pass through even tiny holes, enabling measurements near the hole.
Researchers developed a device to measure complex ultrashort light pulses in space and time at the focus of lenses, addressing distortions caused by optical components. The SEA TADPOLE system uses interferometry to determine pulse shape and intensity changes in space and time, enabling accurate correction for aberrations.
New techniques use optical probes to detect neural activity without labeling cells, while tiny laser arrays can detect chemicals and secure communications. Quantum key distribution and teleportation of quantized states enable secure information exchange.
Researchers successfully triggered electrical activity in thunderclouds by aiming laser light at them, generating plasma filaments that conducted electricity. The technology has potential applications in studying lightning strikes and evaluating the sensitivity of airplanes and critical infrastructure.
A team of Stanford University School of Medicine researchers has developed a new type of imaging system using Raman spectroscopy to illuminate tumors in living subjects. The technique allows for the detection of multiple molecular targets simultaneously, enabling finer biochemical details and more precise imaging.
Researchers have devised an experimental arrangement to mimic the behavior of electrons in Dirac's theory. The atoms will show Zitterbewegung, a never-before-seen motion, which could provide insight into electron behavior beyond observational scrutiny.
The NIST quantum logic clock uses an aluminum atom to apply computer logic to the quantum world, rivaling the mercury ion's accuracy and offering a new approach to measuring fundamental constants. The clocks were compared with record precision, allowing scientists to measure their relative frequencies to 17 digits.
Researchers at the University of Calgary have successfully stored and retrieved a special type of vacuum, known as a squeezed vacuum, using rubidium atoms. This breakthrough has significant implications for quantum computing and information exchange, enabling the creation of ultra-secure codes for transmitting sensitive information.
Scientists at Lund University have successfully filmed an electron for the first time, capturing its motion on a light wave after being pulled away from an atom. The research uses attosecond pulses to study electron collisions with atoms, providing new opportunities to monitor and understand electron behavior.
Researchers developed an optical technique using 'frequency combs' to detect biomarkers for diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The method simultaneously identifies tiny amounts of molecules in the breath with high precision.
Researchers have created a new technique using laser light to analyze breath samples, detecting biomarkers for diseases like asthma and cancer. This non-invasive method could provide rapid and reliable health screenings, addressing existing limitations in breath analysis.
Researchers from NIST and CU-Boulder have developed a technique using optical frequency comb spectroscopy to detect molecules in breath that may be markers for diseases like asthma or cancer. The technique can identify thousands of different molecules simultaneously, providing highly reliable information about various diseases.
A new laser beam made in a University of Michigan laboratory has set a record for intensity, measuring 20 billion trillion watts per square centimeter. The intense beam could help scientists develop better proton and electron beams for radiation treatment of cancer and explore new frontiers in science.
Physicists at JILA demonstrate a next-generation atomic clock based on thousands of strontium atoms trapped in laser light grids, surpassing the current U.S. time standard by over 200 million years. The clock's precision enables synchronization of telecom networks and deep-space communications.
Smart holograms can detect changes in blood-glucose levels, adrenaline levels, and other chemical imbalances, enabling patients to monitor their health more effectively. This new technology has wide applicability in various fields, including diabetes management, security, and smart packaging systems.
Using a tabletop laser, researchers have successfully transformed pure metals into various colors, including gold, aluminum, black platinum, and blue silver. The process involves creating nanostructures on metal surfaces that selectively reflect specific colors.
Scientists at JILA have found a way to suppress the 'blinking' issue in quantum dots, increasing their photon emission rate four- to fivefold. By using an antioxidant chemical solution, they reduced the average time delay between excitation and photon emission from 21 nanoseconds to 4 nanoseconds.
Scientists have developed a new method to produce hollow-core optical fibres, which could lead to faster and more powerful computing and telecommunications technologies. The breakthrough reduces production time from around a week to just one day, making the fibre superior in virtually every respect to previous versions.
Scientists have discovered a hybrid semiconductor material with zero thermal expansion, which could revolutionize the design of future electronics and optoelectronics. The material, composed of alternating organic and inorganic layers, contracts while expanding, resulting in zero net thermal expansion.
A team of researchers at Duke University has successfully transferred encoded information from a laser beam to sound waves and back again, opening the door for ultra-fast optical communications networks. The new method uses stimulated Brillouin scattering to create acoustic vibrations that can retain data for brief intervals.
A team of physicists from Vanderbilt University and the University of Konstanz in Germany have used a laser with 12-femtosecond pulses to switch vanadium dioxide film between reflective and transparent states. The transition occurs faster than previously thought, with the film shifting back and forth in under 100 femtoseconds.
Researchers at NIST create a stable superfluid flow in an ultracold atomic gas using laser light and magnetic fields. This breakthrough may lead to precise navigation gyroscopes and deeper physics insights.
The new NIST mini-sensor is almost 1000 times more sensitive than the original chip-scale magnetometer and can detect magnetic fields in the range of 3-40 femtoteslas. The device has potential applications in non-invasive biomagnetic measurements, such as fetal heart monitoring and brain activity measurement.
Researchers at MIT have successfully applied the concept of optical tweezers to manipulate and measure tiny objects on a microchip. Using infrared light, they were able to hold and move individual cells and other objects with unprecedented precision, opening up new possibilities for biological research and materials development.
Researchers discovered that ultraviolet lasers interact with living tissue differently than previously thought, with varying effects on wavelength and pulse duration. The study found that shorter wavelength lasers can cut more precisely and produce less collateral damage than mid-infrared lasers.
An international team of scientists has identified a tiny galaxy, about half the size and one-tenth the weight of the smallest distant galaxies typically observed. The galaxy is 100 times lighter than our own Milky Way and is 100 times closer to us than the nearest known structure, the Virgo cluster.
Tufts researchers are developing techniques to allow computers to respond to users' thoughts of frustration, boredom, or overwhelm. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology is being used to monitor brain blood flow and provide real-time insight into user experiences.
Brookhaven researchers developed a compound kinoform lens to surpass the critical angle limit, enabling efficient focusing of x-rays down to extremely small spots. This breakthrough advances nanoscience, energy, biology, and materials research with potential applications in alternative-energy technologies and new drug development.
Research finds that sperm cells from more promiscuous primate species swim faster and with greater force than those of monogamous species. Human sperm fall in between, suggesting they may not have always been as monogamous as thought.
A new technique called back-scattering interferometry (BSI) measures the strength of interactions between free-floating biological molecules. BSI is sensitive enough to detect protein folding and has potential cost advantages over current techniques.