Research using lasers and light-based technology. Covers electron control, metalens optics, mid-flight drone charging, and water purification.
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.
Researchers at UCLA have developed a new material that can produce polarized light, a key component for brighter displays in consumer electronics. The material uses aligned nanoscale pores to confine light and enhance lasing, making it 20 times easier to generate polarized light than traditional methods.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have developed a new method to eliminate viruses from blood using low-power lasers. The technique selectively targets and destroys viruses while preserving normal human cells.
Researchers at USC develop a miniaturized camera for implantable retinal prostheses, achieving good results with just 625 pixels. The new LIDAR system uses near-infrared light to detect atmospheric conditions, providing pilots with better visibility in foggy and hazy environments.
Researchers at Clemson University have created a method to improve fluorescent nanoparticle longevity, enabling the tracking of molecule motion in living cells. This technology could reveal details on virus invasion and protein operation within the body.
By creating a mode-locked silicon evanescent laser, researchers have demonstrated the ability to produce stable short pulses of laser light at high repetition rates, up to 40 GHz, suitable for high-speed data transmission and other optical applications.
Researchers at UC-Santa Barbara have built the world's first mode-locked silicon evanescent laser, paving the way for integrated circuits that combine lasers and electronic functions on a single chip. This technology enables higher data transmission speeds, lower power consumption, and more compact devices.
Physicists at NIST induce thousands of atoms to swap spins, creating logical connections for quantum computing. The demonstration advances prospects for using neutral atoms as qubits, which could provide extraordinary power for applications like encryption code-breaking.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new type of laser that can emit over 700 milli-Watts of continuous output power, a factor of two increase from competing technology. The Quantum Cascade Laser has a 10-18% wall-plug efficiency, making it suitable for widespread deployment and low-cost production.
Scientists at the University of Michigan developed a lens-like device that focuses electromagnetic waves down to tiny points, removing wavelength limitations for data storage and sensing applications. The breakthrough enables CD storage to hold up to one hundred times more information using terahertz radiation.
Researchers at JILA discovered a previously unseen type of collective electronic behavior in semiconductors, shedding light on interactions between microscopic particles. The study used ultrafast lasers to analyze the phase shift of light, confirming the importance of collective exciton behavior and its superiority over simpler models.
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory developed a bio-friendly nano-sized light source capable of emitting coherent visible light across the visible spectrum. This innovation enables single cell endoscopy, integrated circuitry for nanophotonic technology, and advanced methods of cyber cryptography.
Researchers at Yokohama National University demonstrate a highly efficient room-temperature nanolaser that produces stable, continuous streams of near-infrared laser light. The device uses a photonic crystal design to achieve its high efficiency, enabling applications in future miniaturized circuits.
Stefan Hell's STED microscope enables nanoscale imaging, achieving resolutions up to 10-12 times higher than the diffraction limit. This breakthrough allows for non-invasive imaging of cells' inner structures.
Researchers at UCSC have achieved atomic spectroscopy on a chip, enabling compact and portable applications in laser frequency stabilization and quantum information processing. The technology has potential implications for gas detection sensors and quantum optics experiments.
Physicists at NIST recreate the historic double-slit experiment with atoms, demonstrating wave-particle duality and a novel technique for quantum computing. The researchers trap ultracold rubidium atoms in two overlapping lattices, creating a strobe-like effect that can be controlled.
Researchers have developed a nanocomposite particle that can target and destroy melanoma cancer cells using laser irradiation. The technology utilizes selectively absorbing metallic clusters to enhance light absorption within labeled cells, causing damage without affecting surrounding tissue.
A super stable fiber-optic network that can be tuned across a range of frequencies has been demonstrated at NIST. The network simplifies accurate comparisons of atomic clocks operating at different frequencies and locations, with potential applications in remote sensing and secure communications.
Scientists have successfully demonstrated a novel terahertz (THz) imaging technique that can capture high-quality images of objects from distances of up to 25 meters. The approach utilizes a quantum cascade laser and detector, which are designed to minimize water absorption in the THz spectrum.
Physicists at the University of Florida propose a redesign to improve the detection of axions, a candidate for dark matter. The new design uses Fabry-Perot cavities to produce more photons, increasing the experiment's sensitivity by a factor of 10 compared to solar-based experiments.
Researchers have built micrometer-sized solid-state lasers where a single quantum dot plays a dominant role in device performance. Correctly tuned, these microlasers switch on at energies in the sub-microwatt range, enabling highly efficient optical devices for telecommunications and computing.
Physicists at NIST have devised a system to generate paired photons with great efficiency over a wide range of energy, reducing noise from extraneous photons. The new microstructured optical fiber increases light intensity, making pair production more likely.
Researchers at the University of Oregon have discovered the structural basis for photoswitching in fluorescent proteins, allowing for control over light emission. The study revealed that inserting a single oxygen atom can delay the switch-on time from five minutes to 65 hours, enabling more precise studies within cells.
Researchers at the University of Rochester have created a laser-based technique that measures multiple chemicals in body fluids in under 60 seconds, offering non-destructive and fast testing capabilities. The technique uses Raman spectroscopy and low-refractive-index tubes to improve signal strength and accuracy.
Researchers at University of Chicago and Bordeaux use laser beams to generate bulk flow in fluids, a phenomenon known as radiation pressure. The technique may offer a new twist to microfluidics, allowing for rapid adjustments and more efficient chemical reactions.
Researchers have developed new two-photon absorbing molecules that enable the creation of polymer features as small as 65 nanometers wide using simplified lithography techniques. This breakthrough reduces the cost and complexity of fabricating nanoscale electronic and photonic devices.
Physicists at the University of Bath are developing attosecond technology to create continuous series of light pulses that could enable precise control over electric fields. This could lead to the development of photonics-based devices, such as photonic computers, with potentially groundbreaking capabilities.
Researchers have developed a system that uses a single trapped atom to generate high-quality single photons, which can be controlled and made indistinguishable for quantum computing. The 'single-photon server' has the potential to revolutionize quantum information processing by enabling deterministic atom-photon entanglement experiments.
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a digital holographic imaging system that uses laser light to observe the effects of an anticancer drug on living tissue. The system detects changes in organelle motion within cancer cells, resulting in reduced shimmer and improved diagnostic capabilities.
Researchers found that photodynamic therapy (PDT) was an effective method to minimize destruction of periodontal tissue and provided improved dentin hypersensitivity. PDT may be a preferable alternative to antibiotic therapy, which is becoming increasingly important due to rising antibiotic resistance.
Researchers at CU-Boulder have developed a new technique to generate laser-like X-ray beams, which could improve medical imaging resolution by a thousand times. The technique uses a powerful laser to pluck an electron from an atom and then slam it back into the same atom, generating a weak but directed beam of X-rays.
A Cornell graduate student has created a graphene resonator, a single sheet of carbon atoms just one atom thick that can be used to weigh tiny masses or measure pressure. The material is also stiff and ultrathin, making it suitable for other experiments that require a thin and light membrane.
Dutch researcher Rajesh S. Pillai developed a new method to visualize the microstructure of food and lipid droplets in cells using short infrared laser pulses. This technique has high promise for research into fat storage and diseases related to disrupted lipid metabolism.
The new high-performance mirror, called the high-index contrast sub-wavelength grating (HCG), packs the same reflective punch as current mirrors but is at least 20 times thinner. This characteristic presents critical advantages for today's ever smaller integrated optical devices.
Researchers at NIST have taken the first two-dimensional pictures of a frequency comb, revealing colors and intensity of all lightwaves simultaneously. The technique transforms the comb into a twodimensional brush, enabling scientists to measure and manipulate optical frequencies in a massively parallel manner.
Researchers at Harvard University have successfully stopped, store, and revive a light pulse in two separate locations using supercooled sodium clouds. This technique enables precise control over optical information and has potential applications in quantum information processing and cryptography.
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have created a nanomachine that traps molecules as they move in a specific direction, powered by light. This breakthrough builds on previous work and could lead to lasers moving objects remotely using molecular force.
Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory have successfully generated extremely short light pulses using a new technique that could be used in the next generation of light source facilities. The team observed superradiance, a phenomenon where light intensity grows as it interacts with an electron beam.
Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia have developed a method to align polar molecules in crystals, which could lead to faster and more efficient microchips. This breakthrough has the potential to reduce energy costs and create new technologies that make computers cooler.
Researchers at NIST and NREL demonstrate a simple laser-based method for purifying raw nanotube materials, significantly reducing impurities. The technique uses carefully calibrated laser pulses to react with contaminants, resulting in cleaner samples that can be used in various applications.
Using laser light as a substitute for superfluids, the team observed unusual behavior of particles, including shock waves and interactions that had not been considered before. This new technique has the potential to advance our understanding of condensed matter physics and lead to breakthroughs in sensor technology and atomic trapping.
Scientists discovered that stomata open independently of neighboring stoma behavior, optimizing water loss and CO2 acquisition. The laser study found that phototropin1 release triggers stomatal opening, influenced by light-induced changes in the cell interior.
A new analytical technique developed by Penn State researcher John B. Asbury could lead to the development of cheaper and more efficient solar cells. The technique uses infrared spectroscopy to study light-sensitive organic materials, providing information about electron movement within a film of carbon-based materials.
A new technology allows users to record and store massive amounts of data onto a single disc, such as the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's entire collection or 500 movies, maintaining excellent quality without damage. The UCF team's Two-Photon 3-D Optical Data Storage system uses lasers to compact information onto a DVD.
Researchers in Taiwan create a new method to accurately analyze the masses of individual, intact viruses using a miniaturized ion trap. They achieve a margin of error of ±1% by employing a gentle ionization technique and a specially designed cylindrical ion trap.
Scientists at JILA have developed an ultra-stable laser system to manipulate strontium atoms, producing the most precise 'ticks' ever recorded in an optical atomic clock. This achievement enables improved time-keeping, precision measurements of high frequencies, and quantum computing using neutral atoms.
Researchers at NIST successfully transferred orbital angular momentum from light to sodium atoms, demonstrating control over the state of an atom. This breakthrough enables manipulation of Bose-Einstein condensates and potentially quantum information systems.
The Free-Electron Laser produced a 14.2 kilowatt beam of laser light at an infrared wavelength of 1.61 microns, shattering another power record. This achievement supports the Navy's vision for a high-power FEL as part of a ship-based weapon system.
Researchers develop innovative process to combine low-energy photons in sunlight into higher-energy shortwave photons, boosting solar cells' efficiency. This breakthrough could enable the use of previously lost light energy, leading to a significant increase in solar cell efficiency.
Researchers at NRC Canada use laser pulses to control chemical reactions by tilting molecular landscapes. This method has implications for quantum information and optical microscopy of live cells.
Researchers in Germany have developed a new, non-invasive technique to measure skin aging using a laser-based method. The technique measures collagen and elastin levels by a single factor, providing a quantitative assessment of skin health.
Researchers at Intel and the University of California, Santa Barbara have created a new hybrid computer chip that uses lasers to transmit data, promising faster data transfer rates. The development paves the way for future optical communications at low cost.
Researchers from UCSB and Intel built the world's first Hybrid Silicon Laser using standard silicon manufacturing processes, combining Indium Phosphide for light emission and silicon for light routing. This breakthrough addresses the last major barrier to producing low-cost, high-bandwidth silicon photonics devices.
A new formula developed by doctors at the University of Rochester Medical Center reduces farsightedness among LASIK patients, making it more likely to get vision right the first time. The formula takes into account various imperfections in the eye that were not previously known to exist.
Researchers at JILA demonstrated that gold nanoparticles can be trapped and detected six times more easily than polystyrene particles of similar size. However, the high heating effect could damage molecules under study, limiting their use in temperature-sensitive experiments.
Researchers have created a method to release substances into tumor cells using microcapsules and laser light, which could lead to more targeted cancer treatments. The technique involves heating the polymer shell of the capsule with infrared laser light, causing it to open and releasing its contents.
Kurt Gibble's paper analyzes the speed of an atom after absorbing a photon of light and shows that photons in narrow laser beams deliver less momentum than those in wide beams. This discovery has implications for atomic clocks, which use microwaves to achieve high accuracy, potentially allowing them to be even more precise.
Researchers at Purdue University developed a new low-cost system that analyzes scattered laser light to quickly identify bacteria. The technique uses a petri dish containing bacterial colonies growing in a nutrient medium, projecting the scattered light pattern onto a screen behind the petri dish.
Researchers have achieved net optical cooling of erbium-doped materials using laser radiation, overcoming technical difficulties associated with this phenomenon. This breakthrough enables the development of new devices such as high-power optical fibre lasers and medical diagnostic techniques.
Researchers at the University of Bonn have successfully sorted atoms using laser tweezers, a crucial step towards creating a quantum computer. By precisely controlling the position of individual atoms, they can perform simple quantum calculations and pave the way for more complex computations.