Research using lasers and light-based technology. Covers electron control, metalens optics, mid-flight drone charging, and water purification.
Physicists at FAU have successfully measured and controlled electron release from metals in the attosecond range using a special strategy. This achievement could lead to new quantum-mechanical insights and enable electronic circuits that are a million times faster than current technology.
A team from Nanjing University and Sun Yat-Sen University developed a two-facing Janus OPO scheme for generating high-efficiency, high-purity broadband LG modes with tunable topological charge. The output LG mode has a tunable wavelength between 1.5 μm and 1.6 μm, with a conversion efficiency above 15 percent.
Scientists create a simple approach to fabricating highly precise 3D aperiodic photonic volume elements (APVEs) for various applications. The method uses direct laser writing to arrange voxels of specific refractive indices in glass, enabling the precise control of light flow and achieving record-high diffraction efficiency.
Researchers at Brown University developed a new microscopy technique using blue light to measure electrons in semiconductors and other nanoscale materials. This breakthrough enables the study of critical components that can help power devices like mobile phones and laptops.
Researchers at Colorado State University propose using ultrathin films of molybdenum disulfide to improve solar cell efficiency. The material displays unprecedented charge carrier properties that could lead to drastic improvements in solar technologies.
Scientists have developed a method to activate protein functions using brief flashes of light, enabling precise control over when and where chemical reactions occur. This technology has potential uses in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and understanding biological processes.
A team of researchers at the Max Born Institute developed a novel method for X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD) spectroscopy using a laser-driven plasma source. This breakthrough enables precise determination of magnetic moments in buried layers without damaging samples, and can monitor ultrafast magnetization processes.
Imperial College London physicists have recreated the famous double-slit experiment, showing light behaves as both particles and waves in time. This experiment could lead to ultrafast optical switches and control over light in space and time.
A study published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine suggests that light therapy, known as photobiomodulation (PBM), can improve heart function and reduce the thickness of the cardiac wall in middle-aged mice. The research also found improved neuromuscular coordination and a significant survival rate among mice with severe heart disease.
Physicists at Delft University of Technology have developed a new technology on a microchip combining optical trapping and frequency combs to measure distances with high precision in opaque materials. The technology uses sound vibrations instead of light, offering a simple and low-power solution for applications such as monitoring the ...
A team of researchers has demonstrated the ability to dynamically steer incoherent light pulses using a semiconductor device, paving the way for applications such as holograms, remote sensing, and self-driving cars. The technique uses metasurfaces to manipulate light waves, offering a low-power alternative to traditional laser beams.
Researchers have demonstrated an easy method to alter VCSELs to reduce speckles, improving their suitability for applications like lighting and holography. By changing the device shape, they introduced chaotic behavior, allowing more modes to be emitted and reducing speckle density.
Scientists at EPFL and IBM have developed a new type of laser using lithium niobate, enabling precise distance measurements in LiDAR applications. The hybrid integrated tunable laser offers low frequency noise and fast wavelength tuning.
The γ-MnO2 dual-core pair-hole fiber enables the production of an all-fiber mode-locked laser with a pulse width of about 1 ps and a repetition frequency of about 600 MHz. This fabrication scheme offers good stability and is suitable for combining other novel materials with specialty fibers, expanding ultrafast optics and sensing appli...
A team from TU Wien has developed a method to cool several particles simultaneously by adapting the spatial structure of a laser beam to particle motion. The technique uses far-field wavefront shaping to optimize cooling and can be achieved without knowing the exact location or movement of the particles.
Simulations suggest a tenfold increase in frequency, with peak powers reaching 100 trillion watts, enabling more efficient generation of high-energy laser light. The new approach involves wakesurfing behind electron beams, maintaining coherence and alignment of the waves.
Direct incorporation of a metasurface in a laser cavity enables spatiotemporally modulated laser pulses. Giant nonlinear saturable absorption allows pulsed laser generation via Q-switching process.
Scientists developed a sensitive nanostructured silver surface to detect arsenic in water, food and soil using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The new technique is more sensitive and easier to produce than existing methods, making it ideal for on-site field assays.
Researchers at MIT have proposed a new approach to making qubits and controlling them using beams of light from two lasers of slightly different colors. This method enables the direct manipulation of nuclear spin, allowing for precise identification and mapping of isotopes, as well as improved coherence times for quantum memory.
Researchers developed a new non-mechanical 3D lidar system that combines scanning and flash illumination using a chip-based light source, enabling safe navigation in dynamic environments. The system can measure the distance of poorly reflective objects and track their motion, making autonomous driving safer.
Researchers at Aston University have discovered a new approach to process LDF light signals, allowing for more precise measurement of blood flow in specific areas of the vascular bed. This innovation has shown significant improvement in diagnostic accuracy for detecting microvascular changes in patients with type 2 diabetes and age-spe...
Researchers at Osaka University developed a laser-driven neutron source, enabling extremely rapid elemental analysis. The study found that increasing laser intensity yields neutrons proportional to the fourth power, allowing for faster identification of elements in samples.
A water droplet acts as a model of an atom when illuminated by laser light, allowing researchers to study resonance phenomena and energy levels. The droplet's size changes due to evaporation, creating a visible 'optical atom' that can be used to analyze water quality and detect pollutants.
The new optical resonator developed by Capasso's team provides precise control over the mode of light and enables multi-mode coupled light to exist within the resonator. This breakthrough could influence how resonators are understood and open doors for new capabilities, including fundamental physics experiments and manipulation of mate...
A new study finds that andiroba oil accelerates wound healing, increases contraction rates, and promotes local re-epithelialization. The oil also presents a similar potential to low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in treating oral mucositis, a common side effect of chemotherapy.
Researchers at the University of Maryland successfully guided a 45-meter-long beam of light through an unremarkable hallway, pushing the limits of an innovative technique. The team utilized ultra-short laser pulses to create a plasma that heated air, forming a high-density core and enabling efficient light delivery.
Researchers at UMD successfully guided light in a 45-meter-long air waveguide, creating a high-density core to guide a laser. The technique utilizes ultra-short laser pulses to create a plasma that heats the air, expanding it and leaving a low-density path behind.
Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory demonstrate a new color-shifting strategy that relies on interactions between lasers and vibrational energy in ionic liquids. The method offers an efficient and customizable approach to shift laser colors, with applications in science, industry, and medicine.
Researchers at TU Wien have created a new, simpler method for producing intense, high-energy X-ray pulses using ytterbium lasers and a gas medium. This technique increases the efficiency of X-ray radiation production, allowing for better monitoring of chemical reactions in real-time and more efficient nanostructure production.
Researchers develop a new optical method to detect topological phases in magnetic materials using Raman scattering. The technique shows promise for validating magnon topology and could lead to more sustainable technological devices with lower energy consumption.
A new type of optical manipulation has been developed, using laser light to pull macroscopic objects. The researchers designed a graphene-SiO composite structure specifically for laser pulling, which creates a reversed temperature difference when irradiated with a laser beam.
A team at City University of Hong Kong has developed a novel approach to converting environmental temperature fluctuations into clean chemical energy using pyroelectric catalysis. By combining pyroelectric materials with localized plasmonic heat sources, the researchers achieved significantly faster and more efficient pyro-catalytic re...
Scientists successfully record phase distribution of electrons, unveiling detailed structure of its complex wavefunction. The method uses attosecond laser pulse to visualize electron wavefunction in a gas.
Researchers at Columbia Engineering's Lipson Nanophotonics Group create tunable and narrow-linewidth chip-scale lasers emitting light of different colors, including green, blue, and violet. These inexpensive lasers have the smallest footprint and shortest wavelength of any tunable and narrow-linewidth integrated laser emitting visible ...
Scientists have developed a new method to enhance electron-photon coupling, resulting in a hundredfold increase in light emissions. The approach uses a specially designed photonic crystal to produce stronger interactions between photons and electrons.
Researchers developed a one-dimensional suspended high-contrast grating structure to enable directional lasing with high energy efficiency. The device can adjust the emission angle over a wide range, from -40° to +40°, making it suitable for solid-state LiDAR applications.
Researchers at MIT developed a new sensor that converts light into a magnetic signal detectable by MRI, allowing for the mapping of light distribution in tissue. This breakthrough has implications for optogenetic experiments and monitoring patients receiving light-based therapies for cancer treatment.
Researchers use novel interferometric technique to measure time delay between H2 and D2 isotopes, finding phase shift of nearly 3 attoseconds caused by nuclear motion. The study uses high harmonic generation and advanced theoretical modeling to validate the method.
Researchers achieved unprecedented extreme physical conditions using a 100 PW laser system, enabling new applications and fundamental science. The system features an OPCPA front end that supports peak powers of 263 TW and pulse durations as short as 13.4 fs.
Researchers developed an all-optical approach to pumping chip-based nanolasers, enabling dense arrays of highly precise devices. This method could aid in meeting the growing need for faster data processing, streaming ultra-high-definition movies and gaming.
A team of researchers from the University of Rhode Island has discovered new details about the chemical reaction that occurs when ferrate is exposed to visible and ultraviolet light. The findings could help optimize the use of ferrate in water treatment applications, making it a promising option for smaller systems.
A team of scientists has developed a novel method to demonstrate a high-purity longitudinal femtosecond laser field, enabling the creation of 10nm features in sapphire with unprecedented resolution. The technique uses an 800nm wavelength femtosecond laser source and spatial light modulators to produce a high-quality annular beam with r...
Researchers used bright green lasers and camera equipment to directly visualize aerosol plumes and measure the speed and spread of particles in a toilet flush. The study found that airborne particles shoot out quickly, reaching speeds of 6.6 feet per second and remaining suspended in the air for minutes or longer.
Researchers developed a new lidar technique using 3D flash lidar combined with super-resolution algorithm for hazard avoidance during landing. The technique improved the precision and safety of robotic vehicles on Mars, enabling them to navigate through challenging environments.
The NASA Deep Space Optical Communications project has successfully demonstrated a new type of laser system that can transmit large amounts of data, including high-definition images and video, through space. The system uses a combination of flight and ground-based lasers to establish an optical link between spacecraft and Earth.
Researchers investigate generating and performing terahertz structured light using flat photonic elements for object inspection and recognition tasks. Flat photonic elements offer advantages in creating non-diffracting beams that preserve internal structure, enabling high-resolution imaging with minimal background signal.
A team of researchers from Synchrotron SOLEIL, France, and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Germany, has successfully demonstrated a free-electron laser driven by plasma acceleration and seeded by additional light pulses. This achievement could lead to the development of more compact and affordable FEL systems.
A study published in Science Advances shows that tPBM can improve working memory in people with conditions like ADHD. The therapy, applied to the right prefrontal cortex, showed significant improvements in memory performance and brain activity.
Researchers at the University of Ottawa have developed a new technique to differentiate the mirror images of a chiral molecule, a problem that was believed to be unsolvable for nearly 20 years. The team used linear polarized helical light beams to enhance sensitivity and observed differential absorption in achiral molecules.
Scientists have successfully demonstrated light-induced locomotion in a nonliquid environment using antimony telluride plates. The new type of motion, driven by thermal effects, enables efficient actuation in vacuum systems, opening up possibilities for mobile photonic modulation and multimode micro robots.
Harvard scientists create a high-performance on-chip femtosecond pulse source using a time lens, enabling broadband, high-intensity pulse sources. The device is highly tunable, integrated onto a small chip and requires reduced power compared to traditional table-top systems.
Researchers have summarized the latest developments in mass transfer techniques for large-scale and high-density microLED arrays. The techniques address key challenges such as interfacial adhesion mechanisms and process parameters to achieve high reliability and efficiency.
Researchers developed a new device, MAGENTA, that prevents and supports muscle atrophy recovery. The device stimulates muscles to stretch and contract, triggering key molecular pathways for growth. It has potential applications in treating various diseases such as ALS and MS.
Researchers have developed a method for centimeter-scale color printing using grayscale laser writing, achieving vivid and fine-tunable colors. The technique leverages pixelated optical cavities to generate transmission colors with a transmission efficiency of 39-50%.
Researchers from LP3 Laboratory developed a light-based technique for local material processing in three-dimensional space of semiconductor chips. They successfully fabricated embedded structures inside Si and GaAs materials, which cannot be 3D processed with conventional ultrafast lasers.
A new type of integrated semiconductor laser has been developed using the Pockels effect, integrating a lithium-niobate-on-insulator platform. This technology enables fast reconfigurability and narrow spectral window, paving the way for applications in LiDAR remote sensing, microwave photonics, atomic physics, and AR/VR.
Researchers at MIT have developed a new method that uses optics to accelerate machine-learning computations on low-power devices. By encoding model components onto light waves, data can be transmitted rapidly and computations performed quickly, leading to over a hundredfold improvement in energy efficiency.
Researchers have developed a method to track the temporal distribution of energy absorption in molecules using time-resolved spectroscopy. This allows for a precise understanding of the dynamics of energy transfer between light and vibrating molecules.
Researchers have developed a high-performance laser system capable of measuring electron temperature and density in plasma at a world record speed of 20,000 times per second. This breakthrough enables detailed measurements of transient phenomena in plasmas, crucial for understanding and controlling fusion power generation.
The invention of Chirped Pulse Amplification (CPA) in 1985 revolutionized ultrafast laser science. OPCPA, developed by Dubietis et al. in 1992, combined the advantages of CPA with optical parametric amplification, offering high gain and low thermal load. Today, table-top OPCPA systems have reached maturity, producing multi-gigawatt to ...