A neural network-based machine learning model accelerates diffuse optical tomography by over a million-fold, enabling real-time diagnosis. The model accurately reproduces signals even for unseen parameter combinations, with each inference taking approximately 2 milliseconds.
SourceUniversity of Tsukuba·JournalBiomedical Engineering Letters·DateJun 8, 2026
A new laser source generates a specific type of light source called a frequency comb in the mid-infrared region, paving the way for miniaturization. The device overcomes engineering challenges to produce bright, stable, and compact frequency combs.
SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalOptica·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026
Scientists at Chiba University developed a simple method to generate high-quality optical bottle beams that remain concentrated over long distances. The technique uses a binary axicon and a flat multilevel diffractive lens to create sharp light structures.
SourceChiba University·JournalACS Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026
UC Riverside-developed FROSTI system allows precise control of laser wavefronts at extreme power levels, opening a new pathway for gravitational-wave astronomy. This technology expands the universe's view by a factor of 10, potentially detecting millions of black hole and neutron star mergers with unmatched fidelity.
SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalOptica·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 26, 2025
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.
Scientists demonstrate ultrafast plasmon-enhanced magnetic bit switching, enabling faster and more robust memory devices. The study uses plasmonic gold nanostructures to confine light and achieve magnetization switching with single femtosecond laser pulses.
SourceMax Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI)·JournalNano Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 24, 2025
Scientists have discovered a way to turn ordinary liquids into epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials by interacting them with intense femtosecond laser pulses. This creates a new class of materials with tunable light propagation properties, opening up possibilities for advances in optical sensing and communication.
SourceMax Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI)·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 6, 2025
Researchers have developed a new technique to study anisotropic materials, capturing full complexity of light behavior in these materials. The method revealed detailed insights into how light scatters differently along various directions within materials, allowing retrieval of scattering tensor coefficients.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics Nexus·DateSep 17, 2024
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.
Researchers at Soochow University introduced coherence entropy as a global characterization of light fields subjected to random fluctuations. Coherence entropy remains stable during the propagation of light through complex media, making it a robust indicator of light field behavior in non-ideal conditions.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateAug 13, 2024
Researchers at UCLA have developed a wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor that enables all-optical multiplane quantitative phase imaging. This approach allows for rapid and efficient imaging of specimens across multiple axial planes without the need for digital phase recovery algorithms.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateJul 26, 2024
Scientists have successfully created an optical analog of the Kármán vortex street (KVS), a classical flow pattern of swirling vortices. The optical KVS pulse exhibits fascinating parallels with fluid transport, allowing for potential applications in metrology, telecommunications, and LiDAR.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalNature Communications·DateJun 13, 2024
A recent study by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem developed a Free-Standing Microscale Photonic Lantern Spatial Mode (De-)Multiplexer using 3D Nanoprinting. The device enables spatial mode multiplexing, converting between optical waves and separated single-mode signals, with applications in high-capacity communication and imaging.
SourceThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem·JournalLight Science & Applications·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 3, 2024
A groundbreaking study introduces a method for sorting vector structured beams with spin-multiplexed diffractive metasurfaces, promising significant advancements in optical communication and quantum computing. This technology enables precise control over complex light beams, opening new avenues for scientific exploration.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics Nexus·DateMay 31, 2024
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.
Researchers at Lancaster University and Radboud University Nijmegen have discovered a novel pathway to modulate and amplify spin waves at the nanoscale, paving the way for dissipation-free quantum information technologies. The study's findings could lead to the development of fast and energy-efficient computing devices.
SourceLancaster University·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 29, 2024
Scientists have developed a new method to manipulate light using synthetic dimension dynamics, enabling precise control over light propagation and confinement. This breakthrough has significant implications for applications such as mode lasing, quantum optics, and data transmission.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateMar 19, 2024
Researchers have developed a novel optical neural network architecture that achieves nonlinear optical computation by precisely controlling ultrashort pulse propagation in multimode fibers. This approach streamlines the need for energy-intensive digital processes, achieving comparable accuracy with significantly reduced parameters.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateJan 25, 2024
Researchers extend spatially incoherent diffractive networks to perform complex-valued linear transformations with negligible error, opening up new applications in fields like autonomous vehicles. This breakthrough enables the encryption and decryption of complex-valued images using spatially incoherent diffractive networks.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics Nexus·DateJan 22, 2024
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.
Researchers at TU Wien have developed a 'quantum ping-pong' where two atoms bounce a single photon back and forth. The team used a Maxwell fish-eye lens to achieve pinpoint accuracy, allowing the photons to be transferred from one atom to another with high efficiency.
SourceVienna University of Technology·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateJan 16, 2024
The review discusses the optical aspects of QPAT, including mathematical models for light propagation and interaction with biological tissues. The authors outline two approaches to estimating chromophore concentrations from absorbed optical energy density data, highlighting the challenges associated with practical implementation, such ...
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalJournal of Biomedical Optics·DateJan 11, 2024
A team of researchers at Ghent University and imec developed a silicon photonic temperature sensor that measures up to 180°C. The sensor was realized in the framework of the European SEER project, where partners focus on integrating optical sensors in manufacturing routines for composite parts.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalJournal of Optical Microsystems·DateDec 15, 2023
A new approach for coupling different light modes enables unprecedented data transfer rates in an MDM system. By using a gradient-index metamaterial waveguide, researchers achieved a high coupling coefficient and created a 16-channel MDM communication system with a data transfer rate of 2.162 Tbit/s.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateSep 15, 2023
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount provides precise tracking capacity for deep-sky imaging rigs during long astrophotography sessions.
A new approach boosts light absorption in thin silicon photodetectors with photon-trapping structures, increasing the absorption efficiency over a wide band in the NIR spectrum. The findings demonstrate a promising strategy to enhance the performance of Si-based photodetectors for emerging photonics applications.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics Nexus·DateJul 26, 2023
Researchers have developed an innovative approach to efficiently manipulate topological edge states for optical channel switching. By exploiting the finite-size effect in a two-unit-cell optical lattice, they achieved dynamic control over topological modes and demonstrated robust device performance.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateJun 6, 2023
A mobile application utilizing Python and a single-element ultrasound transducer has been developed for photoacoustic tomography (PAT) image reconstruction. The application successfully reconstructs high-quality images with signal-to-noise ratio values above 30 decibels, making it suitable for point-of-care diagnosis in low-resource se...
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalJournal of Biomedical Optics·DateApr 27, 2023
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.
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 ...
SourceDelft University of Technology·JournalNature Communications·TypeCase study·DateMar 22, 2023
Researchers from China and Singapore study the radiative properties of polyamide-12, a common marine microplastic pollutant. They found that most of the incident radiation is scattered by PA12 particles, affecting ocean light transmission and marine ecology.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalOptical Engineering·DateMar 21, 2023
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.
SourceKing Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)·JournalOptica·DateMar 19, 2023
A research team at City University of Hong Kong invented a tunable terahertz meta-device that can control the radiation direction and coverage area of THz beams. The device allows for signal delivery to specific users or detectors and has flexibility to adjust the propagating direction, as needed.
SourceCity University of Hong Kong·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 16, 2023
Researchers at the Universities of Jena and Central Florida have created a photon gas that exhibits behavior similar to a conventional gas, with particles moving at different speeds but maintaining a mean velocity defined by temperature. This phenomenon, known as negative temperature, can be cooled or heated, allowing for the creation ...
SourceFriedrich-Schiller-Universitaet Jena·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 10, 2023
Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach
Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.
Researchers from Waseda University measured the energy spectrum of boron and the B/C flux ratio in high-energy cosmic rays using the CALorimetric Electron Telescope. The results indicate a different spectral index for boron compared to carbon, with implications for our understanding of cosmic ray propagation mechanisms.
SourceWaseda University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeObservational study·DateJan 26, 2023
University of Central Florida researchers observed de Broglie-Mackinnon wave packets, a long-standing theoretical concept, by exploiting a loophole in 1980's-era laser physics theorem. The team's use of space-time wave packets, which resist stretching in dispersive media, verifies predicted properties and opens the path to studying top...
SourceUniversity of Central Florida·JournalNature Physics·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 26, 2023
Researchers report the discovery of photonic hopfions, a new family of 3D topological solitons with freely tunable textures and numbers. These structures exhibit robust topological protection, making them suitable for applications in optical communications, quantum technologies, and metrology.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateJan 19, 2023
A team of astronomers discovered 87 galaxies that could be the earliest known galaxies in the universe using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. This finding suggests a revision to our understanding of galaxy formation, indicating that more galaxies may have formed earlier than previously thought.
SourceUniversity of Missouri-Columbia·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateJan 9, 2023
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.
A study in Nature Photonics reveals the fascinating properties of optical Möbius rings, which exhibit non-integer multiples of wavelength for resonance. The degree of ellipticity in polarization decreases as the strip width narrows, allowing for controlled Berry phase manipulation.
SourceChemnitz University of Technology·JournalNature Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateDec 23, 2022
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.
SourceUniversity of Ottawa·JournalNature Photonics·TypeImaging analysis·DateDec 1, 2022
Researchers developed high-capacity free-space optical links using unipolar quantum optoelectronic devices, achieving unprecedented data rates of up to 30 Gbit/s at 31-meter distances. The system's performance is resistant to weather conditions and showcases potential for fast, long-range optical links.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateNov 2, 2022
Researchers from the University of Kassel developed an approach to extend the limits of interferometric topography measurements for optical resolution below small structures. Microsphere assistance enables fast and label-free imaging without requiring extensive sample preparation.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalJournal of Optical Microsystems·DateNov 1, 2022
For the first time, scientists observed the annihilation of exceptional points from various degeneration points. The researchers used an optical resonator filled with liquid crystal to study the properties of exceptional points. They found that the position of these points can be controlled by changing the voltage applied to the cavity.
SourceUniversity of Warsaw, Faculty of Physics·JournalNature Communications·DateOct 14, 2022
Creality K1 Max 3D Printer
Creality K1 Max 3D Printer rapidly prototypes brackets, adapters, and fixtures for instruments and classroom demonstrations at large build volume.
A team at Tampere University has demonstrated that quantum waves behave differently from classical counterparts, increasing the precision of distance measurements. Their findings also shed light on the physical origin of the Gouy phase anomaly in focused light fields.
SourceTampere University·JournalNature Photonics·DateOct 7, 2022
Researchers have developed a single-cell PV design integrated with nonreciprocal optical components to provide 100-percent reuse of emitted radiation, breaking the Shockley–Queisser limit. This breakthrough enables a quasimonochromatic radiation converter to reach the theoretically maximum Carnot efficiency.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalJournal of Photonics for Energy·DateJun 1, 2022
The University of Central Florida researchers created bimorphic topological insulators that enable secure transport of light packets with minimal losses. These materials could lead to faster and more energy-efficient photonic computers and one day, quantum computing.
SourceUniversity of Central Florida·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 18, 2022
Researchers created a stable surface with exceptional points, demonstrating perfect light absorption in a coherent system. The discovery enables the investigation of new physics and potential applications for better sensors and novel ways of controlling light-matter interaction.
SourcePenn State·JournalNature Communications·DateFeb 2, 2022
Researchers have discovered a new material, α-MoO3, that can be used to create invisibility concentrators with improved performance and lower production costs. The study suggests the use of α-MoO3 to control energy flow and scatter light, enabling the creation of devices with near-perfect invisibility.
SourceDe Gruyter·JournalNanophotonics·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateDec 21, 2021
Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply
Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.
Researchers develop theory on exploiting space reflection and time reversal symmetries to control transport and correlations in quantum materials. The discovery may lead to the design of future quantum devices relying on strong correlations and exceptional points in oligomer chains.
SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalCommunications Physics·DateDec 2, 2021
Researchers have discovered that twisted bilayer graphene can guide and control light at the nanometer scale due to its unique interaction with collective electron movements. This property enables the material to be used as a platform for optical sensing of gases and bio-molecules.
SourceICFO-The Institute of Photonic Sciences·JournalNature Physics·DateOct 29, 2021
A team of researchers at EPFL and Purdue University has developed a magnetic-free optical isolator using integrated photonics and micro-electromechanical systems. This device can couple to and deflect light propagating in a waveguide, mimicking the effects of magnet-driven isolators without requiring magnetic fields.
SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·JournalNature Photonics·DateOct 21, 2021
Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars
Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.
Researchers at City College of New York have combined topological photons with lattice vibrations to manipulate their propagation in a controlled manner. The study has broad implications for advancing Raman spectroscopy and studying chemical substances through vibrational spectroscopy.
SourceCity College of New York·JournalScience·TypeMeta-analysis·DateOct 8, 2021
Australian researchers have made a significant step towards ultra-low energy electronics by demonstrating the dissipationless flow of exciton polaritons at room temperature. The breakthrough involves placing a semiconductor material between two mirrors, allowing the excitons to propagate without losing energy.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 3, 2021
A Russian-U.K. research team has proposed a theoretical description for the new effect of quantum wave mixing involving classical and nonclassical states of microwave radiation. The study builds on earlier experiments on artificial atoms, which serve as qubits for quantum computers and probes fundamental laws of nature.
SourceSkolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech)·JournalPhysical Review A·TypeMeta-analysis·DateAug 31, 2021
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.
Researchers observed ghost polaritons in calcite crystals, enabling superior control of infrared nano-light for various applications. The discovery features highly collimated propagation properties and record-long distance propagation at room temperature.
SourceAdvanced Science Research Center, GC/CUNY·JournalNature·DateAug 27, 2021
Physicists have established a fundamental limitation of light confinement in nano-scale systems, with a critical dimension threshold of around 250nm. This discovery has implications for various fields such as material science and quantum technologies.
SourceUniversity of Southampton·JournalNature Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 11, 2021
Hyperbolic metamaterials enable subwavelength confinement of electromagnetic waves, allowing for flexible control of near-field light propagation. The researchers used an all-electric scheme to selectively couple near-field light in HMMs, enabling unidirectional excitation of hyperbolic modes.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateJun 14, 2021
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.
SourceUniversity of Münster·JournalNature Communications·DateJul 29, 2020
Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter
Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.
Researchers discovered that twisting ultrathin layers of molybdenum trioxide enables diffraction-free light propagation in tightly focused channels over a wide range of wavelengths. This breakthrough has promising implications for leapfrog advancements in imaging, optical computing, and biosensing technologies.
SourceAdvanced Science Research Center, GC/CUNY·JournalNature·DateJun 11, 2020
Researchers have developed hollow-core fibers that can preserve light's essential attributes over long distances, overcoming challenges in optical interferometric systems and sensors. The technology has the potential to enhance performance in applications such as gravitational wave sensing and inertial navigation.
SourceUniversity of Southampton·JournalNature Photonics·DateMay 12, 2020
Researchers have successfully observed topologically protected light waves propagating along a special boundary in a photonic crystal, unaffected by sharp corners or imperfections. This breakthrough enables the development of optical chips with enhanced reliability and potential for quantum information transfer.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have demonstrated the backflow of optical light propagating forward, a phenomenon predicted over 50 years ago. This discovery could aid in probing the atmosphere by emitting laser beams and detecting signals moving backward toward the source.
SourceAmerican Friends of Tel Aviv University·JournalOptica·DateFeb 6, 2020
Researchers create a new type of optical metasurface that imposes phase modulation on reflected light, leading to unidirectional light propagation. The metasurface enables nonreciprocal light propagation in free space with unprecedented large temporal modulation frequency.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·DateDec 20, 2019
GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter
GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.
Researchers have successfully transmitted light through a two-dimensional molybdenum diselenide crystal, only one atom thick. The distribution of light polarization in space turned out to be similar to the three-colored rapana, with unique effects of spin-orbit interaction in the crystal.
SourceSt. Petersburg State University·JournalNature Nanotechnology·DateJul 23, 2019
Researchers have developed a new approach to invisibility cloaking based on manipulating light frequency, making objects invisible under broadband illumination. This technology could be used for secure data transmissions, sensing, and telecommunications.
Researchers from Lomonosov Moscow State University and their international colleagues created a ferroelectric liquid crystal material that outperforms traditional LCDs in terms of speed, stability, and color accuracy. This breakthrough enables faster and more efficient displays with improved resolution and reduced energy consumption.
SourceLomonosov Moscow State University·JournalAdvanced Functional Materials·DateMar 6, 2018
Meta Quest 3 512GB
Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.