Articles tagged with Light
A small Dutch study found that exposure to natural light improved blood sugar control and nutrient use in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The study showed that participants experienced better blood sugar levels, increased fat as an energy source, and improved clock gene expression when exposed to natural light.
Researchers developed lithographically defined asymmetric and symmetric Mie-scatterers for subwavelength control of wave transmission and reflections. The device platform enables pre-defined chiral light propagation and backscattering-free resonances, needed for various applications such as frequency combs and photon blockade.
Researchers discovered a unique optical signature in magnetic beads, which can be used to detect pathogens like Salmonella. This technique enables quick detection within less than an hour, potentially revolutionizing food and water testing.
Researchers developed FPI-based phase demodulation for heterodyne LITES, improving SNR and detecting gas concentrations accurately. The method reduces interference and provides linear response, long-term stability, and independent signal peak-to-peak values.
Fiber sensing scientists from Shenzhen University have developed an encrypted fiber optic tag that can be used for all-optical labeling and recognition of optical transmission channels. The team proposed a method using fiber Bragg grating arrays prepared by femtosecond laser direct writing to flexibly store different coding sequences.
Researchers found that disordered organization of proteins boosts energy transfer efficiency, allowing nearly every photon to generate an electron. This finding could lead to better understanding of photosynthesis and potential applications in artificial systems.
Engineers at Rice University and the University of Maryland developed NeuWS, a technology that can undo light scattering effects, enabling full-motion video through various media. The technology measures wavefronts to rapidly decipher phase information, overcoming the 'holy grail problem' in optical imaging.
Researchers developed a nano-antenna that forms a near field of circularly polarized light, enhancing optical chirality and preserving helicity. This technology has promising applications in highly sensitive sensing and asymmetric photochemical reactions for molecular chirality.
Researchers have developed a novel technique using forever diamond to generate ultrashort terahertz pulses. The technique, Raman four-wave mixing, produces fs THz pulses with nearly equal quality to the input pulse, offering tunability through pulse modulation.
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...
Researchers at Tampere University have developed a polymer-assembly robot that can fly by the power of wind and be controlled by light. The fairy-like robot has several biomimetic features, including high porosity and lightweight structure, allowing it to float in the air and travel long distances with stability.
Researchers demonstrate the ability of GHz burst mode femtosecond laser pulses to create unique two-dimensional (2D) periodic surface nanostructures on silicon substrates. The GHz burst mode enhances ablation efficiency and quality compared to conventional single-pulse mode, enabling the formation of distinctive 2D LIPSS.
Researchers create a new method, CCI, to capture high-resolution images of material fluctuations using powerful X-ray sources. The technique allows for non-destructive imaging and reveals patterns that were previously inaccessible.
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.
A field experiment shows that competition for light drives the decline of plant diversity in grasslands under eutrophication and lack of grazing. Adding light to low-growing plants reduces this loss.
Researchers uncover hidden physics in electromagnetic optical forces, introducing complex Maxwell stress tensor theorem, revealing reactive strength of orbital momentum and imaginary Lorentz force.
Researchers from the Max Born Institute found that magnesium ions reduce ultrafast fluctuations in water's hydration shell, slowing solvation dynamics. The study reveals a short-range effect of individual ion pairs on dilute aqueous systems.
Researchers create algorithm VZA-COLD to reduce temporal variation in nighttime light data, enabling continuous global monitoring of human activity and behavior changes. This allows for timely detection of short-term changes, such as power outages after hurricanes or humanitarian efforts during wars.
A new study explores the use of light radiation to disrupt viral functionalities and eliminate viruses, including HIV, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. The researchers reviewed rapid advances in physical irradiation methods for viral inactivation, showcasing recent validation experiments toward efficient viral elimination.
A new study published in Frontiers found that excessive blue light exposure can alter cellular functions in fruit flies, potentially leading to accelerated aging. The researchers discovered changes in metabolites essential for cell function and communication between neurons.
Scientists from Göttingen and Lausanne successfully created electron-photon pairs in an electron microscope for the first time. This breakthrough enables researchers to harness free electrons and photons in a controlled manner.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a smart lighting system based on quantum dots, which can dynamically reproduce daylight conditions in a single light. The system achieves excellent color rendering, a wider operating range than current technology, and a wide spectrum of white light customization.
Researchers have successfully created the first solid-state optical nanomotor, overcoming previous limitations in real-world applications. The new motor can rotate on a solid substrate under light illumination, enabling it to serve as a fuel-free engine for various micro-/nano-electro-mechanical systems.
A team of researchers has discovered a property of light that remains unchanged in complex media, allowing for distortion-free communication and sensing. By applying a novel quantum approach, they showed that all light has this invariant property, which can be exploited to correct distortions without losing any light.
Scientists at Chung-Ang University have pioneered a novel method for controlling microdroplet motion on solid surfaces using near-infrared light. This approach allows for more precise control than traditional thermal techniques and opens up new possibilities for applications in microfluidics, drug delivery, and self-cleaning surfaces.
Researchers at MIT created insect-scale robots that can emit light during flight, allowing for precise motion tracking and potential communication between robots. The ability to emit light also enables the robots to call for help in search-and-rescue missions.
Scientists at the University of Oxford have created a new type of computing processor that uses light to process information, achieving speeds faster than traditional electronics. By leveraging multiple polarisation channels, the researchers increased computing density by several orders of magnitude, paving the way for more efficient p...
A novel all-optical switching method has been developed to make optical computing and communication systems more power-efficient. The method utilizes the quantum optical phenomenon of Enhancement of Index of Refraction (EIR) to achieve ultrafast switching times, ultralow threshold control power, and high switching efficiency.
Scientists create a bendable organic LED with a mica backing that produces soft, warm light similar to candlelight, with minimal blue wavelength emissions. This device offers a potential solution for sleep-friendly lighting alternatives.
New research develops a low-index BaF2 thin film-based microspectrometer technology for LWIR spectral sensing. The study demonstrates the use of flat and stress-free free-standing distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) for high-performance wavelength discrimination in the long-wave infrared region.
Researchers found that baby leatherback hatchlings are less sensitive to light than loggerheads, leading to circling behavior and delayed ocean entry. This difference may be an adaptation for detecting prey or habitats in the open ocean.
Researchers developed a novel algorithm, 'Joint Space and Frequency Reconstruction' (JSFR-SIM), to accelerate image reconstruction in optically sectioned superresolution structured illumination microscopy. The method achieves 80 times faster execution speed without compromising image quality.
A study by researchers at the University of Plymouth reveals that energy-efficient broad spectrum lighting is reducing the efficacy of coastal species' camouflage. This can have significant impacts on visually guided ecological processes, with certain color variations being more vulnerable to detection.
Researchers at MIT have improved the efficiency of scintillators by up to tenfold and potentially even a hundredfold by creating nanoscale configurations. This could lead to better medical diagnostic X-rays, reduced dose exposure, and improved image quality.
Researchers at NIST developed an instrument to image acoustic waves over a wide range of frequencies with unprecedented detail. The new instrument captures these waves by relying on an optical interferometer, allowing for the creation of three-dimensional movies of microresonators' vibrational modes.
Researchers at UMass Amherst developed a gear-shaped photonic crystal microring that increases light-matter interactions without sacrificing optical quality. The device boasts an optical quality factor 50 times better than previous records.
Scientists from GIST developed a photoswitchable catalyst that deactivates upon UV light exposure, facilitating controlled chemical reactions. The research paves the way for sophisticated synthesis mechanisms in chemistry and applications like photolithography.
Mona Jarrahi, a UCLA professor, has been awarded the IET A F Harvey Engineering Research Prize for her pioneering work in utilizing the electromagnetic spectrum. Her research aims to develop a hybrid methodology for designing systems with operation frequencies beyond traditional transistor technologies.
Researchers predict existence of split photons, a new phase of light that behaves like a coin with two distinct halves. The finding advances fundamental understanding of light and its behavior, challenging long-held beliefs.
MIT physicists have observed the Pauli exclusion principle suppressing how a cloud of ultracold, superdense atoms scatter light. The effect, known as Pauli blocking, makes the atoms effectively transparent and invisible to photons.
Researchers at Harvard SEAS developed a new silicon coating that counters chromatic dispersion in transparent materials like glass. The ultra-thin coating uses precisely designed silicon pillars to capture and re-emitting red light, allowing slower-moving blue light to catch up.
Researchers have developed a new light-emitting material that doubles the intensity of existing LEDs while also being more energy-efficient. The material, cerium-doped zinc oxide, has the potential to be used in commercial LED lighting applications and could make lighting more affordable for households and businesses worldwide.
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.
A team at Tampere University has created a metamaterial eENZ mirror that can control the correlation properties of light, switching between high and low correlation states. By manipulating polarization, they achieve near-perfect coherence switching.
Researchers have developed an all-optical processor that uses spatially-engineered diffractive surfaces to compute arbitrary linear transforms, eliminating the need for digital processors. The processing speed is comparable to light propagation, and the system consumes no power except for illumination.
Researchers at Incheon National University have developed a compact and robust optical sensor that can convert light to digital signals, suitable for flexible electronics. The new design architecture enables superior chip area efficiency and large-area scalability.
A next-generation camera can accurately identify tumor shape and location in human tissue by measuring time-differential signals from photons. This allows surgeons to ensure complete removal of cancerous tissue while preserving surrounding healthy tissue, revolutionizing surgical procedures.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a unique optical amplifier that offers high performance, is compact enough to integrate into a chip just millimeters in size, and does not generate excess noise. This breakthrough technology has the potential to revolutionize both space and fiber communication.
Researchers developed a precise stopwatch to count single photons, enhancing imaging technologies like forest mapping and disease diagnosis. The new time lens technology improves photon timing resolution by orders of magnitude.
Researchers develop chip-compatible 3D nanoscopy that surpasses the Abbe diffraction limit using a broadly-tunable large-spatial-frequency-shift effect. This method offers advantages over existing superresolution techniques, including high stability, low cost, and integration with microfluidic and optoelectronic functional chips.
The NUS team created a low-cost, easy-to-fabricate shadow-effect energy generator (SEG) that converts illumination contrast from partial shadows into electricity. The SEG is twice as efficient as commercial silicon solar cells under indoor conditions and can power devices like digital watches.
Scientists developed a novel self-powered e-skin capable of inducing a neural response, which can be controlled by photo illumination. The technology has potential applications in quantifying neural plasticity changes and developing novel neural-stimulation systems.
Researchers have discovered naturally occurring photocurrents in iron and manganese mineral coatings on rocks in China. These coatings exhibit stable photocurrents under steady illumination and rapid changes with illumination fluctuations, suggesting a potential role in biogeochemical processes.
Scientists developed Virtual Frame Technique (VFT) to generate thousands of images of fast phenomena, using conventional photos from any device. VFT performs better than high-speed cameras and has been used for various applications, including droplet impacts and fracture mechanics.
Salk scientists discovered that melanopsin cells, responsible for regulating consciousness and sleep, respond to prolonged illumination, but can become desensitized. The study may lead to new treatments for migraines, insomnia, jet lag and circadian rhythm disorders.
Researchers at Osaka University have created a new form of art illumination that uses synchronized fluctuations in light to mimic natural rhythms, creating a unique and cozy setting. This technology has the potential to enhance quality of life by providing a more human-friendly and nature-inspired lighting solution.
Researchers at Aalto University developed a new computational method to address the challenge of computing realistic indirect illumination in real-time computer graphics. The novel method accurately computes indirect illumination using sparse radiance probes, enabling fast and accurate lighting simulations.
A novel technique adapts image contrast to eliminate lighting effects, improving face recognition accuracy. The method uses an extended reflectance model with Fuzzy Inference System and Genetic Algorithm for real-time implementation.
Researchers have improved Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) to achieve 62-nanometer resolution, reducing phototoxicity and improving imaging of proteins interacting. This breakthrough has provided new insights into cell processes, such as the role of actin in clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
International experts warn about the adverse effects of exposure to light at night, particularly LED lighting, on circadian rhythms in nature and human health. The panel highlighted the harm caused by short-wavelength illumination to various species, including mammals, birds, and plants.