Researchers designed a compact, optically addressed programmable metasurface using VO2-based phase change materials. The device enables pixel-level independent encoding and dynamic generation of THz wavefronts for various applications including zoom meta-lensing, vortex beams, and holography.
SourceEditorial Office of Opto-Electronic Journals Group·JournalOpto-Electronic Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 3, 2026
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.
Researchers created microspheres with twisted-bipolar molecular configuration, enabling angle-selective optical resonance and laser oscillation. The resulting emissions mimic Saturn's rings, showcasing directional control of light in microscopic spaces.
SourceUniversity of Tsukuba·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateJul 26, 2026
Researchers developed a programmable virtual metasurface that converts invisible infrared images into visible light while dynamically controlling focus. The system uses software-defined optical patterns and can be reconfigured in real time, offering a new approach for infrared imaging and wavefront control.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics Nexus·DateJul 15, 2026
Researchers have developed a tiny, electrically tunable infrared filter that can distinguish between different materials and gases based on their spectral 'fingerprints'. This technology has the potential to enable handheld pollution detectors, compact multispectral cameras, and next-generation chemical sensing devices.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalAdvanced Materials Technologies·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 7, 2026
A Korean research team created an underwater acoustic lens capable of focusing sound precisely at a desired point while reducing weight by about 40% compared to conventional designs. The findings have significant implications for underwater communication, marine environmental monitoring, and acoustic energy transfer.
SourcePohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)·JournalJournal of Sound and Vibration·DateJul 1, 2026
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.
A new telescope technology, featuring a metasurface component, can collect scientifically meaningful data from the Sun in a single snapshot. This technology solves problems in space missions by stabilizing telescopes and reducing costs.
SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalScience Advances·DateJun 10, 2026
Researchers from The University of Osaka propose a compact LED design that directly emits circularly polarized light, potentially simplifying optical devices. The new design uses robust inorganic materials and achieves high levels of both efficiency and polarization degree.
SourceThe University of Osaka·JournalOptics Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMar 26, 2026
Researchers developed a metastructure-based strategy for continuous color-gamut control, time-programmable modulation, and self-destruction capability. This enables high-resolution monochromatic and multicolor device printing and recognition of structural-color patterns for anti-counterfeiting labels.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·DateMar 24, 2026
Researchers have created a flexible microwave device that generates Stokes skyrmions in free space, even when bent or partially broken. These exotic field structures preserve their topological charge under deformation, making them suitable for encoding information and resisting distortion in wireless communication systems.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateMar 5, 2026
Researchers design nanostructured surface to exhibit strong nonreciprocal magnetoelectric coupling, overcoming experimental challenges. The achieved Tellegen response is about 100 times stronger than that found in any known natural material.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournaleLight·DateMar 2, 2026
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.
Researchers at CUNY ASRC developed a metasurface that converts infrared light to visible green light and steers it using polarization control. The device is 100 times more efficient than comparable devices, enabling ultra-compact light sources and on-chip beam steering for various technologies.
SourceAdvanced Science Research Center, GC/CUNY·JournaleLight·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 2, 2026
Researchers have created a nonlinear metasurface that efficiently generates and steers visible light through controlled geometric phase. The device combines high-Q resonance enhancement with pixel-level control of the wavefront, enabling compact chip-based visible/UV sources and LiDAR beam steering.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournaleLight·DateFeb 2, 2026
Scientists have developed a new optical device that can generate both electric and magnetic vortex-ring-like light patterns, known as skyrmions. The device uses a nonlinear metasurface to achieve the first experimental demonstration of skyrmions that can be switched between electric and magnetic modes in toroidal terahertz light pulses.
Researchers have developed an on-chip nonlocal metasurface for color router, exploiting symmetry-broken quasi-bound states in the continuum to modulate light extraction intensity and spectral output. The approach achieves efficient, narrowband color routing while minimizing energy utilization efficiency loss from spatial multiplexing.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·DateJan 21, 2026
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.
A nanostructure composed of silver and an atomically thin semiconductor layer can be turned into an ultrafast switching mirror device, displaying properties of both light and matter. This discovery could lead to dramatically increased information transmission rates in optical data processing.
SourceUniversity of Oldenburg·JournalNature Nanotechnology·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 21, 2026
Researchers visualized how light is transformed inside a chiral metasurface in both real space and real-time, achieving nanometer spatial resolution and femtosecond temporal resolution. The team found that the asymmetric near fields are a genuine signature of the chiral geometry.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateJan 21, 2026
Researchers developed a novel approach to create dynamic metasurfaces using reversible metal electrodeposition, achieving high optical tunability. The technology demonstrates record-high signal-to-noise ratios in various wavelength regimes, enabling reconfigurable optical and thermal devices.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateJan 15, 2026
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 team from Harvard and University of Lisbon found that silica, a low-refractive index material, can be used for making metasurfaces despite long-held assumptions. They discovered that by carefully considering the geometry of each nanopillar, silica behaves as a metasurface, enabling efficient design of devices with relaxed feature sizes.
SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalNano Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 14, 2026
A team of researchers has developed a dual-response cellulose–WO3 composite film that can switch tint in seconds and survive 200 cycles. The membrane is made from wood and can be roll-coated on existing paper machines, making it a sustainable alternative to traditional smart glass.
SourceJournal of Bioresources and Bioproducts·JournalJournal of Bioresources and Bioproducts·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 12, 2026
Physicists Tom Hoekstra and Jorik van de Groep have realized an actively tunable metasurface using a novel quantum material, enabling the creation of a nanoscale mirror that can be turned on and off. The device harnesses excitons in 2D materials to control light with record efficiency.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·DateJan 6, 2026
Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor
Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.
Researchers at China Jiliang University have developed a comprehensive review of metasurfaces for generating and controlling perfect vortex beams. The advancements in this field offer new possibilities for high-precision optical applications.
SourceOpto-Electronic Journals Group·JournalOpto-Electronic Science·DateDec 22, 2025
Engineered metasurfaces can focus and control light to trigger responses in specific cells, enabling precise, wireless stimulation. This breakthrough lays the foundation for next-gen bioelectronic implants with targeted cell activation or cancer therapy.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateDec 21, 2025
A new metasurface design improves the brightness and image quality of augmented reality (AR) glasses by reducing light loss and preserving shape. The technology has potential applications beyond AR, such as automotive and aerospace head-up displays.
SourceOptica·JournalOptical Materials Express·DateNov 11, 2025
A new LiDAR system combines the advantages of beam array scanning and flash LiDAR technologies, enabling high-precision detection across diverse applications. The device features a mechanically reconfigurable metasurface platform that synergizes tunable hybrid cascaded metasurfaces with a shape memory alloy micro-actuator.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateNov 11, 2025
Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)
Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only) delivers reliable low-light performance and rugged build for astrophotography, lab documentation, and field expeditions.
Researchers successfully generate even and odd terahertz frequencies using topological insulator-based van der Waals metamaterials, confirming long-standing theories and opening doors to new applications. This breakthrough enables the development of compact terahertz sources, sensors, and ultrafast optoelectronic devices.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateOct 23, 2025
Researchers developed a 2x2 on-chip metasurface network on lithium niobate photonics to achieve high-speed, dynamically tunable light field control and large-capacity information processing. The design enables four-channel multiplexing for illumination direction and polarization control.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateOct 22, 2025
Scientists have developed a new type of metasurface that combines waveguide physics with planar design to achieve precise control over light at the nanoscale. The metasurfaces produce photonic flatbands across wide angles while preserving ultrahigh quality factors, enabling efficient trapping of light and strong interactions with matter.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateOct 6, 2025
Researchers introduce a new theoretical framework that accounts for higher-order spatial harmonics in gradient metasurfaces, enabling precise control over inter-unit coupling. This allows for unprecedented harmonic-selective control in devices, with applications in ultra-dense beamforming and reconfigurable multichannel sensing.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateSep 22, 2025
Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition
Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition is a durable star atlas for planning sessions, identifying targets, and teaching celestial navigation.
Researchers have developed a new approach to manufacturing multicolour lenses using metamaterials, overcoming major limitations of metalenses. The design enables polarisation independence and scalability through mature semiconductor nanofabrication platforms.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalOptics Express·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 8, 2025
Researchers have developed a patterned layer of material that can dynamically tune advanced optical processes at visible wavelengths. The breakthrough enables adaptive camouflage, biosensing, and quantum light engines, leveraging the unique properties of van der Waals materials.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 7, 2025
Researchers developed a graphene-based single-gate electro-optic metasurface that controls light direction using a single electrode, simplifying device structure while maintaining high optical efficiency. The metasurface achieved large beam switching angles and demonstrated scalability for next-generation programmable photonic systems.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateSep 3, 2025
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.
Recent developments in metalenses focus on increasing structural complexity, broadening achromatic bandwidth, and improving efficiency. Dual-metalens systems offer high-dimensional light-field modulation and parallel imaging capabilities.
SourceOpto-Electronic Journals Group·JournalElectronics·DateAug 21, 2025
Researchers develop a generic strategy for vectorial holography using ultrathin metasurfaces, enabling complex images with spatially varying polarization states. The method achieves high efficiency, outperforming previous systems, and has potential applications in optical encryption and anticounterfeiting.
SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalAdvanced Photonics·DateAug 21, 2025
A nanometer-thin spacer layer has been inserted into exciplex upconversion OLEDs (ExUC-OLEDs) to improve energy transfer, enhancing blue light emission by 77-fold. This design enables the use of previously incompatible materials, paving the way for lightweight, low-voltage, and more flexible OLEDs.
SourceUniversity of Toyama·JournalACS Applied Optical Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 26, 2025
Researchers have developed a technique to observe phonon dynamics in nanoparticle self-assemblies, enabling the creation of reconfigurable metamaterials with desired mechanical properties. This advance has wide-ranging applications in fields such as robotics, mechanical engineering, and information technology.
SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalNature Materials·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 18, 2025
Researchers have developed an integrated metasurface-integrated quantum analog computing system, simplifying phase reconstruction and achieving high signal-to-noise ratio at low photon levels. This technology has broad application potential in fields such as optical chips, wave function reconstruction, and label-free biological imaging.
SourceOpto-Electronic Journals Group·JournalElectronics·DateMay 30, 2025
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 have demonstrated an intelligent hybrid strategy for simultaneous multi-degree-of-freedom tailoring, enabling the generation of high-dimensional laser fields. This advancement represents a significant step forward in high-dimensional photonics, offering advantages in scalability and simplicity.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·DateMay 23, 2025
Researchers introduce Debye relaxation model into metamaterials, bridging gap between dielectric physics and metamaterial design. This breakthrough enables ultra-broadband electromagnetic parameter regulation, advancing artificial material design.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·DateMay 23, 2025
Scientists at Linköping University have made a significant breakthrough in creating controllable flat optics using nanostructures on a flat surface. By precisely controlling the distance between antennas, they achieved up to tenfold improvement in performance, opening up new avenues for applications such as video holograms and biomedic...
SourceLinköping University·JournalNature Communications·DateMay 21, 2025
Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C)
Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C) keeps Macs, tablets, and meters powered during extended observing runs and remote surveys.
Researchers propose a novel solution using a single gradient metasurface to realize quantum controlled-Z (CZ) gates, enabling high-density integration and multifunctionality. This design allows for both polarization-encoded and path-encoded CZ gates, with potential applications in quantum computing, communication, and sensing.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateMay 18, 2025
Researchers have developed an innovative achromatic metasurface waveguide that eliminates chromatic dispersion and offers improved image clarity. The single-layer design simplifies manufacturing while enhancing system performance compared to traditional multi-layer waveguides.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateMay 13, 2025
The researchers used high-speed laser writing to create lines spaced just 100 nm apart on a glass substrate, achieving super-resolution 3D direct laser writing. They overcame the challenge of intense laser light causing unwanted exposure in nearby areas by using a unique dual-beam optical setup and special photoresist.
Researchers develop inverse design method for metasurfaces, controlling nonlocal behavior and structure complexity. Smooth boundary deformations ensure compatibility with fabrication processes.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·DateNov 20, 2024
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.
Researchers at Macquarie University developed a new software package, TMATSOLVER, that accurately models complex wave scattering for metamaterial design. The tool enables rapid prototyping and validation of new metamaterial designs, accelerating research and development in this growing global market.
SourceMacquarie University·JournalProceedings of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 12, 2024
Researchers developed a new 2D quantum sensing chip using hexagonal boron nitride that can simultaneously detect temperature anomalies and magnetic fields in any direction. The chip is significantly thinner than current quantum technology for magnetometry, enabling cheaper and more versatile sensors.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalNature Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 5, 2024
Researchers at the University of Melbourne have developed a compact, high-efficiency metasurface-enabled solenoid beam that can draw particles toward it. The technology has the potential to reduce pain and trauma associated with current biopsy methods.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalACS Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 18, 2024
A team of researchers has created a novel approach to control thermal emission by designing an interface that joins two surfaces with different geometric properties. This allows for localized thermal emissions from designated areas, enabling applications in infrared optics, sensing, and satellite technology.
SourcePenn State·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 10, 2024
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 at TMOS have developed a new infrared filter thinner than cling wrap, which can be integrated into everyday eyewear, allowing users to view both visible and infrared light spectra. This breakthrough miniaturizes night vision technology, opening up new applications in safety, surveillance, and biology.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalAdvanced Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 3, 2024
Researchers have developed a new device that can determine photon pair properties in a single shot, improving precision and accuracy in quantum technologies. The metasurface-enabled multiport interferometer reduces size, weight, and power while increasing reliability.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalOptica·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 22, 2024
The new metafluid can transition between Newtonian and non-Newtonian states, allowing for programmable viscosity and compressibility. The researchers demonstrated the fluid's capabilities in a hydraulic robotic gripper, picking up objects of varying weights without crushing them.
SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalNature·DateApr 3, 2024
Researchers at Aalto University have developed an optical metamaterial that enables the creation of truly one-way glass, opening up new applications for industries. The metamaterial harnesses the nonreciprocal magnetoelectric effect to control light transmission in both directions.
SourceAalto University·JournalNature Communications·DateFeb 14, 2024
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.
Researchers at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences developed a 10-centimeter-diameter glass metalens that can image the sun, moon, and distant nebulae with high resolution.
SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalACS Nano·DateJan 17, 2024
Researchers have created a new type of conducting polymer with a helically grown structure, which can emit circularly polarized light. The polymer's radicals are arranged in a helical shape and can be aligned into stripe-like structures when exposed to a magnetic field.
SourceUniversity of Tsukuba·JournalMaterials Advances·DateAug 8, 2023
Researchers have developed a method to stabilize the –1 state of boron vacancy defects in hBN, enabling it to replace diamond as a material for quantum sensing and quantum information processing. The team discovered unique properties of hBN and characterized its material, opening up new avenues for study.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalNano Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 26, 2023
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 have developed flexible photodetectors that can detect visible to long-wave infrared radiation, covering the full spectrum of greenhouse gases without complex optical components. The new detectors are simple and cost-effective to make, with production at room temperature.
SourceARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems·JournalAdvanced Functional Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 20, 2023
A new type of photonic time crystal has been developed, showing that these artificial materials can amplify electromagnetic waves. This could lead to more efficient wireless communications and improved lasers., The creation of two-dimensional photonic time crystals makes them easier to fabricate and experiment with.
SourceAalto University·JournalScience Advances·DateApr 5, 2023
Researchers developed a novel 3D printed nano optical security label with 33 possible combinations, utilizing higher dimensional structured light and incoherent white light illumination. This technology has the potential to revolutionize anti-counterfeiting methods and provide a powerful platform for advanced information security.
SourceSingapore University of Technology and Design·JournalNature Nanotechnology·DateMar 14, 2023
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 EPFL have developed a new approach to electronics that can overcome limitations and enable ultra-fast devices for exchanging massive amounts of data. The Electronic metadevices can operate at electromagnetic frequencies in the terahertz range, yielding extraordinary properties that do not occur in nature.
SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 17, 2023
Scientists developed a novel birefringent hydrogel that can continuously tune DUV light, expanding optics to the DUV region for applications in data storage and semiconductor processing. The 2D cobalt-doped titanate LC enables large magnetic & optical anisotropy and high transmittance.
SourceLight Publishing Center, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics And Physics, CAS·JournalLight Science & Applications·DateJan 12, 2023
Researchers at Duke University have developed a new design for plasmonic metasurfaces that greatly expands their frequency range while also making them more robust against the elements. The new fabrication process allows for the use of a wide variety of shapes, opening up new possibilities for applications such as super cameras.
SourceDuke University·JournalNano Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 6, 2022
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.