Optics

Tiny sensor harnesses light to feel touch

Organic luminescent radicals enable bright circularly polarized light in the near-infrared region

GLP-1 receptor agonists or SGLT2 inhibitors and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy

A large cohort study found a modestly increased risk of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy associated with GLP-1 receptor agonist use. In contrast, SGLT2 inhibitor use was not linked to an increased risk. The findings warrant heightened vigilance for GLP-1 RA users.

Single-pulse lithography of amorphous photonic architectures inside all-inorganic dielectric crystals

Researchers have developed a single-pulse anisotropic amorphization lithography technique to create regular sheet-like structures inside all-inorganic dielectric crystals. The method uses ultrafast laser pulses to induce controlled phase transitions, enabling high-purity amorphization and precise control over structure formation.

Electrically switchable continuous phase liquid crystal Fresnel zone plate

Researchers have developed an electrically switchable continuous phase liquid crystal Fresnel zone plate, enabling efficient focus control for augmented reality headsets, compact cameras, and adaptive optical instruments. The device achieves a 80% increase in focal intensity compared to traditional binary Fresnel lenses.

Polygonal generalized perfect spatiotemporal optical vortices for advanced field manipulation

Researchers introduce generalized perfect spatiotemporal optical vortices with topological-charge-independent sizes and fully controllable geometric shapes. The new method achieves higher modulation efficiency and improved energy utilization, exceeding 90%.

Scientists discover surprising new way to control light

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have discovered that light can be programmed using its natural geometry, allowing for the creation of structured light with unique properties. This breakthrough has far-reaching implications for fields such as medicine, data transmission, and quantum technologies.

Quantum light sources empowered by monolithic microcavity-metalens interfaces

A new device combines high-performance single-photon generation with multidimensional state engineering, enabling flexible control over photon properties. The integrated platform delivers record-breaking source performance and opens up opportunities for resilient quantum entanglement and high-dimensional quantum communication.

Double-slit experiment reveals hidden details between light and matter

Scientists successfully built the smallest X-ray interferometer to measure how X-rays interact with atomic nuclei. This breakthrough technology enables precise measurement of X-ray refraction and provides new avenues for research.

Twisted nanoparticles sorted by light

Researchers at Tokyo University of Science demonstrated a method for manipulating metallic chiral nanoparticles using circularly polarized light. By confining light to an evanescent field near the surface of ultra-thin optical fibers, they selectively transported left- and right-handed particles based on their chirality.

Designable vectorial lasing via quasi-BIC Möbius loop

Researchers developed a novel design paradigm for vectorial microlasers with designable topological charges using quasi-BIC Möbius-like correspondence in photonic-crystal slabs. This approach allows for programmable structured-light sources for integrated photonic circuits and multi-dimensional optical information encoding.

Artificial intelligence-generated photonics: map optical properties to subwavelength structures directly via a diffusion model

A team of scientists developed an AI-generated photonic (AIGP) framework that directly maps optical properties to subwavelength photonic structures using a latent diffusion model. The system achieves high-precision mapping, supports flexible design constraints, and possesses fuzzy search capability.

Online platform for OCT signal processing and realistic generation

A new online platform enables non-experts to analyze complex OCT signals and generate realistic digital phantoms for optical cancer diagnostics. The platform's multimodal processing capabilities facilitate disease classification and tumor margin isolation.

Ultra-thin optical film sharpens 3D printing precision

A new ultra-thin optical film improves the quality of light used in LCD resin-based 3D printers, ensuring precise details and reducing printing errors. The film's design enhances collimation and uniformity, paving the way for affordable industrial or medical-grade products.

A step toward 7D pathology: Metasurface polarimetry enables next-generation tissue diagnostics

Researchers developed a compact metasurface polarimeter for cancer tissue analysis, offering label-free imaging with reduced variability. The device's miniaturization opens the door to portable polarization-based confocal microscopy for routine histopathology screening.

Record-breaking ultra-deep nanohole waveguides via femtosecond laser

Researchers have developed a novel approach to fabricate high-performance nanophotonic devices with record-breaking ultra-deep nanohole waveguides. The technique enables the creation of nanostructures with extreme depth-to-diameter ratios, overcoming long-standing limitations in single-pulse nanolithography.

Compact and programmable large-scale optical processor in free space

Scientists have demonstrated a reconfigurable photonic circuit implementing wide class of complex unitary transformations via optical manipulation at three layers only. The platform enables flexible access to many co-propagating structured modes, making it suitable for applications in communication, information processing, and simulation.

Graphene-integrated microtube resonators with lobe structures for optical modulation

Researchers have developed graphene-integrated microtube resonators with a unique lobe structure to improve optical modulation and detection. The design enhances axial mode quantization, allowing for efficient light localization and trapping within specific regions of the tube.

Continuous-wave-pumped bichromatic dissipative quadratic soliton femtosecond mode-locking

A new approach to ultrafast nonlinear frequency conversion using dissipative quadratic soliton physics enables simultaneous generation of bichromatic femtosecond pulse trains in a single quadratic nonlinear cavity. This innovation offers a scalable and efficient solution for diverse scientific and technological applications.

A quantum-in-memory stochastic processor for secure and accelerated computing

Researchers have developed a quantum-enhanced in-memory stochastic computing system based on a room-temperature quantum memory, leveraging intrinsic randomness to perform computations securely and efficiently. The system outperforms classical methods in terms of coincidence rates and processing speed.

SKKU Demonstrates Roll-to-roll manufacturing marks a major step toward commercialization of flat optics

Researchers at SKKU have successfully demonstrated the mass production of large-area visible metalenses using a fully automated roll-to-roll manufacturing platform. The platform achieves a record-high throughput of 300 metalenses per second, paving the way for the commercialization of flat optics.

Close-Range Photogrammetry and 3D Imaging receives 2026 Joseph W. Goodman Book Writing Award

The award recognizes the book's significant contributions to research, teaching, business, and industry in the field of optics and photonics. The authors, Thomas Luhmann, Stuart Robson, Stephen Kyle, and Jan Böhm, are renowned experts in photogrammetry and 3D imaging.

Perovskite nanocrystals in glass for high-efficiency and ultra-high resolution dynamic displays

Researchers develop fluoride-engineered perovskite nanocrystal glass for high-efficiency, full-color emission and ultra-high-resolution holographic displays. The glass matrix enables stable and efficient photoluminescence of PNCs, driving the creation of high-quality dynamic displays.

When light gets trapped at nanoscale: New ways to power the future of optoelectronics

Researchers explore new design strategies for metasurfaces and BICs, enabling scalable light control and efficient optoelectronic platforms. These advances have practical implications for applications in lasing, sensing, nonlinear optics, wavefront shaping, and imaging.

A quantum-in-memory stochastic processor for secure and accelerated computing

Researchers developed a quantum-enhanced in-memory stochastic computing system for secure and efficient computation, leveraging room-temperature quantum memory. The system outperforms classical methods with improved coincidence rates and processing speed despite low retrieval efficiency.

Researchers use ultrasound to create light inside the body

Researchers at Stanford University have developed a non-invasive method to deliver light to specific locations in the body using nanomaterials and ultrasound waves. This technique provides a potential roadmap for easier, less invasive light-based treatments, with applications in biology, medicine, and gene editing.

Robust chirality via merging accidental BICs with net zero topological charge

A research team has successfully merged accidental BICs to create a broad momentum-space 'safe zone' for chirality, achieving high sensitivity and wide-angle robustness. This breakthrough paves the way for practical deployment of high-performance chiral photonic devices.

Ultra-low efficiency roll-off high color purity blue perovskite QLEDs with exceeding 20% efficiency

Scientists developed a multifunctional molecule passivation strategy, achieving record-high EQE at 6,441 cd m^-2 and eliminating roll-off. The devices maintain 18.47% EQE at 9,587 cd m^-2 with nearly eliminated roll-off, showcasing improved optical performance.

Seeing red: Dragonflies and humans share the same red-light detection mechanism

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University discovered that dragonfly visual protein detects red light similarly to mammals. This finding has potential applications in medical fields relying on red light-sensing, such as optogenetics.

Optical control of nuclear spins in molecules points to new paths for quantum technologies

Researchers have successfully initialized and detected nuclear spin states in a europium-based molecular crystal using laser light, achieving nuclear spin quantum coherence with a lifetime of up to two milliseconds. This breakthrough paves the way for scalable quantum computers and atomically precise qubit registers.

Quantum skyrmions and high dimensional entanglement mediated by nanophotonics

Researchers developed a nanophotonic platform to generate quantum optical Stokes skyrmion states with controlled topological invariant, eliminating the need for post-selection. This enables robust morphing of quantum information into free-space.

Ultraprecision structural colors via mixture probability sampling network

A team of scientists has developed a new neural network called the mixture probability sampling network (MPSN) to create ultra-precision structural colors. The MPSN achieves high accuracy and diversity in solution output, overcoming limitations of existing methods.

Racetrack-shaped lasers for bright, stable frequency combs

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.

Researchers demonstrate stable links for quantum networks over kilometers of noisy fiber

Researchers from NIST and University of Colorado, Boulder, have demonstrated highly stabilized fiber links for quantum networking. They achieved nanometer precision stabilization while separating the classical light from the quantum signal, enabling the transmission of quantum information reliably.

Quantum researchers engineer extremely precise phonon lasers

Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a squeezed phonon laser that precisely controls individual particles of vibration or sound, allowing for accurate measurements of gravity and other forces. This technology has the potential to create more accurate, 'unjammable' navigation systems without relying on satellites.

Simultaneous delayed fluorescence and phosphorescence in organic luminescent material employing multiple excited states

The study demonstrates simultaneous delayed fluorescence and phosphorescence in an organic luminescent material with multiple excited states. It reveals the existence of a second triplet state (T₂) and the competition between TADF and phosphorescence.

Single-view neural illumination estimation and editing for dynamic light field display

A novel neural illumination estimation and editing framework reconstructs coherent 3D light fields from a single view, achieving 17.0% improvement in image fidelity and demonstrating measurable improvements in perceptual realism for next-generation near-eye displays.

A new way to deliver faster, greener wireless connections indoors

Researchers developed a compact optical wireless transmitter that combines high data rates with improved energy efficiency. The system uses a 5x5 array of lasers to transmit data in parallel, achieving aggregate data rates of up to 362.7 gigabits per second.

Plasmonic nanocavities enable detection of layer-breathing vibrations in 2D materials and heterostructures

Scientists have developed a universal nano-amplifier strategy using plasmonic gold or silver nanocavities to overcome detection barriers in 2D materials. This breakthrough allows for the clear detection of layer-breathing modes in multilayer graphene, hBN, and their heterostructures.

Laser tornado in a synthetic magnetic field

Researchers from the University of Warsaw and other institutions created optical tornadoes by combining spatially variable birefringence with an optical microcavity. This allows for the creation of miniature light sources with complex structures, potentially enabling simpler and more scalable photonic devices.

New holographic data storage approach packs more data into the same space

Researchers developed a holographic data storage approach that combines amplitude, phase, and polarization to store more data in the same space. The new method increases information density while simplifying readout, making it suitable for smaller data centers and faster data processing.

Experimental evidence shows how photons spread across multiple paths in an interferometer

Researchers at Hiroshima University have developed a new experimental method to demonstrate the physical delocalization of individual photons in an interferometer. The study challenges traditional interpretations of quantum mechanics and has significant implications for high-tech sensors and our understanding of reality.

Is darkness faster than light?

Technion researchers confirm 50-year-old prediction by measuring the speed of 'dark points' within light waves. The team's achievement reveals universal laws of nature shared by all types of waves, enabling new microscopy techniques to study hidden processes in physics, chemistry, and biology.

Preserving polarization while boosting light from atomically thin semiconductors with silicon nanospheres

Researchers have demonstrated that silicon nanospheres can enhance second-harmonic generation in monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides while preserving valley-polarization information. The study provides design guidelines for efficient, polarization-preserving nonlinear light sources at the nanoscale.

Sub-1-volt reconfigurable Gires–Tournois monopixels for full-colour reflective displays

Researchers have developed a sub-1-volt, reconfigurable Gires–Tournois resonator for full-colour monopixel reflective displays. The platform exhibits robust performance in achieving vivid colour modulation at sub-1-volt operation and enables uniform colour tuning within a single pixel.

Scanning-exciton optical nanoscopy mapping nanoscale light field & LDOS

Researchers developed scanning-exciton optical nanoscopy to map nanoscale light fields and local density of optical states simultaneously. The technique provides correlative mappings with a spatial resolution of few nanometers, unlocking new physics discoveries and technology breakthroughs.

OCT powered by AI-based analytics gives a glimpse into wound healing

Using AI-driven analytical methods, researchers have created a custom OCT system that enables the objective measurement of wound progress over time. The platform shows that stiffer mechanical properties improve wound healing outcomes, with faster transition to intact regenerated tissue.

Topology helps build more robust photonic networks

Researchers have shown that topology can guide multiple, information-carrying light signals through chip-based photonic communication systems, making them more powerful and reliable. This breakthrough could enable the creation of networks of chips that communicate using light while taking advantage of topology's robustness.

Flexible, stretchable, on-chip optical tweezers

Researchers developed flexible, stretchable on-chip optical tweezers (FSOT) that can trap a wide range of bioparticles across different size scales. The innovation enables high-throughput trapping beyond the diffraction limit, conformal operation on curved biological surfaces, and tunable inter-cellular interaction studies.

Anti-interference diffractive deep neural networks for multi-object recognition

A recent paper introduces a novel optical neural network architecture that can accurately recognize target objects in the presence of multiple interferences. The system achieves high recognition accuracy across diverse scenarios, including complex settings with dynamic interferences.

Fourier ptychographic coherence scanning interferometry for 3D morphology of high asp02ect ratio and composite micro-trenches

A new technique harnessing Fourier ptychographic microscopy and coherence scanning interferometry provides accurate 3D morphology measurements of high-aspect-ratio micro-trenches. The method achieves high lateral resolution without iterative phase retrieval, enabling robust characterization of complex structures.

120 km time-bin QKD using a telecom quantum dot single-photon source

A team of international researchers successfully demonstrates time-bin QKD over 120 km with an on-demand telecom semiconductor QD device. The system achieves exceptional stability and maintains high security key rates, making it suitable for real-world text message encryption applications.

Inside the light: How invisible electric fields drive device luminescence

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University discovered how shifting electric fields control light-emitting efficiency in devices like LEDs. By probing electron spin resonance, they found optimal electric field conditions for efficient recombination, leading to higher electroluminescence efficiency.

Induced fit growth of Ga-based semiconductor thin films for brain-inspired electronics and optoelectronics

Researchers develop an induced fit growth method for Ga-based semiconductor films, enabling controlled thickness and compact surface. The method promises versatile, multifunctional substrates for diverse applications, including optoelectronic devices and neuromorphic computing.

Fourier ptychographic coherence scanning interferometry for 3D morphology of high aspect ratio and composite micro-trenches

Researchers develop Fourier ptychographic coherence scanning interferometry for high-aspect-ratio micro-trenches, achieving high-resolution 3D topography and lateral resolution beyond the incoherent diffraction limit. The method overcomes challenges of strong optical modulation, enabling robust and accurate measurements.

A dynamic twist of light’s ‘handedness’

The Harvard researchers' new device is elegantly designed to be tunable, with a bilayer design that becomes geometrically chiral and able to 'read' chiral light. By using the MEMS device to continuously vary the twist angle and interlayer spacing, the team showed they could tune the device's intrinsic ability to read different chiral l...

IEEE researchers achieve low-power ultrashort mid-IR pulse compression

A team of researchers from SASTRA Deemed University demonstrates a fiber-based method for compressing mid-infrared laser pulses into ultrashort, low-noise bursts efficiently. The system reduces input power from kilowatts to 80 watts, improving energy efficiency and thermal stability.

New ‘vacuum ultraviolet’ laser may improve nanotechnology, power nuclear clocks

Physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have demonstrated a new kind of vacuum ultraviolet laser that is 100 to 1,000 times more efficient than existing technologies. The device could enable scientists to observe phenomena currently out of reach, such as following fuel molecules in real time as they undergo combustion, spottin...

IEEE researchers achieve 20x signal boost in cerebral blood flow monitoring with next-generation interferometric diffusing wave spectroscopy

Researchers optimize interferometric diffusing wave spectroscopy technique to boost weak optical field returning from the brain, achieving over 20x signal to noise ratio. The novel approach provides higher brain sensitivity compared to DCS-inspired approaches and is approximately two orders of magnitude less expensive.

Break-through amplified spontaneous emission with ultra-low threshold in perovskite via synergetic moisture and BHT dual strategies

This work demonstrates a synergistic strategy utilizing water molecules and BHT additive to achieve high-quality perovskite films with low defect density, resulting in an unprecedented amplified spontaneous emission threshold of 8.987 μJ cm-2. The dual-triggered film completes ASE intensity retention after 30-day ambient storage.