Articles tagged with Optics
Comprehensive exploration of living organisms, biological systems, and life processes across all scales from molecules to ecosystems. Encompasses cutting-edge research in biology, genetics, molecular biology, ecology, biochemistry, microbiology, botany, zoology, evolutionary biology, genomics, and biotechnology. Investigates cellular mechanisms, organism development, genetic inheritance, biodiversity conservation, metabolic processes, protein synthesis, DNA sequencing, CRISPR gene editing, stem cell research, and the fundamental principles governing all forms of life on Earth.
Comprehensive medical research, clinical studies, and healthcare sciences focused on disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Encompasses clinical medicine, public health, pharmacology, epidemiology, medical specialties, disease mechanisms, therapeutic interventions, healthcare innovation, precision medicine, telemedicine, medical devices, drug development, clinical trials, patient care, mental health, nutrition science, health policy, and the application of medical science to improve human health, wellbeing, and quality of life across diverse populations.
Comprehensive investigation of human society, behavior, relationships, and social structures through systematic research and analysis. Encompasses psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, linguistics, education, demography, communications, and social research methodologies. Examines human cognition, social interactions, cultural phenomena, economic systems, political institutions, language and communication, educational processes, population dynamics, and the complex social, cultural, economic, and political forces shaping human societies, communities, and civilizations throughout history and across the contemporary world.
Fundamental study of the non-living natural world, matter, energy, and physical phenomena governing the universe. Encompasses physics, chemistry, earth sciences, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, materials science, and the investigation of physical laws, chemical reactions, geological processes, climate systems, and planetary dynamics. Explores everything from subatomic particles and quantum mechanics to planetary systems and cosmic phenomena, including energy transformations, molecular interactions, elemental properties, weather patterns, tectonic activity, and the fundamental forces and principles underlying the physical nature of reality.
Practical application of scientific knowledge and engineering principles to solve real-world problems and develop innovative technologies. Encompasses all engineering disciplines, technology development, computer science, artificial intelligence, environmental sciences, agriculture, materials applications, energy systems, and industrial innovation. Bridges theoretical research with tangible solutions for infrastructure, manufacturing, computing, communications, transportation, construction, sustainable development, and emerging technologies that advance human capabilities, improve quality of life, and address societal challenges through scientific innovation and technological progress.
Study of the practice, culture, infrastructure, and social dimensions of science itself. Addresses how science is conducted, organized, communicated, and integrated into society. Encompasses research funding mechanisms, scientific publishing systems, peer review processes, academic ethics, science policy, research institutions, scientific collaboration networks, science education, career development, research programs, scientific methods, science communication, and the sociology of scientific discovery. Examines the human, institutional, and cultural aspects of scientific enterprise, knowledge production, and the translation of research into societal benefit.
Comprehensive study of the universe beyond Earth, encompassing celestial objects, cosmic phenomena, and space exploration. Includes astronomy, astrophysics, planetary science, cosmology, space physics, astrobiology, and space technology. Investigates stars, galaxies, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, black holes, nebulae, exoplanets, dark matter, dark energy, cosmic microwave background, stellar evolution, planetary formation, space weather, solar system dynamics, the search for extraterrestrial life, and humanity's efforts to explore, understand, and unlock the mysteries of the cosmos through observation, theory, and space missions.
Comprehensive examination of tools, techniques, methodologies, and approaches used across scientific disciplines to conduct research, collect data, and analyze results. Encompasses experimental procedures, analytical methods, measurement techniques, instrumentation, imaging technologies, spectroscopic methods, laboratory protocols, observational studies, statistical analysis, computational methods, data visualization, quality control, and methodological innovations. Addresses the practical techniques and theoretical frameworks enabling scientists to investigate phenomena, test hypotheses, gather evidence, ensure reproducibility, and generate reliable knowledge through systematic, rigorous investigation across all areas of scientific inquiry.
Study of abstract structures, patterns, quantities, relationships, and logical reasoning through pure and applied mathematical disciplines. Encompasses algebra, calculus, geometry, topology, number theory, analysis, discrete mathematics, mathematical logic, set theory, probability, statistics, and computational mathematics. Investigates mathematical structures, theorems, proofs, algorithms, functions, equations, and the rigorous logical frameworks underlying quantitative reasoning. Provides the foundational language and tools for all scientific fields, enabling precise description of natural phenomena, modeling of complex systems, and the development of technologies across physics, engineering, computer science, economics, and all quantitative sciences.
Femtosecond laser precision engineering enables micro/nano-structure creation with high resolution and dry processing. Key challenges include achieving small heat affected zones and ensuring sufficient processing speeds for industrial needs.
Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology discovered a way to create a stable resonator using two parallel gold flakes in a salty aqueous solution. The structure can be manipulated and used as a chamber for investigating materials and their behavior, with potential applications in physics, biosensors, and nanorobotics.
A new technique using thin-film neural networks (TFNNs) improves processing times for all-optical neural networks and enables fast optimization of photonic devices. The approach accelerates the design and fabrication of multilayer thin films, mimicking human retina cells.
Researchers have found a complete solution to the problem of whether catalytic transformations are possible, revealing that quantum catalysts can boost quantum processes. This breakthrough has practical applications in quantum cryptography, secure communication, and efficient state merging, making noisy states useful in quantum computing.
Researchers at Göttingen University have developed a new X-ray imaging method to detect changes in neuronal cell nuclei, indicating altered activity of neurons. This technique enabled the identification of changes in neurons in Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers at Columbia University have developed a compact and power-efficient phase modulator that can control the phase of visible light waves. This breakthrough enables large-scale integration of devices for applications such as chip-scale LIDAR, AR/VR goggles, and quantum information processing chips.
The new method enables faster prototyping of customized optical components for various applications, including eyewear and telescopes. It achieves extremely smooth surfaces using basic equipment found in most labs.
Researchers developed novel photon upconversion systems with heterojunctions of bilayer films of organic semiconductors, achieving two orders of magnitude higher external quantum efficiency than conventional systems. This breakthrough enables bright yellow emission in flexible thin films for optogenetics and biosensing applications.
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 demonstrated Young's experiment for photons in reciprocal space, creating an interference pattern of light polarization with circular polarized stripes. The observation coincided with the 100th anniversary of spin discovery and showed a classic entanglement of two degrees of freedom - direction and polarization of light.
Senior governmental officials from Scotland and California met during COP26 to discuss a dense network of optical sensors for real-time monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions. This will provide local leaders with essential information to support strategic policy decisions.
The GEMM Initiative aims to bridge the gap between science and policy by providing local governments with actionable, real-time greenhouse gas and pollution emission data. This will enable policymakers to make informed decisions on reducing climate change and air pollution in their cities.
Researchers have developed a fast and energy-efficient laser-writing method for producing high-density nanostructures in silica glass, enabling 5D optical data storage that is more than 10,000 times denser than Blue-Ray disc storage technology. The new approach can write tens of gigabytes of data in a reasonable time, with the ability ...
Researchers develop label-free virtual microscopy images that allow detailed visualization of tissue without staining procedures. The new technique provides realistic images that could help reduce the need for repeat surgeries by enabling histopathology analysis during surgery.
Recent advances in holographic optical elements, surface relief gratings, metasurfaces, and micro-LEDs offer new optical architectures to break the etendue limitation in AR/VR displays. These innovations have led to improved system performance, reduced size, and increased weight tolerance.
Researchers demonstrated record-long-distance quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol over a 605-kilometer fiber using twin-field QKD and new signal stabilization technique. This achievement enables the transmission of highly secure information between cities.
Researchers created tiny chip-based optical tweezers that can be used to optically levitate nanoparticles in a vacuum, reducing the footprint of traditional optical traps. The new design enables precise sensing applications and has potential uses for studying near-surface forces and quantum processes.
Researchers have developed frequency translating add/drop filters that can shift the frequency of light signals, enabling new applications in data communication, quantum computing and optical neural networks. The filters exhibit low cross-talk and can be optimized for practical use.
Researchers have demonstrated a new wavelength-tunable, silicon photon-pair source integrated with a pump rejection filter in a single CMOS chip. The device represents an important step toward an entangled photon source that incorporates active photonic devices and feedback control circuits on the same CMOS chip.
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 at Johns Hopkins University have developed a non-invasive optical probe to understand the complex changes in tumors after immunotherapy. Using Raman spectroscopy and machine learning, they identified key features that indicate how tumors respond to treatment, showing promising results for predicting patient response.
Researchers have developed a device that uses two-dimensional hybrid metal halides to control terahertz radiation, outperforming conventional emitters in signal efficiency and cost. The 2D hybrid metal halide device is also thinner, lighter, and more robust than traditional terahertz generators.
Scientists have successfully created a record conversion efficiency of 6% for THz generation in organic crystals pumped with mid-IR pulses, enabling direct manipulation of quantum dots. The generated terahertz field drives electro-absorption modulation in CdSe/CdS quantum dots, resulting in a significant change in transmission.
Researchers have developed a fiber-laser system that can generate isolated attosecond pulses with unprecedented parameters, enabling studies of extremely fast or high-power light-matter interactions. The laser emits 300-fs pulses compressed to few-cycle regime using multi-pass cells, achieving stable CEP operation.
Researchers develop a highly accurate method to assemble multiple micron-scale optical devices on a single chip, enabling practical manufacturing of chip-based optical systems. The new approach allows integration of different materials on a single chip, paving the way for compact optical communications and imaging devices.
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have created microscopic metavehicles that can be controlled and maneuvered using light. By layering an optical metasurface onto a particle and using a light source to control it, the vehicles can move in complex patterns and even transport other objects.
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.
Researchers developed a new system that can detect silicon solar panel defects even in full sunlight, making it easier to keep solar panels working optimally. The system uses a unique combination of hardware and software to image and analyze defects quickly and accurately, regardless of lighting conditions.
A new metrology instrument and techniques have been developed to characterize strongly curved high-quality X-ray mirrors, enabling unprecedented accuracy. The technique, known as speckle angular measurement (SAM), can push the precision of slope error measurements down to 20nrad rms.
Researchers found that modulated 1070-nm light improved AD mice' memory and cognitive skills by reducing A± plaque buildup and promoting microglia responses. This non-invasive therapy may offer a novel approach to AD treatment.
Polarisation optics offers sensitive sub-cellular structure analysis and compatible imaging/sensing for in vivo applications. The Stokes-Mueller formalism and Mueller matrix describe polarisation states, enabling various measurement approaches and information extraction techniques.
A team of scientists demonstrated an optical localization-induced nonlinear competition mechanism to control laser-induced periodic surface structuring. The method produces large-scale high-quality thin-film nanogratings by optimizing laser pulse energy and using laser direct writing.
Researchers developed phyllotaxis-alike vortex nanosieves that can generate multiple optical vortices within a single nano-device, enabling compact and efficient multiplexing of orbital angular momentum. The design uses judiciously arranged nanoholes on metal films to create multiple spiral patterns, each contributing to a specific OAM...
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 high-precision THz time-domain ellipsometry system to characterize wide-gap semiconductors. The system can measure carrier densities up to 10^20 cm^-3 with superior accuracy and precision, resolving a long-standing challenge in the field.
A team of researchers at Aarhus University aims to develop an optical sensor using terahertz light to decode the direction of tiny magnetic 'tornadoes' called skyrmions. Skyrmions offer a promising candidate for future bits in computer technology, requiring less power and generating less heat than current methods.
Researchers designed electromechanically reconfigurable ultrathin optical elements that can be controlled on a pixel-by-pixel level. These versatile metasurfaces could offer a new chip-based way to achieve nanoscale control of light, leading to better optical displays and information encoding.
Researchers developed lab-on-a-chip optical biosensors for real-time COVID-19 detection, overcoming low viral load challenges. These sensors utilize light beam interactions to detect viruses, enabling faster diagnosis and controlling outbreaks.
Researchers have developed new strategies to optimize multiscale design of macro optics to micro/nanophotonics, enhancing the spectral sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman and infrared absorption spectroscopies. This enables effective signal detection even for molecules with small scattering or absorption cross-sections.
A team of researchers from Osaka University and international partners used intense mid-infrared laser pulses to alter magnetic anisotropy in a weak ferromagnet. They found that electronic excitation, rather than lattice heating, was responsible for the ultrafast change, enabling faster spintronics devices. This breakthrough has signif...
Scientists have discovered a photonic realization of type-II Dirac nodal line semimetal with ring-shaped four-fold band degeneracy. The material exhibits a double-bowl state comprising two sets of almost degenerate perpendicularly polarized surface states, which is distinct from other photonic systems.
Researchers developed an in vivo flow cytometry method to monitor circulating tumor cells, revealing daily oscillations in CTC count that change with the day-night cycle. This discovery suggests a potential circadian rhythm regulating CTC release and could improve clinical detection methods.
A team of scientists developed a novel microcavity sensing technology to study the transition dynamics of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) using optofluidic microcavities. The self-referencing method decouples multiple effects involved in physical/chemical reactions, allowing for detection of complex processes.
Researchers developed a simple and robust method to map field patterns in silicon microdisks, observing resonant modes with drastically different dynamics. They confirmed chaos-assisted tunneling with unprecedented assurance by directly interrogating the dynamics inside the microcavity.
Researchers develop prototype display that combines multifocal and integral imaging to create ultra-high definition 3D images with almost diffraction-limited resolution. The new approach enables large, high-definition 3D images for digital signs, entertainment, education, and immersive experiences.
A new wavefront shaping method uses a digital micromirror device to modulate light at high speed, enabling precise control of focal spots in biomedical imaging. The method outperforms conventional genetic algorithm methods with improved contrast and optimization speed.
Researchers at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research used extreme magnetic pulses to create large-scale spin patterns, potentially useful for terahertz frequency range electronic devices. The induced spin patterns are robust and stay 'arrested' for up to ten days.
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.
A new compact system enables real-time, in-line 3D inspection of surfaces with micron-scale precision, enhancing quality control in industrial production. The system combines a fast steering mirror and high precision 1D confocal chromatic sensor to create a compact and lightweight measurement tool weighing just 300 grams.
The NIST-developed emberometer uses digital cameras to track embers in mid-air and reconstruct their 3D shapes. This tool helps researchers understand the behavior of embers, which can aid in developing better protection for structures during wildfires.
Researchers create genuine time-dependent topological system using ultracold atoms in periodically-driven optical honeycomb lattices, exhibiting unique electronic properties and chiral edge modes. The system's non-trivial topological properties are rooted in the non-trivial winding of its quasienergy spectrum.
Researchers at Institute for Basic Science develop new method to study superconductors using optical tools, enabling exploration of fluctuating superconductivity. Theoretical model shows significant changes in electric conductivity and light absorption near critical temperature.
Researchers have discovered a method to control the movement of microscopic crystals, enabling precise targeting of diseased organs for drug delivery. The crystals, which exhibit superparamagnetic properties, can be directed using a magnetic field, opening new applications for improving lives.
Researchers have successfully demonstrated quantum entanglement in solid-state devices, a breakthrough that could enable faster and more secure computing. The experiment uses electrons in a superconductor to create entangled pairs, which can be used to enhance computing performance and secure data transmission.
Physicists at NIST have developed a portable atomic clock based on a single mercury ion, outperforming the national standard clock by at least five times. The improved version of the mercury clock maintains accuracy for over 400 million years, opening up new possibilities for ultra-precise timekeeping and frequency standards.
A six-university collaboration, led by UCSB, aims to create a highly compact and energy-efficient chip. The project will utilize electron spin technology for memory, logic, and communications functions. Successful development could lead to breakthroughs in high-density storage, ultra-fast processing, and secure communication.