The physical world of electromagnetics has always been inextricably linked to the digital world of information. Wireless communication systems based on metasurfaces are only applicable in single-polarization scenarios. The capacity of transmitted information remains limited, as do transmission speeds. Based on anisotropic space-time-coding metasurfaces (STCMs), scientists created a frequency-polarization-division multiplexed wireless communication system and a [..]

Precision medicine is starting to incorporate functional assays to evaluate anticancer agents on patient-isolated tissues or cells to select the most effective. Among these new technologies, dynamic BH3 profiling (DBP) has emerged and has extensively been used to predict treatment efficacy in different types of cancer. DBP uses synthetic BH3 peptides to measure early apoptotic [..]

Researchers have created an all-optical method for driving multiple highly dense nanolaser arrays, which could lead to chip-based optical communication links that process and move data faster than current electronic devices. The use of optical fiber eliminated the need for large and complex electrodes, which are commonly used to power laser arrays. According to the [..]

Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) is a new imaging technique that employs laser light to induce ultrasonic vibrations in tissue. It can detect cancerous tissue, image-changing blood flow in the brain, and even identify individual cancer cells. Because of its narrow depth of field, PAM can only focus on a thin layer of tissue at a time. [..]

Patients with bone cancer are often treated with alpha particle radiation therapy, delivered into or very close to the tumor. However, it is unknown whether the radioactive elements spread throughout the surrounding area or to the body’s vital organs, where they could cause toxic effects. Researchers developed a computational framework to measure the concentration of [..]

Strain sensors have demonstrated mechanically invisible monitoring of soft-bodied systems that are otherwise challenging for silicon-based rigid counterparts. Incorporating self-healing properties into these intrinsically stretchable sensors promises damage-resistant and damage-resilient sensing capabilities. Examples range from damage detection in spacesuits to alert suit air leakage by space debris during astronauts’ extravehicular activities. The self-healing function for [..]

A group of researchers has developed a high-conductivity material, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), that could significantly reduce contact resistance and Schottky barrier height within critical parts of electronic and optoelectronic microchips, paving the way for computer and digital imaging components to consume less power relative to their performance than current chipsets. Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is so [..]

For the last half-century, silicon (Si) has been the focal point of the semiconductor and modern electronics industries. However, its surface properties are unknown. A group of scientists investigated the terahertz (THz) emission properties of Si surfaces in a new paper. The paper, “Rapid, noncontact, sensitive, and semiquantitative characterization of buffered hydrogen-fluoride-treated silicon wafer surfaces [..]

Currently, radiologists face an excessive workload, which causes fatigue and, as a result, undesirable diagnosis errors. Decision support systems can help radiologists prioritize and make faster decisions. In this regard, medical content-based image retrieval systems that provide well-curated similar examples can be extremely useful. Nonetheless, most medical content-based image retrieval systems operate by locating the [..]

Researchers in biological imaging strive for 3D, high-speed, and high-resolution imaging with minimal photobleaching and phototoxicity. The light-sheet fluorescence microscope (LSFM) contributes to this goal. The LSFM can image live specimens with high spatiotemporal resolution and low photobleaching thanks to a novel excitation and detection scheme. It has demonstrated great promise for the 3D imaging [..]

A group of researchers has developed a method for achieving high Q factors from robust mechanical structures, significantly reducing device fabrication difficulty and enabling device operation in various environments. High-Q mechanical resonances are desired in many applications, but conventional wisdom relies on minimizing the size of mechanical resonator supporting structures, which makes the fabricated mechanical [..]

Femtosecond laser pulses are extremely powerful tools in various applications ranging from medicine to manufacturing to astronomy. Using a time lens, researchers created a high-performance on-chip pulse source. The technology has the potential to enable new applications in quantum and optical computing, astronomy, optical communications, and other fields. Microfabrication techniques, similar to those used to [..]

High-resolution imaging with adaptive optics (AO) could be useful for determining the integrity of the cone mosaic after macular hole repair. An adaptive optics retinal camera was used to measure photoreceptors before and after macular hole (MH) surgery to assess any cone density changes accurately. The researcher described the results of a small study that [..]

A group of researchers has created a new thermal-imaging sensor that detects microwave radiation 100,000 times more sensitively than currently available commercial sensors, paving the way for novel communications and weaponry technology. The sensor developed by scientists could dramatically improve thermal imaging and provide a foundation for inventions in electronic warfare and radio communications, among [..]

A new study has revealed how diatoms’ glass-like shells help these microscopic organisms perform photosynthesis in low-light conditions. Improved solar cells, sensing devices, and optical components could result from a better understanding of how these phytoplankton harvests and interact with light. They developed a computational model and toolkit that could pave the way for mass-manufacturable, [..]

The transition to full-fledged AR glasses with all-day wear necessitates a high dynamic range display that works equally well in dimly lit indoor and mid-day sun outdoor spaces. Laser beam scanning (LBS) is an ideal (small size-to-power density, weight-to-performance ratios) light source for the application. Light coupling from the source into the optics can help [..]

Engineers have created a cohesive final product capable of transmitting information at ultrahigh speed while generating minimal heat by integrating an electronics chip with a photonics chip (which uses light to transfer data). The new electronic-photonic chip design could impact the future of data centers that handle massive amounts of data communication. Data communication speed [..]

A team of researchers is working to advance the development of a quantum-based hyperpolarizer for use in clinical settings. The goal is to significantly improve MRI imaging of metabolic processes, allowing for earlier and more accurate tumor detection. Metabolic imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is possible. Until now, signal amplification technologies have been prohibitively [..]

Reservoir computing is a new computational framework based on recurrent neural networks. Researchers have developed a new artificial synapse of alpha-indium selenide (α-In2Se3) that may aid in replicating biological neural processes in neuromorphic devices. Reservoir computing uses artificial synapses to run deep learning algorithms directly without needing data transfer between a memory and a processing [..]

Metamaterials are engineered materials that allow us to go beyond the traditional interactions of waves and matter. Light waves that strike metamaterial coatings can be redirected, effectively preventing light from reaching our eyes. The technology enables us to create any pattern, color, or optical feature we can imagine. The “invisibility cloak” is the most visible [..]