An international team of scientists has published the findings of an experiment that could serve as a model for studying transition states in atoms and molecules. This would provide new opportunities to learn more about important processes like photocatalysis, the first steps in photosynthesis, and radiation damage. The researchers used high-resolution electron spectroscopy to capture [..]

Reflectins, the unique structural proteins that allow squids and octopuses to change colors and blend in with their surroundings, are thought to have enormous potential for advancements in fields as diverse as electronics, optics, and medicine. Due to their atypical chemical composition and high sensitivity to subtle environmental changes, scientists and inventors have been stymied [..]

Many natural and industrial processes, such as liquid-to-vapor phase change, gas-evolving reactions, and solid-state material growth, involve the distribution of nucleation sites. However, a complete understanding of the process still needs to be discovered. These limitations are due to the difficulty of probing micro/nanoscopic nucleation sites and the process’s insufficient statistical interpretation. Researchers used phase-enhanced [..]

Single-cell whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is essential for identifying dynamic intercellular DNA changes. Single-cell genomics sample preparation technologies are complex, expensive, and plagued by high amplification bias and errors. The researchers describe Digital-WGS, a sample preparation platform that automates high-performance single-cell WGS with digital microfluidics. They use a wetted hydrodynamic structure to provide high single-cell capture [..]

According to a proof-of-concept study, PET Tracer imaging with 68Ga-pentixafor is an effective diagnostic tool for central nervous system (CNS) B-cell lymphoma. 68Ga-pentixafor PET imaging shows excellent contrast characteristics between lymphoma lesions and surrounding healthy brain tissue. It may be suitable for risk stratification and response assessment by targeting the CXCR4 biomarker involved in the [..]

Why do we feed artificial intelligence data like a normal computer if it can think like a human brain? Scientists are addressing this question by considering the sensory input we humans receive and have developed an optic device inspired by how the human eye works. Researchers recently published the results of their optical sensor, which [..]

AI-based evaluation of medical imaging data typically necessitates the development of a unique algorithm for each task. Scientists have now presented a new method for configuring self-learning algorithms for a wide range of imaging datasets – without requiring specialized knowledge or massive computing power. Researchers have now developed a method that adapts to any imaging [..]

Researchers have introduced a unique drone prototype to help search and rescue teams locate missing persons – even in dense forests. Subjects in individual thermal images often appear completely or partially hidden; the drone instead combines several individual images into one integral image (image integration) that can be used for classification and to better detect [..]

Semiconductor lasers have become one of the most important enablers of photonics-based technologies, allowing for indispensable science and a wide range of technologies. Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL), a critical class of semiconductor lasers, are gaining importance for their use as an optical source in high-speed, short-wavelength communications and sensors due to their form factor and [..]

Researchers have been inspired by the moth eye to create a new, highly effective anti-reflective coating that could be used on solar panels, smartphones, and tablet computers. These primarily nocturnal creatures have evolved non-reflective eyes to avoid predator detection. The surface’s periodic nanoscale structure causes the non-reflective nature of the moth eye. Because of the [..]

Researchers have developed artificial intelligence technology that combines imaging, processing, machine learning, and memory in a single light-powered electronic chip. The prototype reduces the size of artificial intelligence technology by mimicking how the human brain processes visual information. The nanoscale advancement combines the core software required to drive artificial intelligence with image-capturing hardware (device) in [..]

Researchers created a fluorescent imaging method that can simultaneously image up to five different molecule types by measuring each signal from a random, distinct location within a cell. This method could help scientists learn more about the complex signaling networks that control most cell functions. The genome encodes thousands of molecules, interacting in ways we [..]

Researchers created tailored gradient refractive index glass optics using multi-material 3D printed glass, which could lead to better military-specialized eyewear and virtual reality goggles. The new technique could perform a wide range of conventional and unconventional optical functions in a flat glass component (with no surface curvature), allowing for greater optical design versatility in environmentally [..]

Researchers in silicon photonics have demonstrated the first all-silicon optical transmitter capable of 100Gbps and higher without the use of digital signal processing. The new optical modulator nearly doubles the maximum data rate of current state-of-the-art devices, demonstrating the potential for low power. These low-cost all-silicon solutions avoid complicating fabrication processes with non-CMOS-compatible new materials. [..]

The scientific community has witnessed the tremendous expansion of research on layered (i.e., two-dimensional, 2D) materials, with an increasing recent focus on photonics applications. Layered materials are particularly exciting for manipulating light (tunable optical properties) in the confined geometry of photonic integrated circuits. Key material properties include strong and controllable light-matter interaction and limited optical [..]

Researchers have developed interactive, slim-paneled holographic screens (displays) that increase the viewing angle for 3D videos by 30 times. The ultra-thin glass prototype could make holographic video displays more easily integrated into mobile devices. Holography is a photographic technique that records the light scattered from an object and displays it as three-dimensional, such as Princess [..]

Many of the problems that plagued early instrumentation have been overcome in today’s optical designs, but size, weight, and power (SWaP) reductions remain an ongoing goal. Researchers have created a new imaging spectrometer using novel components that significantly reducing SWaP while maintaining performance. The current state of the art in imaging spectrometers is extremely high, [..]

Researchers have developed a new miniaturized light detector to measure quantum light features in greater detail. The device, constructed from two working silicon chips, measured the unique properties of “squeezed” quantum light at record-breaking speeds. Using the unique properties of quantum physics to outperform the current state-of-the-art in computing, communication, and measurement promises new paths. [..]

Researchers created novel linear nanomotors that move in controlled directions using laser light. This research paves the way for new microfluidics applications, such as lab-on-a-chip systems with optically actuated pumps and valves. The researchers developed a system of linear motors made of gold nanorods that move in a controlled direction when exposed to laser light. [..]

Researchers have demonstrated that a glass surface embedded with self-assembled gold nanoparticles can improve resolution using a conventional widefield microscope, allowing for high-resolution fluorescence microscopy capable of high-speed imaging of living cells. Because optical microscopes magnify light to obtain detailed images of a structure, the size of distinguishable objects has long been limited by diffraction—a [..]