Researchers have developed a new MRI sensor method for imaging calcium activity in brain cells, allowing them to look much deeper into the brain. They can use this technique to track signaling processes inside the neurons of living animals. It allows them to connect neural activity to behaviors and study brain development and behavior. The [..]

A group of physicists used spectroscopy to identify single antibiotic-resistant bacteria cells that are tuberculosis agents quickly. The method allows for the detection of bacteria and the assessment of antibiotic resistance without causing any harm to the biological material. The researchers proposed using Raman scattering spectrography to analyze bacterial cells quickly. Based on the scattering [..]

Engineers have developed a new method called dewetting for producing glass metasurfaces that can be rigid or flexible. It is a natural process that occurs when a thin film of material is deposited on a substrate and then heated, is used in the new method. The heat causes the film to shrink and disintegrate into [..]

Quantum dots, semiconductor particles small enough to contain single electrons, are a promising laser light source for specific applications. Although careful selection of the semiconductor material can effectively tune the output of quantum dot lasers, structural flaws tend to split the output into multiple wavelengths. A group of researchers has proposed a possible solution in [..]

As demonstrated by biomedical engineers, photoacoustic imaging can take the temperature of deep tissues more quickly and accurately than current techniques. This discovery could play a significant role in advancing thermal-based cancer therapies. Because the efficiency of light-to-sound conversion varies with temperature, the temperature can be measured by listening to light-generated soundwaves. However, the process [..]

A new, simple, low-cost method for controlling particle motion and assembly within liquids using ultraviolet light could improve drug delivery, chemical sensors, and fluid pumps. The method encourages particles, ranging from plastic microbeads to bacterial spores to pollutants, to assemble and organize in a specific location within a liquid and, if desired, to move to [..]

Using a distributed Bragg reflector, a new method has dramatically reduced a type of image distortion caused by spectral cross-talk between dual-band long-wavelength photodetectors. Dual-band photodetectors provide numerous advantages in infrared imaging, including higher image quality and more data for image processing algorithms. However, spectral cross-talk interference between the two channels can limit performance, resulting [..]

Acrylic and polycarbonate lenses are used in a wide range of optical applications; however, the inorganic antireflection (AR) coatings that improve the performance of glass lenses are difficult to apply to plastic optical surfaces. Researchers created a method for coating these plastic lenses with a fluoropolymer that adheres well and even makes the surfaces appear [..]

Deep biological tissue imaging has long been problematic. Complex media such as biological tissue scatters the light, bouncing inside until it emerges at various angles. Subsequently, it distorts the focus of optical microscopes, reducing both resolution and imaging depth. Longer wavelength light can help to avoid scattering, but it also reduces imaging resolution. Instead of [..]

A group of researchers has developed a noninvasive light-sensitive photoactivatable recombinase that enhances in-vivo genetic manipulation. The photoactivatable Flp recombinase’s highly light-sensitive property will be ideal for controlling genetic manipulation in deep mouse brain regions via noninvasive light-emitting diode illumination. This optogenetic module will provide neuroscience researchers with a side-effect-free and expandable genetic manipulation tool. [..]

Scientists have created a miniaturized phosphorescence sensor. It combines marker and sensor on a small chip surface about thumbnail size—a silicon chip houses both the OLED controller and the sensor front-end. Modulated blue OLED light excites the chemical marker. The marker’s phosphorescent response is then detected directly inside the sensor chip. The marker determines the [..]

Lenses work with various wavelengths and applications, including phone cameras, microscopes, and sensors. They must, first and foremost, be able to focus light regardless of its polarization. Researchers have long believed symmetric nanostructures, such as circular pillars, are critical components in developing polarization-insensitive photonic devices. Researchers have created polarization-insensitive metalens made of non-symmetric nanofins that [..]

A research team used resonant inelastic X-ray scattering to implement a new variant of the basic double-slit experiment, providing a more in-depth understanding of solid electronic structure. The researchers used resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) to investigate an iridium oxide crystal (Ba3CeIr2O9). Strongly collimated, high-energy X-ray photons irradiate the crystal. In Young’s classic experiment, Iridium [..]

Using the photoacoustic effect, researchers demonstrated that a laser could transmit an audible message to a person without using any receiver equipment. The ability to send highly targeted audio signals over the air could be helpful to communicate across noisy rooms or to alert people to a potentially dangerous situation, such as an active shooter. [..]

Lattice light-sheet microscopy, a new method of imaging the brain with unprecedented resolution and speed, has been developed by researchers. They can use this method to locate individual neurons, trace connections between them, and visualize organelles inside neurons across large areas of brain tissue. The new technology combines a technique for expanding brain tissue, allowing [..]

For the first time, researchers used electric fields and ultraviolet light to perform computational logic operations on a liquid-crystal-based chemical device. The device (and methods used) open up new research opportunities, such as low-power, high-performance computer chips. The team created a device that demonstrates computation-related functions. Conventional computers use an electric charge to represent binary [..]

Stimulators (that send an electric current to the nerve that controls the bladder) have treated many people with severe bladder problems for the past 30 years. These implants help with incontinence and overactive bladder but can also interfere with normal nerve signaling to other organs. Recognizing this, a group of researchers created an implantable device [..]

A group of researchers has developed a light-scattering method for mapping the mechanical properties of a tumor’s cellular structure and internal fluids, revealing changes caused by chemotherapy treatment. The technique can help to distinguish malignant cell populations and assess the efficacy of anticancer treatments. The researchers used a noncontact imaging technique that takes advantage of [..]

PySight is a new multiphoton microscopy tool developed by researchers for rapid 2D and 3D imaging of the brain and other tissues. The team hopes that the tool will soon help scientists gain a better understanding of brain dynamics, assisting in the discovery of groundbreaking treatments for various health problems such as stroke, epilepsy, and [..]

Researchers have created a new integrated photonics platform to store light in an integrated circuit and electrically control its frequency (or color). The platform is based on atomic systems and can help with photonic quantum information processing, optical signal processing, and microwave photonics. It is the first time microwaves have been used to programmable shift [..]