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 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 [..]

Chalcogenide glasses are covalently bonded amorphous compounds containing one or more elements: sulfur, selenium, and tellurium. Other elements found in chalcogenides include arsenic, antimony, and even germanium. Synthetic chalcogenide glasses, like pure germanium, have high refractive indices. Unlike brittle semiconductors, however, they can be precisely molded to specification rather than being built up through crystal [..]

Reflectivity is one of the difficulties in distinguishing a duplicate hologram (hologram verification) from an original. Because a slight change in lighting condition completely changes the reflection pattern displayed by a hologram, a standardized duplicate hologram detector has yet to be developed. Researchers have developed a portable, low-cost snapshot hyperspectral imaging (HSI) algorithm-based housing module [..]

Researchers demonstrated a new simple laser system that could aid astronomers in the discovery of new Earth-like planets. The laser emits light at one billion pulses per second and comprises only three parts: two mirrors and a sapphire crystal with a trace of titanium. The new source is powered by a green laser, which converts [..]

A research team created a solid-state LiDAR sensor with a 360° field of view (FOV). Made of the metasurface, an ultra-thin flat optical device one-thousandth the thickness of a human hair strand, the new sensor is attracting attention as an original technology enabling an ultra-small LiDAR sensor. The metasurface can greatly increase the viewing angle [..]

VR companies are integrating iris scanner technology with new VR headsets. The integration can help personalize user experiences. It can help companies understand whether people engage with an advertisement. Tracking your eyes and face will give VR companies unprecedented insight into your emotions. A company has also filed a patent for a technology that adapts [..]

Chips and electronic devices have become exponentially smaller and faster in recent decades. We have nearly reached the limits of ‘traditional’ electronics and are now transitioning from electronics to photonics, which uses light instead of electrons. Scientists have developed a new technique for trapping sound waves and light using multilayer silicon nitride waveguides. The project [..]

Light-field microscopy is a promising solution for microscopic volumetric imaging because the technique can encode information on multiple planes in a single acquisition. It is accomplished through its unique simultaneous capture of light spatial distribution and propagation direction information. However, compared to standard microscopes, state-of-the-art light-field microscopes suffer from a detrimental loss of spatial resolution. [..]

Nanowires, materials with 1000 times the diameter of a human hair and fascinating physical properties, have the potential to enable significant advances in a wide range of fields, from energy harvesters and sensors to information and quantum technologies. Their minuscule size, in particular, may enable the development of smaller transistors and miniaturized computer chips. However, [..]

When a germinating seed is placed on its side, some roots bend earthward immediately, while others turn more slowly. Plant roots must be directed toward gravity for water and nutrients to be available. Understanding these directional mechanisms could help improve agriculture and ensure food security as global climate changes. A new study used machine vision [..]

New cardiology discoveries rely heavily on medical imaging. Researchers use cardiac imaging techniques to detect signs of artery disease that would not have been visible to doctors otherwise. The more tools we have to combat heart disease, the better. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), it is still the leading cause [..]

Researchers have developed a new type of high-efficiency photodetector. The concept comes from the photosynthetic complexes plants use to turn sunlight into energy. The researchers used unique quasiparticles known as polaritons. The new detector generates the particles in an organic thin film. Photodetectors are used in cameras, optical communication systems, and many other applications to [..]

Organic light-emitting transistors (OLETs) are promising components for optoelectronics, smart display technologies, and electrically pumped lasers. They combine the light-emitting function of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and the current modulation (and signal amplification) function of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) in a single device. High-mobility emissive organic semiconductors with tunable colors, which serve as the core [..]

Although the electronic states of a material‘s surface are only 2D, they contain a wealth of interesting physics. These states, which differ from the bulk of the material, dominate many phenomena, including electrical conduction, magnetism, and catalysis. They are responsible for nontrivial surface effects observed in topological materials and systems with strong spin-orbit interaction. Surface [..]

Scientists must study the processes inside an operating battery to understand battery failures. The observations guide the development of faster-charging and longer-lasting batteries. Current techniques to study battery materials are complicated and expensive. They are not quick enough to capture the rapid changes in electrode materials. To understand battery failures, the researchers studied micrometer-sized rod-like [..]

The surface temperature of a solar panel and the appearance of hotspots directly impact its efficiency. Researchers have developed a novel method for estimating the power efficiency of an on-field solar photovoltaics (PV) system based on data obtained from thermal imaging and weather instruments using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). This method is designed explicitly [..]