Optical metamaterials will be in our pockets, kitchens, cars, and offices in the next three to five years. Experts in the field predict this. Because of increased technological maturity and lower production costs, doors to some profitable new markets for materials are opening. Optical metamaterials interact with photons using chemical compositions or surface properties smaller [..]

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has capped off the first seven months of its survey run by smashing through all previous records for three-dimensional galaxy surveys, creating the most extensive and most detailed map of the universe ever. Yet the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument is only about 10% of the way through its five-year [..]

Over the last two decades, photonic quantum technologies have reached several significant milestones. However, scalability remains a major challenge when translating lab results into everyday applications. Applications frequently necessitate using over 1,000 optical components, each of which must be individually optimized. On the other hand, photonic quantum technologies can benefit from parallel advances in classical [..]

The wealth of properties in functional materials at the nanoscale has piqued the interest of many researchers in recent decades, fueling the development of ever more precise and inventive characterization techniques. Scanning probe microscopy-based techniques, for example, have been used in conjunction with advanced optical methods to probe the structure and properties of nanoscale domain [..]

Researchers investigated the effect of UV irradiation on the nonlinear optical response (NLO) of graphene oxide (GO), fluorographene (GF), hydrogenated fluorographene (GFH), and graphene (G) dispersions. In situ UV photoreduction enabled extensive modification of the degree of functionalization (i.e., oxidation, fluorination, and hydrogenation), effectively tuning the corresponding sp2/sp3 hybridization ratios. The nonlinear optical properties of [..]

At morphologic MRI, the most easily detectable manifestation of multiple sclerosis is focal white matter lesions (WML) of demyelination. They, however, only represent visible tissue damage. As a result, they cannot fully explain the topographic origin and severity of many clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis, especially in the disease’s progressive phase. Advanced imaging techniques have [..]

Researchers have set new efficiency records in a promising class of photovoltaic materials. These transition metal dichalcogenides, or TMDs, absorb extremely high levels of sunlight that strike their surface compared to other solar materials, such as silicon. It is far too heavy, bulky, and rigid for applications that require flexibility, lightness, and high power, such [..]

Researchers are predicting that split photons may also exist. This is a major paradigm change of how we understand light. Not only did the researchers find a new physical entity, but it was one that nobody believed could exist. The theoretical discovery of the split photons – known as a “Majorana bosons” – advances the [..]

Researchers are developing a new technique for imaging through a single multimode optical fiber the width of a human hair. The researchers aim to create a new generation of single-fiber imaging devices that can produce 3D images of remote scenes. Normally, when light shines through a single multimode optical fiber, crosstalk between modes scrambles the [..]

Most cataract surgeons become highly comfortable and adept at performing phacoemulsification, removing even the most difficult lenses, and placing lens implants with minimal stress throughout their careers. As their comfort level with this procedure grows, it frequently decreases with other less frequently performed procedures, such as intraocular lens exchange. For some, the prospect of performing [..]

Integrated photonics is fast evolving. Investigators are now exploring the shorter—visible—wavelength range to develop a wide variety of emerging applications. These include chip-scale light detection and ranging (LIDAR), augmented/virtual/mixed reality (AR/VR/MR) goggles, holographic displays, quantum information processing chips, and implantable optogenetic probes in the brain. The one device critical to all these applications in the [..]

A new research project is developing a new generation of high-precision, low-cost sensors for future smart cutting tools. The project aims to develop low-cost, nano-scale resolution sensors for machining operations on high-value aerospace products to improve precision, reduce costs, and prevent manufacturing errors. New cutting-edge sensing technology is required to achieve greater accuracy and deal [..]

Because they transmit specific wavelengths while rejecting others, optical thin-film filters are critical components of today’s optical communications systems. These components comprise a multilayer stack of thin films on a glass substrate. The operation of an optical filter coating is based on optical interference theory. The design and manufacturing of the coatings determine the various [..]

Your dermatologist takes photographs of a suspicious-looking lesion and rapidly produces a detailed, microscopic image of the skin instead of surgically extracting a sample of skin, sending it to a lab, and waiting several days for findings. Such an imaging method could become routine in clinics due to a new “virtual histology” technology. This method [..]

Fluorescence microscopy and nonlinear imaging system performance characterization are crucial in optimizing and controlling imaging systems throughout longitudinal investigations. Microscopy calibration targets resistant to bleaching and can contrast across several modalities are essential for emerging multimodal nonlinear imaging techniques. Researchers have created a microscope calibration target based on fluorescent nanodiamonds. It has the potential to [..]

Scientists have devised a photonic chip system capable of almost unbreakable quantum communications (using quantum key distribution), with enough performance to secure video calls over long distances and enough stability to run for days. The device combines quantum transmitter and receiver microchips with a four-billion-bit-per-second chip-based quantum random number generator. Quantum computers under development around [..]

Researchers are developing a new optical imaging technique for a dental exam that uses light instead of X-rays to examine people’s teeth for cavities and cracks. Near-infrared light can penetrate the outer enamel layer, underlying dentin, pulp at the center, and gum tissue. Part of the motivation is to decrease patients’ exposure to ionizing radiation, [..]

Concerns about ensuring authorized access to sensitive data have grown as the digital era has progressed. Aside from standard identification methods, biometric qualities such as fingerprints, iris, facial characteristics, and, more recently, brain waves (based on electroencephalography – EEG) have piqued interest. The current research on EEG-based authentication focuses on acute recordings in laboratory conditions [..]

A new zone is formed when liquid meets gas, and molecules (naturally variable) can cross from one state to another. They combine in novel ways to achieve either desirable or undesirable results—the lack of tools capable of precisely controlling such interfaces limits their applications. Researchers have created the first nanoscale controllable gas-liquid interfaces. Whether engineered [..]

A research team has created colloidal crystals that look like opal nanostructures sensitive to time and temperature and can make new sensors. These sensors record the temperature in their environment visibly and continuously over a set period. As a result, they’re ideal for continuous monitoring of temperature-sensitive processes. Exposure to only moderate temperatures for long [..]