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 [..]

Effective vein visualization is vital for several clinical procedures, such as venous blood sampling and intravenous injection. Existing technologies using infrared devices or ultrasound technology are unsuitable for daily medical care due to their equipment. Now, researchers have devised a new regression-based vein visualization method. It uses conventional RGB images to diagnose venipuncture procedures and [..]

In the mid-2020s, NASA will launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. It will provide a panoramic field of view at least a hundred times larger than Hubble’s, at a similar resolution. It will survey the sky up to thousands of times faster than can be done with Hubble. This wide-field, high-resolution, and efficient survey [..]

A new family of 2D semiconductors could pave the way for high-performance and energy-efficient electronics. The findings may lead to the fabrication of semiconductor devices applicable in mainstream electronics and optoelectronics – and even potentially replace silicon-based device technology altogether. 2D semiconductors are materials with a thickness of a few atoms. Due to their nanoscale [..]

Researchers have paired microscopy with artificial intelligence to develop a fast, accurate, cost-effective COVID test. While many methods currently exist to test for SARS-CoV-2, none use a label-free optical approach. So, the research team turned to a technique typically reserved for visualizing cells: spatial light image microscopy (SLIM), which facilitates chemical-free (or label-free) imaging. SLIM [..]

DNA computing uses the individual units of DNA’s two strands (selectively bound to each other in a complementary manner) to do complicated mathematical calculations. However, most DNA computing processes are still manual – one needs to add reactants step-by-step to the reaction. Finally, scientists have developed a programmable DNA-based microfluidic device that a personal computer [..]

Due to light dispersion and absorption, imaging deep into tissues is challenging. The wavelength windows for high-resolution deep mouse brain imaging are around 1300 nm and 1700 nm. However, due to the low detection efficiency of currently available detectors, one-photon fluorescence imaging in the wavelength region has proved extremely difficult. Researchers have created one-photon confocal [..]

Astronomers have recorded an unparalleled look at X-rays from a black hole system in the early cosmos using gravitational lensing, a natural lens in space. NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory employed this magnifying glass to sharpen X-ray images for the first time. It acquired details about black holes that would otherwise be too far away to [..]

Due to their lower toxicity than cadmium-based semiconductor quantum dots, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are attractive luminous materials for numerous light-emitting, biological, and energy applications. The luminous properties of GQDs drive their practical applications and use. As a result, controlling and tailoring the emission properties of these materials to suit the specified optoelectronic applications is [..]

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) often makes patients experience anxiety and sometimes distress before and during scanning. Researchers have developed an MRI-compatible virtual reality (VR) system to create a different experience. The strong sense of immersion with VR could create sensory experiences designed to avoid the perception of being enclosed and provide new modes of diversion [..]

Scientists have developed an innovative optical system to precisely measure and control high-power laser beams’ position and pointing angle with unprecedented accuracy – without interrupting or disturbing the beams. Even in the most regulated lab setting, laser beams wander around on a microscopic scale due to vibrations and variability. The difference between excellent science and [..]

Researchers have created robotic diagnostic imaging equipment that automatically detects and scans a patient’s eyes for indicators of various eye illnesses. The new device, which combines an imaging scanner and a robotic arm, can track and image a patient’s eyes in under a minute and provide images as clear as those produced by standard scanners [..]

Lower temperatures cause reduced mobility of tiny components in almost all materials. When there is a lack of heat energy, atoms are less likely to change their location or magnetic moments’ direction: they freeze. Scientists have seen the opposite behavior in a nickel oxide material related to high-temperature superconductors for the first time. When this [..]

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is becoming increasingly popular for maxillofacial imaging. It can supply high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) images without distortion and superimposition of bone and other dental structures. Researchers tested a novel AI system based on deep learning methods to determine its real-time performance of CBCT imaging diagnosis of anatomical landmarks, pathologies, clinical effectiveness, and [..]

The holographic display may rectify many refractive defects, produce high-resolution images, and enable focus cues by modifying the complicated wavefront of coherent light with a spatial light modulator. It could be advantageous to have a hologram rendering using rapid and accurate calculations in any situation. Researchers developed a vision-correcting holographic display with hologram acquisition based [..]

A pair of studies show that a quasiparticle called a plasmon polariton can be pulled with and against an electron flow, which could lead to more efficient light manipulation at the nanoscale. When immersed in an electrical current flowing through a sheet of graphene, quasiparticles comprised of photon and electron waves — plasmon polaritons — [..]

Ultrathin metasurfaces generate multiform beams (electromagnetic, multi-direction, multi-polarization, multi-frequency, and multi-beam) with promising applications in numerous optical traps, modern communication systems, and complex environment identification. However, their capacity to generate required multiform beams concurrently limits their application. Researchers developed a multifunctional surface with a polarization selection structure and integrated electric and magnetic systems to overcome [..]