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 [..]

A team of scientists describes a new OLED display that can pack in 10,000 pixels per inch with room to scale. In comparison, today’s smartphone and VR displays are less than 1,000 pixels per inch. The new display was born from a breakthrough in solar cells, where the scientists used optical metasurfaces — these are [..]

Superresolution microscopy – a technology that enables the acquisition of fluorescent micrographs of samples with a resolution well below the optical diffraction limit of ~250 nm – is rapidly evolving. Several methods have been developed during the past two decades that allow for this extension of conventional optical microscopy, and they have substantially contributed to [..]

Many problems in mechanobiology necessitate the characterization of cells’ and tissues’ micromechanical properties. Brillouin spectroscopy (light scattering) has been proposed as a new optical elastography technique to meet this requirement. However, the information in the Brillouin spectrum remains a source of contention due to fundamental issues in understanding the role of water in biomechanics and [..]

Newly developed biosensor devices linked to smartphones could significantly reduce real-time detection rates in the fight against COVID-19 and other future viral outbreaks. Scientists have developed a novel Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) platform to help biosensor devices detect biological species and control virus outbreaks. Biosensors are instruments that detect the presence of biological agents such [..]

Neuroscientists must be able to map in great detail the neural circuits responsible for tasks such as processing sensory information or forming new memories to understand the brain better. A group of researchers has now described a new method for observing the activity of thousands to millions of neurons within a single brain circuit in [..]

The terminal scanner installed at Marshall Hall, the headquarters of the United States Army Reserve Command, and the headquarters of the United States Forces Command scans soldiers’ and civilians’ wrist temperatures. It also takes pictures of their faces as they enter Marshall Hall. One significant advantage of this terminal scanner is that it does not [..]

A first for imaging science, Rochester researchers show how to track the interactions of microscopic immune cells in a living eye without using dyes or causing damage. The new technique, which combines infrared videography and artificial intelligence, could be a “game changer” for some clinical diagnoses and fields such as pharmaceuticals. They developed a new [..]

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which forms the back portion of the lower jaw and connects your jaw to your skull, is an anatomically complex and highly loaded structure consisting of cartilage and bone. About 10 million people in the United States suffer from TMJ dysfunction due to congenital disabilities, trauma, or disease. A team of [..]

Because of its simplicity and flexibility, Computer Generated Hologram (CGH)-based holographic display technology has gained widespread attention, and applications based on CGHs, such as projection systems, encryption systems, and near-eye display systems, have made significant progress. However, a large amount of calculation is a significant challenge for CGH generation. The high-speed calculation for CGH generation [..]

An optical device resembling a miniature lighthouse lens can make peering into Petri dishes and observing molecular-level details of biological processes, such as cancer cell growth, easier. The new microscope lens is also very affordable. Many bioimaging techniques necessitate the addition of fluorescent dyes to specific cell targets. However, a recently developed Stimulated Raman Scattering [..]

Researchers have improved a method for probing semiconducting crystals with light to detect defects and impurities. The omnidirectional photoluminescence spectroscopy setup could improve materials fabrication for electric cars and solar cells. The technique can test materials at very low temperatures and find even small amounts of defects and impurities. The researchers demonstrated their approach using [..]

Scientists have developed a method to create colloidal crystals that crystallize into the diamond lattice. This photonic technique could lead to cheap, reliable, and scalable fabrication of 3D photonic crystals for optical circuits and light filters. Colloidal crystals, made up of spheres hundreds of times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, can be [..]

A laser-based system that allows optical simulation of individual nerve fibers in living mice has been developed by researchers. They have demonstrated that the nervous system directly influences the immune system through this process. A new method has shed more light on the brain in the last ten years: optogenetics allows scientists to stimulate genetically-modified [..]

Researchers recently examined how cells in the brains of people at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease make and use energy. Relationships between the brain’s energy metabolism and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease have been reported previously. But this is the first study to clearly distinguish different energy molecules in the brain using high-powered imaging called [..]

The U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Crane, Indiana division has developed a temperature scanning sensor system and software to help contain the coronavirus. To use the software, any laptop with USB capability, capture card, most commercial infrared sensors, and a calibrated black body are necessary. The black body is a scientific tool used as a [..]

Researchers have shown that it is possible to study the magnetic properties of ultrathin materials directly, via a new nano microscope that opens the door to the discovery of more two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials, with all sorts of potential applications. The findings are significant because current techniques used to characterize normal (three-dimensional) magnets don’t work [..]

Manipulating buffers and organic solvents on surfaces is fundamental for many biological and/or chemical operations and thus critical in various thermal, optical, and medical applications. For any of these, it is necessary to design a platform that enables locally addressable fluids to be navigated with a low loss rate and partitioned and merged in a [..]

What causes vanadium dioxide films to conduct electricity has been discovered by researchers (insulator-metal transition). Their discoveries will enable thermal imaging devices with higher sensitivity and reaction rates than currently available analogs. While 100-nanometer thin vanadium dioxide (VO2) films do not normally conduct electricity, their resistance drops to 100,000 times when slightly heated. It could [..]