Researchers have demonstrated a method for measuring visible light particles nondestructively. The method could be used to investigate the quantum properties of light. The researchers coupled a single trapped ion to an optical cavity dispersively to extract information about the cavity photon-number distribution in a non-destructive way. The team placed an ionized calcium atom between [..]

A team of scientists has developed a microarray detector that uses a tiny blood sample to produce results in less than 30 minutes. Current sepsis diagnosis techniques can take hours or even days to produce the results and diagnosis. Programmed to detect proteins and E. coli, one of the deadly bacteria that can cause the [..]

A team of researchers has determined the optical parameters of cellulose molecules with exceptional precision. They found that cellulose’s intrinsic optical birefringence is high enough to be used in optical displays, such as flexible liquid crystal display (LCD) screens or electronic paper. Cellulose, a naturally occurring polymer, consists of many long molecular chains. Because of [..]

Researchers have developed a way to improve the accuracy of ovarian cancer surgery, called debulking. Using a novel fluorescence imaging system, they were able to find and remove tumors as small as 0.3 millimeters — smaller than a poppy seed — during surgery in mice. The system allows for real-time information about the size, depth, [..]

Lensless microscopy with X-rays, or coherent diffractive imaging, is a promising approach. It allows researchers to analyze complex three-dimensional structures, which frequently exist in nature, from a dynamic perspective. Researchers have developed a method in which two images of an object can be taken from two different directions using a single laser pulse. The images [..]

Lidar is a significant technology for autonomous vehicles to recognize and detect objects in their surroundings. Researchers have targeted the critical component of lidar – optical beam-steering. They created a device that is significantly cheaper to manufacture, lighter, and more resource-efficient than previous variations of the technology. The difference with the new approach to lidar [..]

Researchers used two-photon microscopy to demonstrate that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells can induce tumor regression by directly targeting and killing cancer cells. The study revealed new details about how these immune cells work. It also improved their effectiveness in treating non-lymphoma Hodgkin’s and other B cell cancers. The researchers monitored the activity of [..]

A novel germanosilicate glass composition created by adding zinc oxide has properties that could be useful for lens applications. A research group invented the new zinc germanosilicate glass family. The glass samples had a high refractive index, comparable to pure germania glass. The samples also demonstrated good transparency, UV-shielding properties, and glass-forming ability, making them [..]

Microscopy platforms are critical for understanding neuronal activity, but scanning microscope technologies with micron-scale resolution can be slow and produce enormous amounts of data. A group of researchers has developed a novel confocal technique that could aid in the solution to the problem. It is known as Multi-Z confocal microscopy. It can provide two-color fluorescence [..]

Researchers have created a solar-absorbing, ultrathin graphene film with unique properties. The thin film is helpful for solar thermal energy harvesting. The 90 nm thick material can rapidly heat to 160 °C when exposed to natural sunlight in an open environment. The material property paves the way for new thermophotovoltaics (the direct conversion of heat [..]

Combining multiple photonic imaging techniques could lead to novel, noninvasive tumor detection, and evaluation approaches. Rising cancer incidence will require new techniques to provide diagnostically relevant information quickly and reliably. Researchers believe that optical biopsy could be crucial in diagnosing and characterizing cancer. Less-invasive optical imaging could significantly benefit both clinicians and patients with head [..]

Researchers have developed a new method for atomic-scale magnetic field measurement with high precision, both up and down and sideways. The new tool helps map the electrical impulses inside a firing neuron, characterize new magnetic materials and investigate exotic quantum physical phenomena. The technique builds on a platform already developed to probe magnetic fields with [..]

Because not all cancerous tumors respond equally to treatments and radiation therapy, clinicians’ treatment regimens and patient outcomes are complicated. A research team has now used Raman spectroscopy to reveal differences between tumors that responded to treatment and tumors that were resistant to treatment, potentially offering a way to distinguish between the two early in [..]

Engineers are creating a photonics education toolkit to integrate photonics into colleges’ engineering and science curriculums. The toolkit can help undergraduates learn practical skills in integrated photonics, such as characterizing and testing photonics integrated circuits, typically taught at the Ph.D. level. The team hopes that by teaching these skills earlier in life, more graduates will [..]

Researchers’ experimental photonic switches show promise toward the goal of fully optical, high-capacity switching for future high-speed data transmission networks, demonstrating previously unseen capabilities. The researchers will present the results of a successful scale-up of a 240×240 integrated silicon photonic switch. The device’s name comes from the fact that it accepts 240 optical communication input [..]

Light-based image sensors in autonomous vehicles frequently struggle to see through blinding conditions such as fog. However, researchers have developed a sub-terahertz-radiation receiving system that could aid in the navigation of driverless cars if traditional methods fail. Sub-terahertz wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum between microwave and infrared radiation can easily penetrate fog and dust clouds, [..]

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 [..]

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 [..]