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 [..]

Light-induced charged slippery surfaces (LICS), which regenerate charge when illuminated, have the potential to pave the way for next-generation interfacial materials and microfluidics. A copolymer, tiny liquid metal particles, and lubricant-trapping microstructures make up the new material. It has the potential to be used in lab-on-a-chip devices, biological diagnostics, and chemical analysis. Slippery lubricant-infused porous [..]

Bioactive glass, a specific mixture of sodium oxide, calcium oxide, silicon dioxide, and phosphorus pentoxide, is now used as an orthopedic treatment to restore damaged bone and repair bone defects. Bioactive glass is a material you put into your body, and it begins to dissolve, telling cells and bone to become more active and produce [..]

Engineers have created a switch, one of the most fundamental components of computing, using optical rather than electronic components. The advancement could help in pursuing ultrafast all-optical signal processing and computing. Optics has the potential to revolutionize computing by allowing it to do more at faster speeds and with less power. However, one of the [..]

A new study looks at conjugating 2D perovskites with optically active transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). The study can improve optoelectronic device performance and extend the functionalities of the perovskites. Despite their structural differences, 2D perovskites and TMDs can form clean interfaces due to van der Waals interactions between the stacked layers. Using accurate first-principles calculations, [..]

Researchers have been experimenting with ways to reach people as VR technology improves, becomes cheaper, and more accessible – everything from treating PTSD to performing operas. Visual artists are the most recent to wonder how technology might push the boundaries of their field, looking for new ways to express themselves and share their work. However, [..]