A new study has revealed how diatoms’ glass-like shells help these microscopic organisms perform photosynthesis in low-light conditions. Improved solar cells, sensing devices, and optical components could result from a better understanding of how these phytoplankton harvests and interact with light. They developed a computational model and toolkit that could pave the way for mass-manufacturable, [..]

The transition to full-fledged AR glasses with all-day wear necessitates a high dynamic range display that works equally well in dimly lit indoor and mid-day sun outdoor spaces. Laser beam scanning (LBS) is an ideal (small size-to-power density, weight-to-performance ratios) light source for the application. Light coupling from the source into the optics can help [..]

Engineers have created a cohesive final product capable of transmitting information at ultrahigh speed while generating minimal heat by integrating an electronics chip with a photonics chip (which uses light to transfer data). The new electronic-photonic chip design could impact the future of data centers that handle massive amounts of data communication. Data communication speed [..]

Reservoir computing is a new computational framework based on recurrent neural networks. Researchers have developed a new artificial synapse of alpha-indium selenide (α-In2Se3) that may aid in replicating biological neural processes in neuromorphic devices. Reservoir computing uses artificial synapses to run deep learning algorithms directly without needing data transfer between a memory and a processing [..]

Metamaterials are engineered materials that allow us to go beyond the traditional interactions of waves and matter. Light waves that strike metamaterial coatings can be redirected, effectively preventing light from reaching our eyes. The technology enables us to create any pattern, color, or optical feature we can imagine. The “invisibility cloak” is the most visible [..]

NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) project was launched into geosynchronous orbit, 22,000 miles above Earth, and was hosted aboard the United States. The goal is to put optical communications to the test as an alternative to radio waves. The LCRD payload, attached to a support assembly flight (LSAF), produces infrared lasers that transmit data [..]

A new imaging technique captures the structure of the human genome with unprecedented fidelity, revealing how individual genes fold at the nucleosome level – the fundamental units that make up the genome’s three-dimensional architecture. The method combines high-resolution microscopy with advanced computational modeling. It is the most comprehensive method for studying the shape of genes [..]

Researchers have developed a method for 2D IR spectroscopy capable of resolving a gas-phase sample’s myriad needle-thin lines. The improved resolution was due to two factors. First, the researchers used a frequency-domain rather than standard time-domain methods for generating a 2D spectrum. In standard time-domain methods, light pulses hit the sample sequentially, and the precision [..]

New research provides clinicians with new information about which neurosurgical implant devices are compatible with 7Tesla (7T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning. The findings may persuade clinicians to use advanced, high-resolution MRI technology to help patients with certain implants. 7T MRI technology is considered cutting-edge. Its ultra-high-resolution images can aid in diagnosing and planning surgery [..]

Despite being widely accepted, the physics of optical waves has some fundamental aspects that are debatable. One of these effects, the anomalous behavior of focused light fields, is being studied in a new light, a quantum light. Quantum light with a well-defined photon number behaves differently than standard focused laser beams, according to researchers. This [..]

Additive manufacturing allows for the creation of novel, multifunctional lenses and components that have the potential to simplify and shrink traditional optical systems. Emerging 3D printing technology converts previously impossible optical component designs into optimized elements. It can improve medical instruments, research tools, communications systems, and consumer devices. The additive process in 3D printing prints [..]

Researchers have developed a new decoding method for orbital angular momentum (OAM) holography. Based on cross convolution, it significantly exceeds the upper limit of OAM holography’s information extraction rate. They designed an amplitude-modulated pattern called Amplitude Decoding Key (ADK) as a decoder for information extraction in OAM holography, starting with the spatial frequency domain. A [..]

With global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions reaching an all-time high in 2021, the need for clean energy is greater than ever. Solar energy is one such alternative to fossil fuels. Solar cells have been created using various materials, but selenium (Se) is popular because it is inexpensive, stable, and non-toxic. Its efficiency, however, is limited [..]

Risk stratification is essential for identifying high-risk individuals and disease prevention. Researchers investigated the potential of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-derived metabolomic profiles to provide information on multi-disease risk. They conducted the research in addition to conventional clinical predictors for the onset of 24 common conditions, including metabolic, vascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, neurological, and cancer diseases. [..]

Researchers have developed a new laser-based technique that can perform LiDAR and remote chemical measurements at the same time. LiDAR (light detection and ranging) uses a laser to measure distances or ranges. Chemically sensitive LiDAR measurements could be useful for remote chemical mapping, detecting trace amounts of chemicals, monitoring industrial processes, and quality control. Researchers [..]

A new photonic chip could be a significant step toward enabling photonic quantum information processors. It can generate and measure quantum states of light in ways previously only possible with large and costly laboratory equipment. The chip is built with lithium niobate, a salt whose crystals have numerous applications in optics. On one side of [..]

Light Fidelity (LiFi) is a high-speed broadband mechanism that uses the light spectrum to transmit and receive data. The Visible Light Communication (VLC) technology uses an LED light to transmit data to a receiver, which can be installed in hotspots, laptops, or smartphones. Infrared signals are then sent back to the LED light by a [..]

Researchers have shown for the first time how cells across different tissue layers in the eye are affected in people with choroideremia – a rare genetic disorder that leads to blindness. The researchers combined traditional eye imaging techniques with adaptive optics, a technology that improves imaging resolution. The researchers used adaptive optics and indocyanine green [..]

Photons are essential in various current research fields and technologies, such as quantum state engineering, which is the foundation of all quantum photonic technologies. Metasurfaces are gaining attention as photon pair sources for quantum research. They can simultaneously transform photons in multiple degrees of freedom, including polarization, frequency, and path. Researchers have now taken another [..]

Researchers used a microfluidic device in the lab to simulate an embryonic heart, which resulted in the development of human blood stem cell “precursors,” which are stem cells on the verge of becoming blood stem cells. To create blood stem cells in laboratory dishes, researchers must first understand all of the processes that occur in [..]