Molecules have complex signatures in their spectra at infrared wavelengths, typically accessed using specialized spectroscopic equipment. Researchers discovered optomechanical frequency upconversion at ambient conditions from the mid-infrared to the visible domain using molecular vibrations coupled to a plasmonic nanocavity. Both approaches demonstrate the ability to upconvert the mid-infrared vibrations of the molecules in the nanocavity [..]

Depending on the electronic properties of the two materials, a primary metal-semiconductor interface can create a potential energy barrier to the efficient flow of electrons. It is critical to carefully select the contact material and the process for depositing material onto the semiconductor. Design considerations for optoelectronic components such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors, and [..]

Researchers have developed a novel tunable optical filter for smart IR night vision imaging systems. They used a new phase-changing material (PCM) called GSST, which goes through a phase transition at a higher transition temperature (around 300°C). It is created by partially substituting selenium for tellurium, resulting in Ge2Sb2Se4Te1. Compared to Ge2Sb2Te5, the phase-changing material [..]

Current augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) displays only show 2D images. They need to be perceptually realistic. Now, researchers are trying to bridge this gap between simulation and reality while creating more visually appealing displays. The study describes a method for decreasing the speckling distortion seen in traditional laser-based holographic displays – neural [..]

With the use of light, traditional microscopes enhance images of minute structures or objects. On the other hand, Nanoparticles are so small that they rarely absorb or scatter light and go undetected. An optical resonator boosts light-nanoparticle interaction by capturing light in the smallest possible space by reflecting it thousands of times between two mirrors. [..]

Any visible-spectrum application of ultrashort laser pulses must overcome a fundamental challenge: red light travels more quicker through transparent materials like glass than blue light. As a result, when an ultrashort laser pulse passes through a glass lens, the tightly packed light wavelengths disperse, rendering the beam useless. For decades, optical experts have struggled with [..]

Scientists scanned donated human organs, including lungs, from a Covid-19 donor using a new groundbreaking imaging technology called Hierarchical Phase-Contrast Tomography (HiP-CT). HiP-CT offers 3D mapping at many scales, allowing clinicians to see the entire organ for the first time by imaging it and then zooming down to the cellular level. The European Synchrotron (a [..]

GASMAS (gas in scattering media absorption spectroscopy) is a noninvasive gas sensing technique. It’s becoming a valuable tool for diagnosing and monitoring neonatal respiratory conditions. Phantom models with attributes relevant to the clinical translation of GASMAS technology are necessary to comprehend the technique’s technical limitations and possible uses. State-of-the-art phantoms have focused on the thorax’s [..]

Researchers have designed a Fresnel hologram to focus light in the transverse direction (x–y plane) and disperse it linearly along the optical axis (z-axis). It functions not only as a focusing but also as a dispersive element along an optical axis. The computational method uses the wave-optics principle. The hologram disperses broad wavelengths over a [..]

At 1 trillion operations per second, a new optical switch is 100 to 1,000 times faster than today’s leading commercial electronic transistors. The research could lead to a new generation of computers that run on light rather than electricity. The new device has a 35-nanometer-wide organic semiconductor polymer film sandwiched between two highly reflective mirrors. [..]

Researchers have developed holey dielectric metasurfaces that achieve high nanostructure aspect ratios and are mechanically robust. It opens a possible path to achieving large-diameter achromatic metalenses by expanding the accessible range of group delays. The dielectric metasurfaces comprise ultradeep via-holes through a thin membrane with aspect ratios approaching 30:1. As the material around each hole [..]

Engineers are using a non-invasive optical probe to study the complex changes that occur in tumors following immunotherapy. Their approach combines detailed mapping of tumor biochemical composition with machine learning. Immunotherapy truly works like magic and has fundamentally altered our understanding of how cancer can be managed. However, only 25% of patients benefit from it, [..]

A team of engineers has demonstrated an improved technique for growing high-performance photodetectors made from III-V materials directly on a platform compatible with silicon photonics. The team’s approach puts together several micropatterning and deposition methods to create a monolithic indium-phosphate/silicon-on-insulator (InP/SOI) platform tuned for growing such devices in various dimensions. The engineers devised a new method [..]

Researchers have discovered new information that will aid materials scientists in predicting how material properties change due to stresses such as high temperatures. The current model for forecasting a material’s structure and properties does not apply to polycrystalline materials. So, they developed a new model using near-field high energy diffraction microscopy (HEDM). Most metals, alloys, [..]

Researchers have developed a pick-and-place integration process, generally referred to as transfer printing, for thin-film devices to allow local hybrid materials integration on host PICs. The method provides the freedom to carry out multiple printing processes on a single chip. The method relies on transferring membrane devices or coupons of material with dimensions in the [..]

Tumors within an organ release cells into circulation as they grow. These cells can spread to other organs, causing metastases or new tumors. Engineers have now discovered a technology that allows them to assess the rate of development of these circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in mice for the first time. Their method, which also displays [..]

Scientists have created an IR detector with two separate IR bands and a bias-switchable spectral response. The gadget changes from the near-infrared (NIR) to the shortwave infrared (SWIR) band to reverse the detector’s bias voltage. Integrating the silicon-based dual-band photodetector into existing camera circuits and cellphones is possible. A thin layer of Si acts as [..]

Active display illumination technology generates a surplus of energy demand. Reflective displays (using thin films) that do not require active illumination can stifle this demand. However, these display technologies are challenging to employ in low-light conditions due to a lack of active light sources. The reflection of optical rays within a polymer-embedded microsphere introduces reflective [..]

Photopyroelectric detectors can absorb electromagnetic radiation, convert the absorbed energy into thermal energy, and generate a pyroelectric voltage (PEV) across a pyroelectric material. Their applications include energy harvesting, infrared sensing, and thermal imaging. Conventional narrowband photopyroelectric detectors require a bulky bandpass filter. Alternatively, a narrowband filter, such as a photonic crystal, can be directly integrated [..]

Researchers have developed a new imaging strategy to see the small, ultrastructural changes in dendritic spines during structural plasticity. They have captured the best of both imaging modalities by refining and elaborating on an established imaging technique called correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM). Using 2-photon optical microscopy and glutamate uncaging, the research team first [..]