With the introduction of flexible materials, photonics can furnish numerous intriguing opportunities for fundamental and applied research, enabling many applications beyond its electronic counterpart’s capabilities. It is non-invasive, ultrasensitive to external stimuli, and immune to electromagnetic interference of photons as signal carriers. Photonic devices have demonstrated exceptional optical modulation and sensing performance, indicating enormous promise [..]

Voice biometrics is a powerful and convenient form of biometrics that will be crucial in enhancing anti-fraud technology. Whereas one type of biometrics provides decent security against would-be hackers, two provide significantly greater protection, resulting in lower fraud rates. Using both face and voice biometrics makes the verification process nearly impregnable to fraudsters, providing four [..]

Using atomic force microscopy-based, time-traced imaging and force spectroscopy measurements, researchers report changes in cancer cells’ biomechanics and biophysical properties caused by standard chemotherapeutic drugs. The researchers add to our understanding of the interactions between hypoxia and chemotherapeutic drugs. The stiffness kinetics of untreated cancer cells remain consistent in both normoxia and hypoxia, regardless of [..]

Boiling is a complicated physical phenomenon involving at least two phases of matter. Many factors contribute to the system. Liquid-to-gas conversion takes energy from heated surfaces, preventing overheating in everything from nuclear power plants to powerful computer chips. However, if surfaces become too heated, they may undergo a boiling crisis. Bubbles form quickly in a [..]

Researchers have combined a new oxygen-sensing film with machine learning to create a wearable sensor capable of measuring tissue oxygenation through the skin. The device could continuously monitor a person’s oxygen levels for applications in medicine and sports. The device comprises a 3D-printed housing, a sensor head, and an adhesive oxygen-sensing film. Electronic components process [..]

Researchers created a camera with a curved, adaptable imaging sensor that could improve image quality in endoscopes, night vision goggles, artificial compound eyes, and fish-eye cameras. Kirigami, the Japanese art of paper cutting, was used to create the camera. Existing curvy imagers are stretchable but have low pixel density and pixel fill factors, or they [..]

Researchers have developed a deep-learning platform to speed up the MRI reconstruction process. The framework takes a fraction of the traditional technique’s measurements. It uses plug-and-play algorithms to combine physics-driven data acquisition models with state-of-the-art learned image models. The plug-and-play techniques recover pictures faster, with improved quality and potentially superior diagnostic utility than existing MRI [..]

Researchers have discovered a new method for faster spectroscopic measurements. They observed changes in the light spectrum by using simple, rapid polarization measurements by linking polarization to the color of a pulsed laser. The technique opens up new possibilities for measuring spectral changes over the complete color spectrum of light in a nanosecond time frame. [..]

Light-emitting, energy-harvesting, and sensing technologies could all benefit from optoelectronic materials that can convert light energy into electricity and light. However, devices leveraging these materials are notoriously inefficient, wasting a considerable amount of valuable energy in heat. New light-electricity conversion principles can break the present efficiency restrictions. Inversion symmetry is a physical property that restricts [..]

A new computational method dramatically increases the resolution of atomic force microscopy. Under standard physiological settings, the approach exposes atomic-level data on proteins and other biological structures. It gives up a new world of possibilities in cell biology, virology, and other microscopic processes. In physics, atomic force microscopy can efficiently resolve atoms on solid surfaces [..]

Scientists have developed a new spectroscopy technique that can spot glass imperfections. The method helps spot the subsurface structural changes of silica glass due to nanoscale wear and damage. Applications like electronic displays and vehicle windshields will benefit from this development. Surface defects are the main reason glass is less strong than steel. The researchers [..]

The convergence of nanophotonic resonators and scalable integrated photonics can benefit integrated microcomb-based systems. Optical frequency synthesis, optical atomic clocks, optical distance ranging, optical spectroscopy, microwave, radiofrequency photonics, astronomy, and telecommunications are all applications for these systems. These systems require integrated photonic interposers. Photonic interposers are required to realize the cost, size, weight, power, performance, [..]

Researchers have introduced the concept of metaform optics – integrating freeform optics and metasurfaces into a single optical component. This metaform architecture will benefit high-resolution optical systems with a compact form factor, such as augmented reality displays, sensors, and mobile cameras. The researchers experimentally realized a miniature imager using a metaform mirror. They used an [..]

Extremely complex instruments can observe the oscillations of light directly. However, indirect frequency measurement is possible with frequency combs. Optical frequency combs are light waves composed of a large number of spectral lines spaced at equal distances. Two methods for generating frequency combs are exciting dissipative solitons in lasers or passive resonators. Both these methods [..]

Medical imaging methods like Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and single-photon emission CT (SPECT) produce volumes of three‐dimensional (3D) images obtained from generating several slices in a single examination. This massive amount of medical data calls for new lossless compression methods for efficient storage and transmission. Researchers have developed [..]

Modern-day cell phone cameras advance in quality and low light sensitivity due to back-illuminated CMOS sensors and noise removal software pre-processing the captured images. These cameras’ outstanding quality and sensitivity can also act as sensitive light detectors, such as handheld cell-phone-sized Raman spectrometer, for various types of sensing. The cell-phone-based Raman and emission spectral detector, [..]

Researchers have developed a compact gas sensor platform that combines liquid crystals (LCs) with holographic metasurfaces to sense a volatile gas promptly and provide instantaneous feedback through a visual holographic alarm. This technology integrates the advantages of the stimuli responsiveness of LCs and the compactness of metasurfaces while maximizing the effectiveness of the sensor by [..]

Researchers demonstrate highly ultrafast x-ray optics-on-a-chip based on MEMS capable of modulating hard x-ray pulses exceeding 350 MHz, 103× higher than any other mechanical modulator, with a pulse purity >106 without compromising the spectral brilliance. Moreover, the timing characteristics of the devices can be tuned on-the-fly to deliver optimal pulse properties to create a host [..]

A highly sensitive optomechanical ultrasound detector integrated into a silicon photonic chip has been developed by researchers. The device is 100 times more sensitive than state-of-the-art piezoelectric detectors of identical sizes. Their design could substantially improve the performance of ultrasound detectors in a wide variety of biomedical applications. The researchers used a new optomechanical ultrasound [..]

The world of 2D material science is exciting, with new advances opening up new possibilities, most notably through graphene adaptations. Scientists have introduced a new player to the game in the form of borophane, an ultra-thin, ultra-strong material that they hope will one day be used in advanced electronics. Borophene has several disadvantages despite its [..]